News Round-Up In Brief

News from the US:

• In Hidalgo County, Texas, primarily Mexican-origin residents live on average to be 80, two years longer than the United States or Texas averages. Read the article to find out why this may not be for long and why long life should not be mistaken for a healthy life.

• The Migration Policy Institute notes that immigration policy has increasingly shifted to states, as legislators in more than 20 states have announced plans to introduce bills modeled after Arizona’s controversial immigration law (SB 1070) or to introduce a series of coordinated state measures aimed at denying US citizenship to the children of unauthorized immigrants.

• The NY times describes a joint campaign to try to cancel automatic citizenship for the American-born children of illegal immigrants. This is despite mixed evidence about why parents cross the border.

• The Department of Homeland Security cancels plans for a ‘virtual fence,’ calling it costly and ineffective.

International updates:

• The results of a recent poll first published in France’s Le Monde newspaper suggests that 68 percent of French and 75 percent of German citizens believe that Muslim immigrants have failed to integrate into society and that they consider Islam a threat. Cultural differences and day-to-day segregation were identified as contributing factors.

• The Dominican Republic has begun its first major crackdown on illegal Haitian immigrants since last January’s earthquake, rounding up and deporting hundreds of people in recent days.

• Greece is considering building a fence along a section of its border with Turkey that is the busiest transit point for illegal immigration in Europe.

• Tensions in Russia continue to flare following the death of Yegor Sviridov, who was killed in a brawl with migrants. The incident last month unleashed populist anger against ethnic minorities.