Immigration pencil

The number of immigration-related laws passed by U.S. states rebounded sharply in the first half of 2013, spurred in part by a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Arizona's clampdown on immigration, according to a report on state immigration legislation. The report, which was produced by the MacArthur-supported National Conference of State Legislatures Immigration Policy Project, shows that as of June 30, 2013, lawmakers in 43 states and the District of Columbia enacted 146 laws and 231 resolutions related to immigration, an 83 percent increase from the 206 laws and resolutions enacted in first half 2012. Driver’s licenses and IDs continued to be a top issue for states, and eleven percent of laws dealt with education.