Thread: Immigration Reform Takes Backseat to Economy

For Obama, immigration reform takes backseat to economy

09:22 AM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2008

By JOHN RILEY / The Dallas Morning News
jriley@dallasnews.com

WASHINGTON – Immigrant rights groups, citing huge increases in Latino voter turnout, are claiming credit for helping propel Barack Obama into the White House. Now they want him to follow through on promises to "bring people out of the shadows" by overhauling the U.S. immigration system in his first year as president.

But Mr. Obama is focused on the economic crisis and may not make immigration legislation a priority early in his administration.

"The economy is going to be Obama's first, second, third, fourth and fifth priority," said Sean Theriault, an associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

The incoming president will enjoy solid Democratic majorities in Congress. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said any immigration legislation would need substantial Republican support. Any proposal could stall in the Senate, where Democrats will probably lack a filibuster-proof majority and could see some party members defect amid concern that reform could be seen as amnesty for illegal immigrants.

During the campaign, Mr. Obama promised to provide more manpower and technology to monitor the southern border and major ports of entry. Mr. Obama also said he would work with Mexican officials to promote economic development to curb illegal immigration.

A spokesman from the Obama transition team declined to comment on specific immigration policies.


While Mr. Obama will focus primarily on reviving the economy, he'll "prove his bona fides" to the immigrant communities he courted during the presidential campaign by tackling immigration as well, said Angela Kelley, executive director of the Immigration Policy Center.

John Amaya, legislative staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said he expects the Obama administration to "drop the hammer" on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and be tougher on border security.

Mr. Amaya said overhauling immigration laws is paramount to national security because it would bring illegal workers out of the underground economy and allow the government to keep track of the workers by offering them a path to legalization.

While it is unlikely an immigration overhaul would be approved in Mr. Obama's first 100 days in office, Ms. Kelley was optimistic that legislation could pass during his first term. She said that as in 2006, there would probably be support in the Senate for a measure to strengthen border security, increase the number of guest-worker visas and allow longtime illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. Two years ago, such a bill passed with the support of 23 Republicans and a significant number of Democrats.

State Rep. Rafael AnchÃ*a, a leader on immigration issues in the Texas House, said change in federal policy is essential to solving the labor needs of the country and matching employers to workers. The Dallas Democrat said federal reform could prevent states like Texas from trying to pass laws that can't fix the underlying system.

"We're hopeful that progress on the federal front will lessen the desire for precipitous action at the state level," Mr. AnchÃ*a said.

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I always heard, Immigration was for the sake of the country....not the immigrant.

Maybe it has, in the past, kept that ability to only those who are rich and didn't include the poor. But there isn't any nation who can absorbe world poverty without addressing who's running those countries and why they are in poverty and what they can do about it.

One of my personal dreams is to go to Africa.......I can't afford the trip. People there are starving because people like me can't get there. My ticket alone should set them up well in their economy. I can't get there....they can't recieve.....who's blocking this deal?