SPLC Newsletter Tracks Anti-Immigration Movement

In response to the explosive growth of the anti-immigration movement in the United States, the Center recently launched a new e-newsletter providing current information about the rising extremism and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Immigration Watch joins Hatewatch, another weekly e-newsletter published by the Center's Intelligence Project. Hatewatch is sent to subscribers every Wednesday and contains descriptions and links to the latest hate incidents in the news.

Intelligence Project staff launched Immigration Watch to monitor hate and extremism in the anti-immigration movement and to provide updates on immigration-related issues. The newsletter carries important media stories from the week before, along with links to major investigative pieces published by the Center's Intelligence Report.

Intelligence Project director Mark Potok said the need to monitor and document the movement is a critical one.

"The anti-immigration movement is spreading like a prairie fire, and much of it is infused with racism and bigotry," said Potok. "It's increasingly important to stay abreast of this movement and the dangerous vigilantism it has spawned."

Since its launch August 16, the newsletter has covered a variety of stories, including the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment among politicians, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's push to have a Mexican town destroyed, and an increase in attacks on Hispanics in areas of Connecticut.

Immigration Watch is published and delivered to subscribers every Tuesday.

Three other newsletters -- Mix It Up Monthly and Teaching Tolerance -- are published by the Center's Teaching Tolerance department.

Mix It Up Monthly is an e-newsletter about the youth activism program Mix It Up. Its annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day is scheduled this year for November 15. The newsletter, published once a month, highlights various Mix It Up activities and discusses what student activists are doing to create more inclusive environments in their schools and communities.

Also published monthly are the Teaching Tolerance and Tolerance.org e-newsletters. Teaching Tolerance is available to those interested in anti-bias issues and related educational materials. The Tolerance.org e-newsletter features updates on tolerance-related news, site features and program expansions.

A general newsletter is also delivered once a month.