Fresh fight looms over immigration

[FedUpinFarmersBranch]

Fresh fight looms over immigration
Obama puts off overhaul; supporters call it 'betrayal'
By Stephen Dinan
Tuesday, August 18, 2009


ArticleComments (7)

With President Obama putting off the immigration reform debate until next year, immigrant rights groups are pushing the administration to suspend tough enforcement practices so illegal immigrants aren't punished under the current system.

While acknowledging the need for an overhaul, Mr. Obama last week acknowledged during a visit to Mexico that his agenda is too full and said a solution will have to wait until next year at the earliest -- a backtrack from his campaign pledge to sign a bill in 2009.

With immigration reform slipping away, rights groups have begun to use words such as "betrayal" in describing how they feel they are faring under the Obama administration, and several have said the only interim solution would be to suspend some enforcement so illegal immigrants don't get caught up in a system that advocates contend is broken.

"While a delay in enacting immigration reform is far from ideal, there are immediate actions that the Obama administration can take to ameliorate the human suffering caused by the misguided focus on failed enforcement measures," said Oscar Chalon, executive director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities.

The White House referred questions about halting or modifying enforcement to the Department of Homeland Security, where Secretary Janet Napolitano has been fielding questions about the administration's approach as she travels the country.

In an address at a border conference last week, Ms. Napolitano seemed to pour cold water on the calls for leniency.

"Our job is to enforce the laws that we have now, to do it intelligently, to do it with well-trained professionals who are well-supervised," she said. "We will enforce this law smartly and intelligently, and if and when -- and I believe it is when -- the law changes, we will be prepared to enforce that law as well."

She defended the use of a program of electronic worker verification, known as e-verify, to track illegal immigration and said using local police to enforce the laws under a program known as 287(g) is worthwhile, though she said Mr. Obama has added more accountability to the program than existed in the previous administration.

Mr. Obama has been walking a tightrope on the issue after winning a large majority of Hispanic votes in the 2008 election. He has stepped up some enforcement measures even as he says he wants a solution that would include legalization of illegal immigrants. But he also has pushed back the timetable for action until next year at the earliest, saying immigration is in line behind "a pretty big stack of bills."

What those interim steps should be depends on one's point of view.

Those who favor a crackdown on illegal immigration say Mr. Obama has made it tougher for authorities to act by putting restrictions on raids and by rewriting the rules on those 287(g) agreements with local police.

But immigrant rights groups say the president is still expanding the local law enforcement program and complain that his embrace of e-verify will create problems for legal as well as illegal residents.

Earlier this month, Mr. Obama did win praise from immigrant rights advocates when his administration said it would impose new rules governing treatment of illegal immigrants who are being detained.

Still, advocates are unnerved by the delay until 2010 on reform legislation.

Immigration Daily, a trade publication that supports legalization, said it feared support for an overhaul would drop in Congress if Republicans do well in the midterm elections -- when the party out of power traditionally gains seats.

"It is essential, therefore, that immigration advocates make the most of the fleeting political opportunity afforded by the fact that those supportive of immigrants in Congress have the votes to deliver," said the publication, which is the online daily digest published by Immigration Law Weekly.

Mr. Obama still faces major divisions in Congress. Some lawmakers want boosted enforcement but no legalization, some support a generous legalization with minimal enforcement, and others -- with strong backing from many in the business community -- want to make sure whatever passes allows for a future temporary supply of workers.

Mr. Obama has supported a broad bill that would legalize undocumented immigrants, rewrite rules for legal immigration and boost staffing for enforcement. He voted for the 2006 immigration bill, which passed the Senate but never saw action in the House, and for the 2007 bill, which was defeated in the Senate.

In Mexico last week, Mr. Obama said those principles still stand.

He also blasted what he called "demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form of pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable."

However, Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, said Mr. Obama's remarks mean the majority of Americans are "demagogues" because polls show that a majority "support enforcement of our immigration laws and oppose amnesty."

"American workers are depending on this administration to protect their jobs from those in America illegally by enforcing immigration laws and opposing amnesty," Mr. King said. "Instead, President Obama is determined to ram a comprehensive amnesty bill through Congress against the wishes of the majority of the American people."

But immigrant rights groups say a legal crackdown will only anger Hispanic and immigrant voters, who were expecting legalization from Mr. Obama and instead have seen mostly stricter enforcement.

"If the enforcement record of DHS and Secretary Napolitano is the only work product of the administration, Latino and immigrant voters who were motivated by the promise of solutions will be disillusioned. So will other American voters who were promised solutions," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.



http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/au ... on/?page=2

[vmonkey56]

Illegal foreigners and special interests need to deport themselves if they missed last AUGUST 2008. How much patience do uninvited guests think the hosts in America have?

[butterbean]

But immigrant rights groups say a legal crackdown will only anger Hispanic and immigrant voters, who were expecting legalization from Mr. Obama and instead have seen mostly stricter enforcement.

Many of the "Hispanic voters" were not even eligible to vote until ACORN stepped in and falsly signed them up. The amount of Hispanics in the country cant just quadruple on its own can it? Unenforced immigration laws have made it easy for illegal aliens to settle down in our country using false records to be here. IMO half of them are illegal aliens. Who are the other "immigrant voters" they are referring to? If they are illegal aliens then they cant vote. If they are legal immigrants, most likely they dont want amnesty for people who broke our laws to get here.

[vmonkey56]

Legal immigrant can be deported and they have no rights to vote or representation. If a legal immigrant speak to Congress the FARA form is required? Or are Union and Corporation voters? SEIU is a foreign interest. Corporations have an interest in cheap labor.

[Jean]

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4461--0-0.html

[Ratbstard]

Mr. Obama's remarks mean the majority of Americans are "demagogues"

I'm losing track of all the names we've been called.

[laughinglynx]

We need to press for an investigation of ACORN. I am totally convinced they are behind most of this and if they have their hand in the census this country will be cooked for good.

Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, has started an investigation of ACORN. We need to support him. Also, it looks like Glenn Beck is being run out of town by liberals that don't like his perspective. I've sent emails to some of those advertisers too. If we are not careful we won't be able to say anything that might offend a liberal. They really are only about 20% of the population. Why are they making the rest of us run so much.

[builditnow]

With immigration reform slipping away, rights groups have begun to use words such as "betrayal" in describing how they feel they are faring under the Obama administration, and several have said the only interim solution would be to suspend some enforcement so illegal immigrants don't get caught up in a system that advocates contend is broken.

"While a delay in enacting immigration reform is far from ideal, there are immediate actions that the Obama administration can take to ameliorate the human suffering caused by the misguided focus on failed enforcement measures," said Oscar Chalon, executive director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities.

So can I go to Mr. Oscar Chalon's home, hang out in his house, all the while demanding that the President of the US and police "suspend enforcement" of trespassing laws and let me stay there, until I am given co-ownership rights to Mr. Chalon's home?

These people are shameless and brazen. They have gotten away with this BS for so long, they really feel entitled to it - to actually request our President NOT enforce laws they are violating, while they continue to violate those laws, until they get exactly what they want and think they are entitled to!

They believe they are MORE entitled to get what they want, than the rest of us, legal US citizens , are entitled to get what we want, which is for our laws to be enforced and these illegal invaders to go home.

Dear heaven, how have things ever been allowed to get this insane?!!!!