The Houston Chronicle reports that in 2009 Texas legislators are expected to consider several immigration-related proposals including one that would "create a state criminal trespassing charge for illegal immigrants enforced by local police." Other bills expected to come before Texas lawmakers include efforts to prohibit judges from granting parole for undocumented people and a proposal to require public schools to track the immigration status of their students, reports the Chronicle's Anabelle Garay. [...]

According to Chief Justice John Roberts' annual report on the federal judiciary, the number of criminal prosecutions in immigration cases spiked in 2008, reported the New York Times. "Filings concerning criminal charges in immigration cases jumped by 27 percent, to more than 21,000. The cases were concentrated in the Southwest," wrote Adam Liptak. [...]

The ABA will soon hold a CLE for attorneys interested in learning about the potential immigration consequences of criminal convictions for non-citizen criminal defendants.  According to the ABA's web site, "This program is ideal for attorneys interested in pro bono immigration cases, criminal defense attorneys, or any attorney who is unfamiliar with the ramifications of a criminal conviction to a non-citizen’s immigration proceedings." The CLE will take place on January 29 and will be conducted by teleconference and live audio webcast.  More information is available at: [...]

Welcome to the new crImmigration blog, a blog about the intersection of criminal law and immigration law. Let's welcome the new year with a new blog about this critically important area of the law. [...]