Immigration is a hot button issue and is an especially prevalent topic on the campaign trail in 2012. Use this story pack, full of tipsheets and stories,  to aid in your investigation of immigration related issues.

Related Tipsheets

• Contracts, Strategies and Resources for Border and Immigration Cover
  Olsen provides tons of links for covering border and immigration (in English and español). From links to the Federal Court websites to the ACLU’s immigrant rights page; your story will not lack the information needed to provide a good investigative story.

• Immigration
  Preston provides an extensive list of links to information online to aid in your coverage of immigration issues. Links include information from: the US government, state laws, law websites, data, and immigration debates.

• Immigration Resources for Journalists
  This tipsheet lists helpful links when covering immigration. Included resource heading: U.S. government; Mexican government; research; lawyers; advocates, restrictionists; advocates, pro-immigrant; movies.

• Immigration Links
  This documents contains links to government pages, sites, blogs and data that may be useful for reporters covering issues related to immigration.

• Covering Immigration
  The authors offer general tips for reporters on the immigration beat, like the importance of making connections with immigration defense attorneys and grassroots organizations. The tipsheet also lists some good immigration websites. Finally, the tipsheet contains a list compiled by Lise Olsen of the top ten contacts and websites for immigration coverage.

Related Stories

• Amongst Us
  An in-depth look at the United States government's immigration policy shows the country is in dire need of immigration reform and that current policies are leading to widespread abuses of immigrants. The story also sheds light on the high cost of the policies.

• Immigrants and the California Economy
  This in-depth review of immigrant labor in California shows that the government has broken its promise to keep illegal immigrants from obtaining work. The chances of an illegal immigrant being arrested are extremely low -- 1,300 to 1.

• Prison Profiting: Behind Arizona's Immigration Law
  NPR's report shows that private prison corporations helped to write Arizona 1070, its controversial immigration law. The story examines "the private prison companies' handin getting the law written and passed, beginning with a private meeting at the Hyatt in washington D.C and ending with extensive campaign contributions and political connections to lawmakers and the governor of Arizona."

• Road to Nowhere:The men who are caught transporting illegal immigrants rarely pay the price
  A Colorado law passed to prohibit human smuggling has proven to be difficult to enforce. Most charges against human smugglers are dismissed or don't end up in court.

• Deportation Nation
  The series found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is deporting and freeing potentially dangerous immigrants before they can be held accountable in local courts. Those accused of serious crimes were able to return to their homelands and escape the U.S. justice system.