DALLAS — With Dallas being one of the epicenters of a rising Hispanic population, it only made sense that the 125-member advisory board for the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) would choose to meet in Dallas for a three-day conference the week of April 21-23.

IME was founded in 2003 by the Mexican government to promote economic development in Mexico and the United States while defending migrants working outside Mexico. The group met in Dallas marking only the second time it has met outside Mexico.

The agenda featured a visit by Mexican President Felipe Calderon and discussions on high-priority issues as: immigration and discrimination, along with, how to create opportunities in Mexico so people won’t have to risk their lives in search of the American Dream. Health, education and implementing voting for Mexicans who live abroad were also among the important issues discussed by the IME advisory board whose influence in Mexico is said to be growing according to Mexican government officials.

FARMERS BRANCH — Two Dallas suburbs, Farmers Branch and Carrollton, are the first two North Texas law enforcement agencies to be accepted into the federal 287(g) program which gives local law officers immigration enforcement training and access to federal immigration databases.

One other law enforcement agency, in Harris County, was also admitted into the program. These are the first law agencies in the state to be part of the federal program which already operates in 17 states

Federal officials say that enrollment in the 287(g) program has risen dramatically over the past year due to the heightened awareness of the illegal immigration issue.

IRVING — At Brandenburg Elementary school, it's not just the children who are taking classes but their parents too.

Every Thursday night, as part of the Latino Family Literacy Project, parents and children come to school to sit down and enjoy a community meal and stay for some additional enrichment — the students participate in some fun learning activities while the parents join in learning either English or Spanish.

The school implements a dual-language curriculum during the day and decided to do the same for parents when it was discovered that many of them wanted to learn another language.

By far, the Spanish-speaking parents wanting to learn English is a bigger class on Thursday nights but there is a also a sizeable group of English-speaking parents who want to learn Spanish.

The program runs for 10 weeks and in addition to polishing language skills, the program helps parents establish a family reading routine.

ATHENS — Video surveillance showed that 13-year-old Melanie Bowers lied when she said she was surrounded and assaulted by students.

The video showed that the student inflicted her own wounds after her poster was taken away from her. Because of the incident, three Hispanic students were given in-school suspension.

School officials say that the Hispanic students will stay in suspension because they did take away the poster but school officials have asked the local police department to file charges against the girl for filing a false report.

ATHENS — Melanie Bowers, a 13-year-old student at Athens Middle School, took a sign to school as part of her assignment in a U.S. History class which required students to pick a topic and create a protest sign either supporting or against the chosen issue.

Melanie Bowers was attacked for creating a poster against illegal immigration.
(Source: wltx.com)

Bowers' poster read: "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration."

Bowers was showing the poster to some classmates in a school hallway when a group of about 20 students surrounded her trying to grab the poster out of her hands. In the process, Bowers ended up with scratches on her face, arms and neck, multiple bruises and a swollen jaw. It was reported that no punches were thrown. However, Bowers claims that some boys threatened to rape and kill her.

Three students, all of which were Hispanic, were given in-school suspension for the attack on Bowers. The poster was destroyed by the students.

Bowers is being kept home for about a week by her father until attention calms down.

According to Athens school district superintendent Fred Hayes, "… the immigration issue has become so politicized and polarizing that it's much more than illegal now. It just becomes sinister and evil."