U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor has been picked to be his party's top congressional watchdog over the Department of Homeland Security. ...more

February 4, 2009

The attorney for Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes said the ex-Tampa Bay Rays player expects to meet next week's deadline to pay more than $40,000 in court-ordered child support and alimony to his estranged wife. ...more

January 16, 2009

A federal office building in downtown Tampa was evacuated this afternoon when a suspicious package was found in the mailroom, authorities say. Seventy-five people working in the building, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services workers, were evacuated about 1:45 p.m., Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade said in a written statement. ...more

January 15, 2009

A dear friend became an American citizen recently. ...more

November 29, 2008

The U.S. government has arrested and deported record numbers of illegal immigrants - nearly 350,000 - in the past year, authorities say. It has also naturalized a record number of new Americans in the same time, more than 1 million. ...more

November 7, 2008

A cervical cancer vaccine that has been recommended only for U.S. residents has become a requirement for all new female immigrants ages 11 to 26, sparking an outcry over the order's safety and cost. ...more

October 22, 2008

Federal officials are warning immigrants to avoid being ripped off by people offering to help them with immigration paperwork. Carlos Iturregui, chief of policy and strategy for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is in Tampa today to unveil an anti-fraud campaign offering people tips, phone numbers and Web site addresses so they will know how to identify legitimate service providers, said Ana Santiago, spokeswoman for the agency. ...more

October 17, 2008

Immigrants aren't seeking U.S. citizenship as often these days - not since the American dream became more expensive. ...more

September 11, 2008

Lady Liberty's welcome was sorely missing from the drab immigration office where Argentine architect Rodolfo Acevedo started his U.S. citizenship application in the early 1990s. ...more

July 5, 2008

More than 80 people were arrested in a federal sweep of four companies that allegedly arranged fraudulent marriages to earn immigrants citizenship, even organizing wedding photos with bridal gowns and elaborate, but fake, wedding cakes, federal officials said Friday. ...more

May 10, 2008