The Stein Report will not be publishing over the long weekend in observance of Independence Day. We hope that all our readers (and listeners) enjoy the long weekend, cookouts, fireworks and family time. Don't forget to take a few minutes to think about what this holiday is all about and celebrate the courage of our forefathers as they established this great nation. Come back next Tuesday as we'll have more stories and commentaries about the latest news and events in the immigration debate.

The admitted drug smuggler shot by Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean in 2005 while trying to smuggle a load of drugs into Texas, had his prison sentence upheld by a federal appeals court. Read the breaking story from the LA Times.

Major businesses in South Carolina are being audited by the state's labor agency to determine if they are hiring illegal immigrants. The State reported Wednesday that the Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department planned to start Wednesday by focusing on businesses that typically hire immigrant workers. CNBC has the whole story here.

The Arizona House has defeated a bill that would have made it the only state in the nation to criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants by expanding its trespassing law. While the overall vote was 26-15 for the bill to expand Arizona's trespassing law, it came five votes short of the 31 needed for passage. Read the latest from the Associated Press.

About one-third of clothing company American Apparel's workforce is in the country illegally, according to news reports. American Apparel disclosed the findings of an ICE audit in its latest SEC filing. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is active in promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants. See this Portfolio magazine profile for more information about Charney. Read more here.

Utah's new statue giving local police more power to enforce immigration law went into effect today. The law is similar to ones in other states developed off of FAIR's Immigration Reform Law Institute model, which recognizes the inherent power of states to enforce federal laws. The Salt Lake City police say they will not comply with the law, and lawsuits challenging the law are expected. Read more here.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) said she expected amnesty legislation to be introduced in the Senate by late July. During a visit to Ireland she also said that while there would be no special treatment for Irish illegal immigrants in the U.S., they would also benefit from the amnesty. Read more here.