Diversity in Brief - May 31 Edition
Poll shows women voters aren't really concerned about women's issues; ICE bolsters its efforts to find and deport illegal immigrants and more.
Poll: Not Many Women Seem to Care About Women
Women's issues are not top priority for many voters, including the women themselves, according to a new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Only about 5 percent of registered female voters say women's issues, including abortion, is at the top of their list for the upcoming election. The poll found the economy, health care and social issues to be the top three priorities for female voters.
Read more here.
Advocates: Rubio Is Full of Hypocrisy
Immigration advocates say Sen. Marco Rubio's proposal to prevent illegal immigrants from using child tax credits for their advantage is wrought with hypocrisy, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Florida senator's proposal is an attempt to crack down on tax fraud after a report surfaced that undocumented workers claimed $4.2 million in child tax credits, but advocates maintain that Rubio's proposal plus his support of a version of the Dream Act spells a contradiction.
Read more here.
Colin Powell Urges Immigration Reform
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called on lawmakers to address the issue immigration reform during an interview with Univision's Jorge Ramos on Al Punto. Powell, who was promoting his new book, said that Americans "will lose who we are as a nation if we shut ourselves off to immigrants," according to Univision.
Read more here.
Houston Hispanic Workers Threaten to Go on Strike
In Houston, Hispanic cleaning workers are threatening to go on strike if the cleaning companies employing them don't raise their salaries, Fox News reports. The Service Employees International Union, which represents about 3,200 employees is in the midst of negotiating with employers for higher wages and must come to an agreement by today.
Cleaning workers are limited to working a maximum of six hours a day, which many workers say has limited the amount of income they can make, forcing them to work other part-time jobs.
Read more here.
ICE Bolsters Efforts to Find, Deport Illegal Immigrants
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stepped up its efforts to track and deport illegal immigrants with criminal records, increasing by 25 percent its dedicated agents to this task. ICE officials say the renewed efforts are the result of steadily declining deportations, but critics say the agency's actions are part of a political ploy to boost numbers during President Obama's reelection campaign.
Read more here.