from the BBC:

By Emilio San Pedro

BBC News, Washington

In 2006, as a debate over immigration reform was raging in the US, the country's Latino voters played a major role in helping the Democratic Party regain control of the US Congress.

And, in recent months, Latinos have also played a pivotal role in helping the Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton stay in the race against her rival Barack Obama, contributing to her impressive victory in California on Super Tuesday and playing a major role in her victory a month later in Texas.

In both cases, Latinos voted in much higher numbers than expected in the Democratic primaries, with two-thirds of them voting for Mrs Clinton.

Sources: Joel Rios; John Philip Wyllie (La Prensa):

In 1942 the Mexican petroleum ship, El Potrero del Llano, was sunk off the coast of Florida. It was attacked and sunk by a German submarine, (U-boat type). In response to this aggression, Mexico requested an explanation from Germany...9 days later they got it. German submarines sank another Mexican petroleum ship, El Faja de Oro, (The Golden Belt).

On the 28th of May, 1942 Mexico declared war on Germany and the Axis Forces. German submarines continued with their assault sinking 2 more Mexican ships, the Tuxpon and the Chiapas, bringing the total to 4 sunken ships.

Initially, Mexico offered up 50,000 Army troops to assist against the Nazi front line, but the U.S refused this offer, replacing the offer with another proposal. The proposal was to utilize Mexico's Air Force.

Escuadron 201 was born. Consisting of 31 pilots and 300 support staff. The P-47 Thunderbolt was Mexico's plane of choice due to it's fuel and load capacities. Mexican pilots trained in Texas, New Mexico and Idaho, being that the planes were American.

Escuadron 201 flew 96 missions under Gen. McArthur's 58th Air Corps. The missions were over the Pacific, specifically the Luzon and Philippine Islands. Three more squadrons were being trained in the U.S when Japan surrendered.

Dear Board and friends, I want to alert you to this horrible story that involves a detained immigrant who was victimized by ICE's cruel detention practices. We will send a letter to Julie Myers out of the National office. I urge that the Farwest/CA councils do the same.

ABC News

Judge: Alleged Treatment of Immigrant 'Beyond Cruel'
Immigrant Detainee Died of Cancer After Delay in Getting Treatment

Approved By SCOTT MICHELS March 19, 2008- For nearly 11 months, Francisco Castaneda asked officials at the immigration detention center where he was being held to treat a lesion he worried might be cancerous.

Though several doctors repeatedly said Castaneda urgently needed a biopsy, government officials allegedly refused to authorize one, calling it an "elective" procedure, according to court records  treatment that a federal judge in Los Angeles has said appears to be "beyond cruel and unusual."

Courtesy of NELP - Visit: National Employment Law Program

http://www.nelp.org/

NEW! Costly in Every Way: States that Have Implemented Harsh Anti-Immigrant Laws Face Grave Economic Risks, detailing the costs to implement and litigate the state bills, as well as their serious impacts on state economies, and their human costs, and Unintended Consequences: Limited Workers' Compensation Benefits for Undocumented Workers Exposes Workers to Greater Risks of Injury, Business to Greater Costs, outlining the unintended impacts of proposals that deny workers' compensation coverage to vulnerable immigrant workers. Some states, frustrated by lack of Congressional action on immigration reform, have turned to ill-conceived immigration "enforcement only" proposals at the state level. These divisive provisions raise serious questions, from the Constitutional to practical.

Here are three new NELP fact sheets that provide advocates with analysis of pending proposals, and some options for real reform. They are:

Social Security No-Match and Employer Sanctions:

http://galleons.org/sl/?MOHXI

States Should not Duplicate an Error-Prone Process-Addressing state proposals to force employers to use the social security system as an immigration enforcement tool

Immigrants and Contracts: States have no Constitutional Power to void contracts between immigrants and citizens, addressing illegal proposal to cancel all contracts if one party is undocumented

http://galleons.org/sl/?TQHPS

E-verify/Basic Pilot Program : States Should not Make a Flawed Federal System Mandatory at State Level

http://galleons.org/sl/?KZYAB

Examining state attempts to force employers to use a flawed federal system as an immigration enforcement tool.