Thread: Drive to Register Hispanic Voters to Boost Political Clout

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006..._506_28_06.txt

Drive to register Hispanic voters aims to boost political clout

By: PETER PRENGAMAN - Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Immigrant rights groups have a message for unsympathetic politicians around the country: Change your stand or risk getting voted out of office.

A coalition of unions, Hispanic activists and religious groups is trying to convert the massive street protests of recent months into long-term political power by launching nationwide citizenship and voter registration drives Saturday in at least 19 states.

The effort known as "Democracy Summer" aims to register a million new voters and convince many of the 8 million legal residents in this country to apply for citizenship.


Such applications are already up nearly 20 percent over past year -- possibly boosted by more interest in political participation and fear that immigration laws will change.

"We want to make sure no politician will dare propose the criminalization of immigrants in the future," said Angela Sembrano, a top organizer in Los Angeles.

The coalition has identified more than a dozen swing states with anywhere from 50,000 to 900,000 legal residents eligible to apply for citizenship -- enough to influence future state and congressional elections if they become U.S. citizens.

The groups have also commissioned studies estimating that as many as 3 million U.S.-born children of immigrants will be voting age by 2008.

The citizenship push might not have a major impact in the November elections because applications typically take at least eight months to process.

Still, organizers believe greater voter registration by immigrants who have become citizens could sway elections this fall in congressional districts where lawmakers identified as anti-immigrant -- mostly Republican -- are vulnerable.

One district is in San Diego, where Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray beat Democrat Francine Busby by 5 percentage points earlier this month.

Bilbray made a crackdown on illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, calling for construction of a fence along the entire U.S.-Mexican border. His slim victory in a district where Republicans far outnumber Democrats gave immigration activists hope for the November election.

"In the 50th district there is a tremendous Latino community that could make a difference," said Enrique Morones, president of Border Angels, an activist group that is helping organize the drives.

Immigration issues will dominate many congressional and state races in Arizona, where voters passed a far-reaching ballot measure in 2004 to restrict services for illegal immigrants. Pro-immigrant groups are responding with plans for 14 citizenship and voter registration drives in Phoenix and other areas throughout the summer.

In one key race, Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth is trying to hold on to his seat against former Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell, a Democrat.

Hayworth has called for a crackdown on illegal immigrants, while Mitchell seeks comprehensive immigration reform that includes a guest worker program.

"Arizona is at the forefront of the anti-immigrant movement," said Ruben Villarreal, an Arizona drive organizer from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change. "We want our communities to be able to respond at the political level."

Waiting for increased political power from new citizens doesn't worry Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat who along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has endorsed the drives.

When he won his seat in 1992, Hispanics made up about 45 percent of registered voters in the district. With the help of citizenship drives, about 40,000 mostly Hispanic immigrants have become naturalized and now about 60 percent of registered voters are Hispanic, he said.

"A naturalized citizen is two to three times more likely to vote than someone born here," said Gutierrez, whose parents immigrated from Puerto Rico. "They understand the implications and what's at stake."

States with at least 100,000 immigrants eligible for citizenship

States with an estimated 100,000 or more permanent residents eligible for citizenship, according to the Department Homeland Security:

-- Arizona: 200,000.

-- California: 3.3 million.

-- Colorado: 100,000.

-- Florida: 900,000.

-- Hawaii: 100,000.

-- Illinois: 500,000

-- Michigan: 200,000.

-- Nevada: 100,000.

-- New Jersey: 600,000

-- New Mexico: 100,000.

-- New York: 1.5 million.

-- Ohio: 100,000.

-- Oregon: 100,000.

-- Texas: 1.1 million.

-- Wisconsin: 100,000.

States where citizenship/voter registration drives will be kicked off July 1, according to the We Are America Alliance and other organizers.

-- Arizona

-- California

-- Colorado

-- Florida

-- Georgia

-- Idaho

-- Illinois

-- Indiana

-- Massachusetts

-- Nebraska

-- New York

-- Oregon

-- Minnesota

-- Pennsylvania

-- South Carolina

-- Tennessee

-- Texas

-- Washington State.

-- Wisconsin


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Now the pro-illegal immigrant advocates are threatening to vote politicians out of office. That is almost comical, because I think the anti-illegal immigrant people (us) have already threatened our politicians with the same thing. Shame, those poor politicans are caught in the middle. Personally, I think they had better listen to middle class America!

"In the 50th district there is a tremendous Latino community that could make a difference," said Enrique Morones, president of Border Angels, an activist group that is helping organize the drives.

They register even if they are not citizens and are not entitled to vote. This is a land grab.