Thread: NC-Immigration debate simmers on back burner

Immigration debate simmers on back burner
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As issue of what to do about 12 million illegal immigrants lingers, advocates in Charlotte say Obama lacks lawmakers' support for passage of a reform bill.
By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

The debate over what to do about 12 million illegal U.S. immigrants has stalled, and some reform advocates in Charlotte fear that President Obama lacks the congressional support to pass a bill anytime soon.

With immigration caught up in the debate over health care, advocates' optimism about Obama's pledge of reform has faded.

"There is a lot of fear that the immigration debate is going to be more vicious than the debate of health care," said Rafael Prieto of Charlotte, a former Spanish-language newspaper editor. "The president is not going to be as effusive as he has been with health care. And it's going to be so much more poisonous because there is going to be no one to defend the undocumented."

During his 2008 campaign, Obama promised to tackle the issue during his first year in office. However, the sagging economy, two wars and the health care debate have pushed it down his priority list.

He supports a comprehensive overhaul of laws to grant illegal immigrants in good standing the chance to pay a fine and become citizens, as well as cracking down on illegal employers and tightening security on the porous Mexico border.

But he faces fierce opposition from congressional Republicans and even from many in his own party.

Voters fret about illegal immigration

Immigration is a dicey political issue, particularly for Southern Democrats. While the views of urban Democrats are more in line with the president's, rural Democrats must cater to a more conservative constituency that sees immigrants as competitors for jobs.

UNC Charlotte political scientist Ted Arrington cites turkey plants in Eastern North Carolina that are mostly filled with immigrant workers.

"They used to be black workers," he said. "And for Democrats, you've got a double problem. You've got to keep the blacks happy because that's an important part of their constituency now. And you've also got old-fashioned rural whites who also vote Democratic, at least on occasion. And they just don't like immigration in general and all these brown-skinned people coming in. It's a difficult coalition."

Polls have shown illegal immigration as one of the top concerns among N.C. voters. North Carolina has an estimated 350,000 illegal immigrants and South Carolina has an estimated 70,000 illegal immigrants.

While U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, says he supports working toward a comprehensive bill that puts undocumented immigrants on a path toward legalization, other Carolinas Democrats in Congress hold positions more like Republicans.

Newly elected U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat who says she supports comprehensive reform, "strongly opposes amnesty" and calls illegal immigration "a threat to our nation's security and economy."

For Democrats elected to Congress from conservative districts - U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler and Larry Kissell of North Carolina and South Carolina's John Spratt - advocating immigration reform leaves them vulnerable to Republican attacks.

Shuler represents N.C.'s 11th District, including Asheville. He doesn't "support comprehensive immigration reform or offering amnesty to people who chose to break our laws and illegally cross the borders."

Shuler is part of a coalition of conservative Democrats known as Blue Dogs. This summer, he introduced a bill that would require employers to enter a federal program, known as E-Verify, that checks if workers are in the country legally.

Kissell, whose 8th District includes parts of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Union counties, joined Shuler when he introduced his E-Verify bill. He says the people he speaks with repeatedly question "'What part of illegal don't we understand?'"

"Citizens, who are subjected to our nation's laws, and who face fines or imprisonment for violating them, question why we need to overlook or excuse the unlawful act of illegal immigration," he said.

Spratt, a Democrat from York County, S.C., favors working toward reform - but not with unemployment so high. First, he said, the government must prove that it can do better to secure the borders. He's voted to double the Border Patrol, and for driver's licenses and Social Security cards that cannot be counterfeited.

UNCC's Arrington says action is unlikely until after the 2010 mid-term elections because the reform debate divides both parties.

Republican U.S. Sen John McCain, R-Arizona, supported reform. But most Southern Republicans oppose any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, opposes "amnesty" and said border security and programs like "E-Verify are critical to ensuring that the legal process for immigration is respected and followed."

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, a Charlotte Republican, said the American people don't want reform that gives illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

"Illegal is illegal," she said.

'Ugly' political battle looms

At an east Charlotte day-labor site, several unemployed immigrants said they chose to ride out the recession and stay here in hopes that Obama could push through reform.

"We see now that he doesn't have the power to do what he says," said Elias Martinez, 57, an undocumented construction worker.

Ruben Campillo, N.C. coordinator of Reform America, says groups trying to use immigration to block health care changes don't represent mainstream views.

"We realize that there are people out there who want to deport 12 million people, but the majority of the public realize this is not a viable position."

Pressed by advocates, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, said he will present an outline for reform by Tuesday and introduce a comprehensive bill in Congress soon after

"The longer we wait, the more every single piece of legislation we debate will be obstructed by our failure to pass comprehensive reform," he said.

But Angeles Ortega-Moore, former director of the Latin American Coalition, wonders if Obama has the political muscle to endure a divisive debate.

"Health care reform is not a dialogue, not even a discussion" she said. "It's a fight. So anything on immigration reform is going to be ugly."

Back at the day-labor site, Denis Vargas, 27, of El Salvador and Santiago Gutierrez, 41, of Mexico called on friends to be realistic. Vargas reminds them President George W. Bush, a Republican, failed to gain enough support from his own party to pass reform.


http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaki ... 95478.html

"There is a lot of fear that the immigration debate is going to be more vicious than the debate of health care," said Rafael Prieto of Charlotte, a former Spanish-language newspaper editor. "The president is not going to be as effusive as he has been with health care. And it's going to be so much more poisonous because there is going to be no one to defend the undocumented."

Damn skippy, Rafael! There is NO defense for illegals... they are simply that...ILLEGAL. We want them GONE, pure and simple. If Obamination, Reid, Pelosi et al. try and cram shamnesty down our throats they will think the fight for Obamacare was horseplay!!!

Ruben Campillo, N.C. coordinator of Reform America, says groups trying to use immigration to block health care changes don't represent mainstream views.

"We realize that there are people out there who want to deport 12 million people, but the majority of the public realize this is not a viable position."

YOU sir are buying what Gutierrez is selling. TRUE Americans don't want reform, they want illegals gone... G-O-N-E, got it?

But Angeles Ortega-Moore, former director of the Latin American Coalition, wonders if Obama has the political muscle to endure a divisive debate.

"Health care reform is not a dialogue, not even a discussion" she said. "It's a fight. So anything on immigration reform is going to be ugly." [quotev01st85]

Well, at least she is real and seems to get it. It's gonna get real ugly.

[/quotev01st85]

What have the illegals done to earn a pathway to citizenship?