Thread: El Salvador's pres says U.S. immig. policy sucks- while here

U.S. immigration reform blasted at Hispanic event

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/polit ... 5788.story
BY LUIS PEREZ luis.perez@newsday.com
September 24, 2007

Immigrants on Long Island can forget, for now, about the United States passing an immigration reform bill, the president of El Salvador said yesterday at a Central American festival in Deer Park.

"I don't have any hope that there will be any reform without a new president and a new Congress," President ElÃ*as Antonio Saca told reporters at the fifth annual Central American Day Parade and Festival.

Stalled amid a fierce political debate over undocumented immigrants, Congress failed earlier this year to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. "It's a subject of human drama," Saca said of the Central American immigrant community on Long Island, the largest segment of which are Salvadorans. He added: "The vast majority are good people who are working for their families. Above all, we have faith" in immigration reform.

Behind him, a sea of blue and white Salvadoran and other Central American flags fluttered, a symbol - along with the traffic jam surrounding the Deer Park railroad station - of the size of that community, which consular and activist organizations estimate as between 250,000 and 400,000.

According to Luis Montes-Amaya, an organizer with the Salvadoran Alliance of New York, there are 50,000 Salvadorans living on Long Island who are U.S. citizens. Another 250,000 Salvadoran immigrants live and work here, he said. Together, they generate $300 million in local sales taxes, and send billions home every year, he said.

Saca urged Salvadorans living here to reapply for extended visiting rights that U.S. immigration officials have prolonged until March 2009. The deadline to reapply for temporary protected status is Oct. 22. About 234,000 Salvadoran nationals are eligible for the program, consular officials said.

The festival, held this year in a dusty lot adjoining the Deer Park train station, is a microcosm of Central American culture. Side by side, vendors sell colorful stitched ponchos from Guatemala, wooden trinkets from Honduras, meat-filled corn patties called pupusas from El Salvador and spicy tacos from Mexico. About 75,000 people attended the event, according to organizers.

The festival is separate from Hempstead's long-running Central American festival.

More than a few walked right up to the Salvadoran president, who was wearing blue jeans, and said hello. Among them was Gavin Cressy, 4, whose mother was born in Oceanside to Salvadoran immigrants.

"We are a nation of immigrants and we can't forget that," said his mother, Nadia Cressy, 30, a medical office manager from Commack. "I think it's important that he comes here to show his support."

Behind him, a sea of blue and white Salvadoran and other Central American flags fluttered, a symbol - along with the traffic jam surrounding the Deer Park railroad station - of the size of that community

Any wonder why Gulliani is soft on illegal immigration? 250,000 to 400,000 foreign flag waving illegals concentrated in one geographic area can't be a good thing for New York State or for America and I think it's time folks north of the Mason-Dixon line got serious about the threat to our country.

Saca urged Salvadorans living here to reapply for extended visiting rights that U.S. immigration officials have prolonged until March 2009. The deadline to reapply for temporary protected status is Oct. 22. About 234,000 Salvadoran nationals are eligible for the program, consular officials said.

What's this all about? What the heck are "extended visiting rights" and why are they extended anyway? Haven't the people of this nation spoken loudly enough yet that it is time for those here illegally to go? I think it's time to end "temporary protected status" whatever the heck that is! 234,000 is a darned good start on the 30,000,000 goal. Sanctuary cities no mas! 287g si!

What on earth is this nation coming to anyway? Today we have the president of a terrorist state speaking at one of our prominent universities, we have another foreign president who openly supports the silent invasion of our country speaking publicly to a gathering of thousands of illegal invaders on our soil endorsing further illegal activity, we open our roads and highways to a foreign country to use with impunity, we give away sovereign US soil to Mexico in the center of our nation to facilitate the destruction of our economy through depressed wages and lost jobs, we have almost as many Mexican Consulates on our soil as we have states, and our legislators want to give amnesty to millions and millions of foreigners who openly violate our laws in direct conflict with our people and our Constitution. Where will the madness end?

There's no other way to put it...

I think we need to embrace these immigrants. Lets not forget, other than language and minor culture differences Latinos will, can and are assimilating into this country extremely well. Without immigrants, illegal or otherwise, this country would be nothing...... A huge chunk of our military is sustained by our Latino population. Embrace it or move

jcres1 wrote:

I think we need to embrace these immigrants. Lets not forget, other than language and minor culture differences Latinos will, can and are assimilating into this country extremely well. Without immigrants, illegal or otherwise, this country would be nothing...... A huge chunk of our military is sustained by our Latino population. Embrace it or move

We're not against LATINO'S or LEGAL immigrants.

Embrace it or move

Actually the majority of American citizens want the illegal immigrants to move. Perhaps you should embrace that.

And... Re:

Lets not forget, other than language and minor culture differences

Differences in language, I would contend, are not 'minor' at all...

Please remember to call today people, keep the pressure on!
(eg. beware of folks that try to sidetrack our progress.. )

jcres1 said:
I

think we need to embrace these immigrants. Lets not forget, other than language and minor culture differences Latinos will, can and are assimilating into this country extremely well. Without immigrants, illegal or otherwise, this country would be nothing...... A huge chunk of our military is sustained by our Latino population. Embrace it or move

Huge chunk of our military is sustained by the Latino population?
Embrace or Move ...back at ya!!!
So then I guess it's sufficient to say that if they don't assimilate, learn the language...Well then either Embrace assimilation, learn the languane or MOVE BACK TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY AND DEMAND CHANGE THERE!!