April 26, 2007, 10:01 am
Bringing Fire, Shoes to Immigration Debate

By Sarah Wheaton

Carol Waselenchuck and her daughter-in-law, Jami Waselenchuk, landed a meeting with two of Senator Bill Nelson’s legislative aides and his deputy chief of staff—and the first topic was shoes. Five thousand pairs of them in Washington, a few thousand more back in Florida.

Joyce Kaufman, a talk radio host from South Florida who was also at the meeting, explained that her listeners “sent their soles to Washington” to call for tighter border security. (We’re glad she didn’t follow through on her threat to bring the “smelliest” pairs to the Capitol.) The Waselenchuks, fans of Ms. Kaufman’s show, were visiting members of Congress to lobby for stricter immigration enforcement.

Armed with report cards from Americans for Better Immigration and figures from Numbers USA, two groups that push for tighter immigration enforcement, the Waselenchuks quickly told Daniel McLaughlin, the deputy chief of staff to Mr. Nelson, what they’d do, in what order.

“Secure the borders,” said the elder Mrs. Waselenchuk, “stop the flow, stop the bleed.” Then, she said “attrition through enforcement.” She and her daughter-in-law believe that if the government starts enforcing existing laws—punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants, denying medical and other benefits, etc.—people here illegally will leave on their own. They see this as a middle ground between a pathway to citizenship and extensive raids and round-ups.

Mr. McLaughlin promised to pass those exact phrases on to Mr. Nelson. The senator is likely to hear feedback from his constituents with increasing frequency as the issue of immigration, which prompted widespread protests but no result in Congress last year, starts simmering. New bills are being drafted while officials from both parties and the White House negotiate in private. And with President Bush more aligned with the majority Democrats than with his own party in supporting ways for undocumented workers to gain citizenship, the debate is likely to boil over.

The Waselenchuks blame illegal immigration for problems including higher health insurance costs, backlogged care for veterans and deteriorating schools. Jami, a registered nurse, sees illegal immigrants getting benefits to which she is not entitled, while she works overtime to pay for her family’s insurance and save money for her children’s college tuition.

Mr. McLaughlin asked how they felt about a bill by Senator Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican. He said the legislation would create “a framework to adjudicate or handle the situation of illegal immigrants.” He added that the measure would bring those here illegally out of the shadows. It would be like offering everyone in Washington with outstanding traffic tickets 10 percent off if they came in and paid up, he said. The women were unmoved, as they were by Mr. McLaughlin’s assertion that a pathway to legal residency, as opposed to citizenship, doesn’t equate to amnesty.

They’re concerned about terrorists and criminals entering the country by crossing the borders or along the coasts. Over three days this week, they joined hundreds of activists and 37 talk radio hosts at the “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” event, the second annual one organized in conjunction with the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Speaking in support of their views at a news conference were Representatives Brian Bilbray, Duncan Hunter, a champion of border fences, and Tom Tancredo. The latter two congressmen are waging underdog bids for the G.O.P. presidential nomination.

The controversy is already playing out among the Republican presidential contenders, with Senator John McCain and Rudolph W. Giuliani taking tougher stances than in the past.

Citing top Republicans who don’t share her opinions, the elder Mrs. Waselenchuk said she plans to change her party affiliation from Republican to independent. In January, Mr. Martinez became the chairman of the Republican National Committee, despite dissent stemming from his support of a ‘comprehensive’ immigration overhaul, which includes ways to obtain citizenship or legal residence.

On the way to Mr. Martinez’s office Russell Senate Office Building, Carol recognized Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, and thanked him for his work on the issue.

“I know the really good ones and the really bad ones,” she said later. Carol worries that Republican Senator Jon Kyl’s role in negotiating a compromise bill with administration officials and Democrats, might cause him to soften his position.

Though they did not have an appointment at Mr. Martinez’s office and the legislative counsel who handles immigration was out with the senator, a different aide spoke with the Waselenchuks. He told them a bit about Mr. Martinez’s bill, and initially, they liked the sound of extra money for border and interior enforcement.

“At first we were all for it,” Jami said. But when they realized undocumented workers would still be eligible for benefits, she said, “We looked at each other and thought, that means more overtime.”

Jami used her vacation time to lobby Congress, and she needs to be back at work today. Her mother-in-law summed up the response from the lawmakers: “Those that had a good record on immigration reform,” who advocate an enforcement-only approach, “weren’t afraid to talk to us.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007 ... on-debate/