American Morning
AZ rancher murder may have been turning point
(CNN) – President Obama will deliver a speech today making his case for comprehensive immigration reform. The federal government is feeling the heat now that states like Arizona are acting on their own to deal with illegal immigration. The murder of an Arizona rancher earlier this year by a suspected illegal immigrant may have been a turning point in the debate. Our Casey Wian has the report.
Read more: Obama makes immigration reform push
Federal lawsuit over AZ immigration law 'exceptionally rare'
(CNN) – The Obama administration is turning its legal team on Arizona's controversial new immigration law. An official tells CNN the Justice Department is looking over the case right now. The announcement first came from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while she was giving an interview in Ecuador. Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer wasn't too happy after she heard what Clinton had to say. Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University's law school, says the Obama administration may be "biting off more than it can chew." He joined us on Monday's American Morning. Watch 
Read more: Official: Justice Department plans to sue over Arizona law
Arizona's Latinos divided over immigration law
(CNN) – Nearly one thousand people rallied in Phoenix this weekend over Arizona's new controversial immigration law. Here's the twist, they were coming out in support of it. The legislation has reignited the immigration debate across the nation and as our Thelma Gutierrez shows us, it's even dividing Arizona's Latino population.
Arizona wants to reassign teachers with accents
(CNN) – It's been a month since Arizona passed its controversial immigration law that sparked protests from coast to coast. Now, state education officials want immigrant teachers with heavy accents removed from classes for students who are still learning English. They say they are following federal guidelines set up by the Bush administration in 2002, but critics are calling it an ethnic witch hunt. Our Thelma Gutierrez looks at the new debate in this AM original report.
Gut Check: Illegal immigrants responsible for crime?
By Carol Costello and Ronni Berke, CNN
(CNN) – Politicians and some police say Arizona's tough, new immigration law is desperately needed to stop a wave of violent crime committed by illegal immigrants "pouring over the border." Critics say this kind of talk is an excuse to use racial profiling to lock up people who are less likely to commit crimes than American citizens.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio is all about finding and arresting illegal immigrants. According to his Web site, his deputies have questioned, arrested or detained more than 38,000 of them to date. Three weeks ago, Arpaio said, “Right now and in this area, we have 100 people in jail right now charged with murder that are here illegally.”
It's a scary number for those living in a state bordering Mexico, a country with a violent drug cartel problem. But, critics say, while some illegal immigrants do commit violent crime, Arpaio's assertion that they are terrorizing Arizona en masse is simply false.
“When we look at the data, when we look at the real numbers, we find that those claims are wildly exaggerated, if not outright untrue,” says Professor David Harris of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
Richardson surprised by Specter loss
(CNN) – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson joined us on Wednesday's American Morning. He weighed in on Tuesday's primary results and their impact on the Obama administration. He also gave us his views on the immigration debate that's raging next door to his state right now in Arizona.
More from our interview with Gov. Richardson after the jump
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