Thread: Matt.org: AZ Band-aid Approach, Demands CIR Now

MATT Denounces Arizona’s Band-aid Approach to Immigration Reform and Demands Federal Leadership on CIR Now

For years, MATT has been making the case to Members of Congress, White House and Administration officials on the imperative need to implement a Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) law that addresses illegal entry into the country, enhances border security and creates a system that allows people to enter and exit the country legally so they can work and contribute to this nation's growth and prosperity. Arizona has thrown CIR right on the lap of lawmakers and if anything good is to come of this discriminatory and anti-constitutional law it is that Washington is now forced to deal with this issue, which has been described as "controversial" and had been identified by both Senate and House members as one that is not to be touched during the 2010 mid-term elections.

America, we can and must do better. We must not allow politicians such as Senator Lindsey Graham to put pre-conditions in order to deal with immigration. Immigration is a national issue, an issue that affects all Americans and is much greater than the illegal or undocumented presence of Latinos and other minorities in this country. Immigration, as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano explained in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Homeland Security issue and cannot be addressed in isolation.

It is widely commented that Republicans want to postpone CIR until 2012 to use it as a political issue during the Presidential elections and garner the much-coveted Latino vote. We should not politicize this issue and much less postpone addressing it any longer. The country is clamoring for action and inaction is inexcusable. States are directly accusing the federal government of not fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities leaving them with creating divisive, discriminatory, and ineffective legislation that hurts America more than it helps it. We are a nation of immigrants and we need to create a system that encourages and facilitates the legal entry of those who wish to contribute to this nation. The current system promotes illegal entry because of its ineffectiveness. Graham and other Republicans point accusatory fingers to those who are here undocumented but do little to address the issue. Postponing the debate on immigration reform is a clear and intentional political maneuver to divide Americans, expose our nation to security violations and threats, and deprive our country of much needed qualified and decent workers from abroad.

In addition, we must see and value Mexico as a neighbor who shares our borders, values, and history. Mexico is an enormous asset to American businesses and reckless legislation such as the SB 1070 is a direct hit to U.S. workers. We should be looking at expanding commercial ties with Mexico, not severing them.

Sincerely,
Aracely Garcia-Granados
Executive Director

When MATT began they claimed to want to be a place of dialog regrdless of the views of participants and switched shortly afterwards to openly censoring posts which were unfavorable to amnesty.