Posts By: Alison Bowen

Alison is a Missouri native and New York City freelance writer who has wanted to cover Latin America since studying Spanish in Central America. After moving to Brooklyn, her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Daily News, the Manhattan Times and Women’s eNews. She earned a master’s degree in journalism and Latin American and Caribbean studies at New York University. Her thesis focused on immigration policies after September 11, including counterterrorism measures, and their effects on the daily lives of immigrants in New York City.

Supporters of DREAM Act Begin Hunger Strike Outside Senator Charles Schumer’s Office

NEW YORK — Sitting around bags with sleeping mats, gallons of water but no food, 15 people began a hunger strike Tuesday outside Senator Charles Schumer’s Manhattan office. The strikers, […] Read More >

Obama To Send 1,200 National Guard Troops To Mexican Border

More than a thousand troops will soon travel to the Southwest, assigned to bolster border protection. President Barack Obama’s pledge to move 1,200 National Guard troops comes after criticism of […] Read More >

Immigration Activists Arrested in New York For Civil Disobedience

NEW YORK — After forming a human chain and blocking traffic near a federal building, 16 people were arrested Monday in downtown Manhattan. City Councilmembers Ydanis Rodriguez and Jumaane D. […] Read More >

New York Reviews Deportation Policies for Immigrants Facing Minor Criminal Charges

Immigrants arrested for decades-old or minor violations, like marijuana possession, may soon be less subject to deportation in at least one state. Last week, New York state officials promised to […] Read More >

Immigration Control Program Morphing Into Prisoner Screening Program

The 287(g) program, a lightning rod for criticism, is slowly and quietly melting into an expanded version of Secure Communities, a different and more under-the-radar government program. Advocates and experts […] Read More >

Thousands Rally in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Against Arizona Law

NEW YORK — A recent controversial law passed in Arizona drove thousands of people to protest in cities around the nation this weekend, adding fervor to planned May 1 rallies […] Read More >

Immigrants Rally Nationally to Protest Arizona Law

NEW YORK — Backlash against the Arizona law emerged throughout the country Tuesday as immigrants took to the streets, asking President Barack Obama to strike down the law. In New […] Read More >

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer Signs Strict Immigration Law

NEW YORK — Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed what’s been called the nation’s toughest immigration bill on Friday afternoon, making it a crime to not carry proper documentation. The bill […] Read More >

Supporters of Using Local Officals to Enforce Federal Immigration Law List Successes

In the wake of a report criticizing 287(g) and similar programs that deputize local officials to enforce federal immigration law, we wondered what supporters of these programs consider their biggest […] Read More >

Targeting Gangs Imperils Immigrant Communities, Advocates Say

NEW YORK — Police officers trying to snare gang members often instead profile immigrant communities, argued organizers at a panel last week. The four-hour conference, “Fighting the Criminalization of Youth, […] Read More >