Thread: Surprising alliance calls for immigration reform

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_4225686

Article Launched: 8/23/2006 01:01 PM


Surprising alliance calls for immigration reform (1:01 p.m.)

By Brandi Grissom / El Paso Times
El Paso Times

AUSTIN -- An unusual alliance formed today as a Texas business group and Mexican-American legislators who typically disagree on public policy issues came together to call on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
“The future of Texas is at stake,” said Bill Hammond, Texas Association of Business president.

TAB, a conservative business group, and the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus, a generally liberal group of legislators, said they hoped Democrats and Republicans in Congress would follow their lead in finding common ground on the controversial immigration issue.

The groups said they agreed on three basic principles critical for fair immigration legislation that does not disrupt the economy: enforcing immigration laws on the border and in the workplace, creating legal ways for workers to come into the U.S. and allowing a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented workers already here.

“The only way we will be able to secure our border is if we allow enough workers to come over to fill the needs of employers,” Hammond said.

enforcing immigration laws on the border and in the workplace,

That's a good thing.

creating legal ways for workers to come into the U.S. and allowing a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented workers already here.

That's a bad thing.

But somehow they made it sound so good, didn't they? That's the same stuff that was sold us back in the '80's.

nntrixie,

I've had enough of the bad things. They are taking over my country!!!!!!

Dixie

Why aren't you Texicans setting these people straight?

creating legal ways for workers to come into the U.S. and allowing a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented workers already here.

Comments like that should not go unanswered. Does Texas have some strong anti-illegal immigration groups working against these groups?

MW,

Good point. I don't want to give my secrets away but we are making some efforts.

Dixie

Dixie,

I have been complaining about, talking about, trying to get people to listen for over a decade. I have been called every name in the book - by people who were supposed to be my friends, and some who never professed to be.

To me, just having it discussed in public is a great victory. Things are changing - I just hope we are strong enough to get some laws changed.

I hope Farmers Branch stays strong.

I, too, am tired of the bad things - and I am tired of people in my government pretending we are embeciles.