In New York, just as certain job sectors are dominated by immigrants, so are the unions representing workers in those fields. Many are new citizens who enthusiastically participate in the electoral process and are an important asset for local candidates.

With help from grassroots groups, Asian Americans are becoming a rising force in New York City politics. Watch Larry Tung’s video documenting their ascent.

New York City Council member Ydanis Rodriguez says he will introduce a resolution calling on Governor Paterson to remove New York from the controversial immigration enforcement program known as Secure Communities.

It’s not clear if New York has the power to opt out of the federal program designed to find and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes. Immigrant advocates say Secure Communities is being used against people who only committed minor offenses.

Part of the effort is encouraging new citizens to represent those who can’t vote at the polls–the undocumented.

NY Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was initially attacked by immigrant groups for not being sensitive to their issues. Now, as she runs for reelection, she’s reaching out to Hispanic voters and gave El Diario/La Prensa an exclusive interview.

Secure Communities is a federal program designed to find and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and crimes that threaten national security. But advocates say it makes immigrants less secure.

Republican Dan Donovan is running a pro-immigrant campaign, not very different than that of his opponent, Democrat Eric Schneiderman.

The swirling political debate around undocumented immigrants and the lack of tangible progress on immigration reform is surely going to have an effect on the midterm elections–the question is what that effect will be.

After a long silence from Andrew Cuomo regarding immigration in general and Latinos in particular, the candidate for governor finally addressed Hispanic leaders in New York this weekend.