Thread: Immigrant groups set for charge in Congress

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/16359939.htm

Immigrant groups set for charge in Congress

Local immigrant advocates are gearing up for a fresh push on comprehensive immigration reform in the new Democrat-controlled Congress, which opens for business next week.
BY CASEY WOODS
Jan. 01, 2007

With Democrats set to take control of Congress this month, local immigration advocates are planning vigils, lobbying campaigns and demonstrations with renewed hopes that 2007 might bring what so many other years have not: comprehensive immigration reform.

''I am firmly convinced that we will have immigration reform in the first part of the year . . . this is the moment,'' said Nora Sandigo, executive director of American Fraternity. ``It has to happen now or now.''

The group has already faxed every member of Congress and plans on starting a prayer vigil as soon as legislation is introduced and continue ''until it is passed,'' Sandigo said.

Other organizations, such as Honduran Unity and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center also plan to lobby.

Amid all of the advocates' optimism, however, they acknowledge a long legislative road ahead, particularly in the House of Representatives.

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., did not put immigration on her list of the party's top issues for her first ''100 hours'' as leader.

The issue appears to be a sensitive one for newly elected House Democrats. Several campaigned against legalizing undocumented immigrants.

''Reform will not be automatic,'' said José Lagos, head of Honduran Unity, ``We will have to work very hard for it.''

Immigration reform stalled earlier this year after the House and Senate clashed over competing proposals.

The Senate version would have granted legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants and created a guest-worker program. The House-approved measure focused almost exclusively on enforcement and included a provision to build fences along parts of the U.S- Mexico border.

One controversial immigration measure signed into law by President Bush: the construction of a 700-mile fence along the southwest border with Mexico.

A group of Republican and Democrat lawmakers, including Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said last week that they were drafting new legislation that could possibly deny funding to the border fence, as well as provide for an easier path to citizenship than the original Senate bill -- a sign of the shift in the political landscape that came with the Democratic victories.

`A LEGACY ISSUE'

''The reality is we have a combination of a president who wants to leave this as a legacy issue, and . . . now with the Democrats in the majority, it's their opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to immigration reform,'' said Ana Carbonell, chief of staff for Republican Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart. ``That's a pretty big combination of interests that are at play.''

Bush, pointing to a recent series of federal raids that led to the detention of hundreds of undocumented immigrants, said recently that the current immigration system leads to the ``inhumane treatment of people.''

IMMIGRANTS' ARREST

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 1,282 immigrants in the December raids on six Swift & Co. meat processing plants across the country, in an effort to crack down on workers who use stolen identity documents to get jobs.

''The system we have in place has caused people to rely upon smugglers and forgers in order to do work Americans aren't doing,'' Bush said at the Dec. 20 press conference. ``The best way to deal with an issue that Americans agree on -- that we ought to enforce our borders in a humane way -- is we've got to have a comprehensive bill.''

Bush backed the Senate bill passed in 2006 and has said he hopes to sign immigration legislation in 2007.

But with the 2008 presidential year looming, advocates realize that the current political will for changes in immigration law could quickly vanish.

`CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE'

''It's a very controversial issue, and I just don't see the bipartisan support there at this time,'' said Cheryl Little, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. ``It's hard to imagine we'll see anything remotely resembling comprehensive reform until after the presidential election.''

I spoke with Anna Carbonell early last year at the time the treaty on Salvadorean temporary protected status was about to lapse. I suggestd that with it lapsing they should consider supporting food self sufficiency and grassroots development. They said that those would have to be a big part of any real solution but that most of the unauthorized immigrants should have he right to choose whether they left. Also that President Bush was strongly determined to maintain TPS treaties especially Salvadorean.

We have to be more vocal, more determined, and more prolific with our call in and write in campaigns than they are.

We need to get more numbers of people aware of the consequences of CIR in simple terms, push for English only, and keep writing in letters to the editor, etc. every opportunity we have.

If we have until 2008, we need to flood the candidates with emails and calls to let them know how we feel until the candidates are stumbling over each other to support enforcing laws, and to do away with designs of amnesty and guest worker programs for illegal aliens.

The silent majority needs to be heard and represented!!!

Bush, pointing to a recent series of federal raids that led to the detention of hundreds of undocumented immigrants, said recently that the current immigration system leads to the ``inhumane treatment of people.''

IMHO, Bush's comment practically proves the Swift raids were orchestrated to benefit his push for illegal immigrant amnesty!

Originally Posted by MW

Bush, pointing to a recent series of federal raids that led to the detention of hundreds of undocumented immigrants, said recently that the current immigration system leads to the ``inhumane treatment of people.''

IMHO, Bush's comment practically proves the Swift raids were orchestrated to benefit his push for illegal immigrant amnesty!

He never mentions the inhumane treatment of American Citizens at the hands of these criminals, not even their deaths and murders by them. And thats not leading to, it already is.

Yeah, MW, doesn't that therefore mean punishing all lawbreakers is inhumane?

olivermyboy wrote:

Yeah, MW, doesn't that therefore mean punishing all lawbreakers is inhumane?

In the Bush administrations eyes it does. The rule of law is the glue that keeps all countries from crossing into chaos. When people lose fear of law and punishment, they're going to pretty much do as they want, when they want, and how they want. When law enforcement fails to enforce the laws, the predators will soon outnumber the prey. I for one have no desire of becoming the prey. What law will our federal government and local law enforcement officers fail to enforce next? Yes, local law enforcement, city mayors, town alderman, etc. are tasked with the responsibility of protecting their American citizen residents from the actions of illegal immigrants, be those actions physical violence, lost jobs, inadequate educational opportunities for our children, and/or unwise tax dollar management. What better way to protect American citizens than acting to remove those that have no legal right to be here in the first place?