Thread: Experts Say Immigration NOT a Dem. Priority

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Experts say immigration will not be Dems' top priority

BY BILL HESS/Herald/Review
PHOENIX - It doesn't appear the Democrats will make immigration reform a top priority when they take over the Congress in January.

And if a package of reforms is not started within six to eight months of the 110th Congress' start, the issue will be dead until after the 2008 presidential election.

Those disquieting comments were the consensus of a National Symposium on Immigration panel on Thursday in a hearing room of the Arizona State Senate.

More than 100 people gathered for the daylong symposium, hosted by The Communications Institute.

While immigration is on the mind of many Americans, it was not a "wedge issue" that will bring it to the top of the Democrats' agenda, said Doris Meissner, who once headed the Arizona's immigration services.

The House of Representatives may end up moving more slowly on immigration, even though it took the lead in the 109th Congress, said Meissner, who is now part of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

She expects the soon-to-be Democratic-controlled Senate "to move more quickly."

But without the support of the Democratic-controlled House, it will be similar to this year when the Republican-controlled House moved toward reform and the GOP-majority Senate did not.

Michael Sandler, a staff writer for the Congressional Quarterly, said if both congressional chambers do not step out and address immigration reform "in the next six months or eight at the most, the issue is dead."

The Democrats are promising they will work with Republicans, but that may not happen, said Daniel Tichenor, a professor of political science at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Although the Democrats won both congressional chambers, the party, along with the losing Republicans, have divisions within their groups, Tichenor said.

Those divisions are profound.

William Beach, the Heritage Foundation's director of the Center for Data Analysis, said both parties are facing a quandary as to what to do because there are mixed signals to both parties, especially from Hispanic voters.
Panel member Ron Mazzoli, a retired Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky who once chaired the immigration committee, listened to the discussion.

Nancy Pelosi of California, the new Speaker of the House, has listed a number of issues she wants discussed during the first 100 hours.

"Immigration is not one of the 100-hour issues," Mazzoli said.

He was part of the immigration reform fight in 1986 that ended up with a decision to allow illegal immigrants to remain and seek citizenship.

It was a bitter, brutal fight, with the business community coming out on top, Mazzoli said.

The rolling amnesty was not what really was needed, but the business community forced it, for there would have been no reform without their support.

Meissner predicted that there will be a "collision course" between business and enforcement in whatever actions are taken next year on the immigration issue.

In 1986, a piecemeal approach was taken, which Mazzoli warned must not be done again. To ensure this doesn't happen, Congress must look at the entire immigration reform issue and develop interlocking packages, he said.

Beach said that while many voters indicated immigration reform is a high priority, Iraq is the main issue Congress will review.

Meissner said with states becoming more involved in passing immigration laws, it could help Congress from addressing those issues. But she said propositions approved by Arizona voters on immigration issues were a cry for help to Washington, D.C.

"They were strong shots across the bow to do something," she said.

I heard the same thing on one of the news channels tonight. Immigration was not on the Dem's list of things to do.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

I heard the same thing on one of the news channels tonight. Immigration was not on the Dem's list of things to do.

That's really going to rile up them folks over at Lulac and LaRacista. They will "demand" the Democrats who THEY put in office give them amnesty and RIGHT NOW!!

Agree, Gofer. Nobody wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. Oh except for one person..... His Dethroned Royal Highness.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

I heard the same thing on one of the news channels tonight. Immigration was not on the Dem's list of things to do.

We were promised by both parties that we would have a secure border.

Looks like fence building can't be started during the holiday season.

Looks like Lou Dobbs September 2007 will be: "Here we are now six years beyond 9/11 and still we don't have secure ports and borders while the Congress weighs the merits of sensors or a physical barrier. In comphrehensible!"

And somebody go find an article where ICE did anything since the Quad city raid.

I'm not buying this for one second.
Imho, this is a stall tactic while they're out there attempting
to strong arm the public and manipulate them into the
"proper mindset" for the
MULTIPLE PACKAGES to move forward. Just recap the disinformation
that's been put out concerning the election and listen carefully to
the disinformation and ATTACKS being made already. They're in
manipulation mode.

This is crap.

.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

I'm not buying this for one second.
Imho, this is a stall tactic while they're out there attempting
to strong arm the public and manipulate them into the
"proper mindset" for the
MULTIPLE PACKAGES to move forward. Just recap the disinformation
that's been put out concerning the election and listen carefully to
the disinformation and ATTACKS being made already. They're in
manipulation mode.

This is crap.

.

That's my guess as well. Understanding how unpopular illegal immigration is with the electorate, they will probably try to hide their "reform" in amendments to unrelated bills.

Originally Posted by CrocketsGhost

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

I'm not buying this for one second.
Imho, this is a stall tactic while they're out there attempting
to strong arm the public and manipulate them into the
"proper mindset" for the
MULTIPLE PACKAGES to move forward. Just recap the disinformation
that's been put out concerning the election and listen carefully to
the disinformation and ATTACKS being made already. They're in
manipulation mode.

This is crap.

.

That's my guess as well. Understanding how unpopular illegal immigration is with the electorate, they will probably try to hide their "reform" in amendments to unrelated bills.

How flaming TRUE, CROCKET.

Hide all their "packages" - split into pieces- within non related legislation. I said this a day or so ago. It's their MO........it's how these bums get their agendas thru.

They've already sent 'their water boys' out into the field to begin the propaganda and manipulation. The battle has begun!

.