Thread: White House moves to placate immigration reform advocates

Obama met with 100 immigration groups. Anybody see the news coverage?
A surprise appearance by President Obama at a meeting this week helps pacify some, but calls for action rather than oratory continue.
August 21, 2009 | 7:58 p.m.

Immigrant rights activists said Friday that a White House meeting this week to reaffirm support for immigration reform -- featuring a surprise appearance by President Obama -- had helped mollify growing frustration over what some perceived as backpedaling on reform promises.

But many said that action will be needed to keep the faith among immigrants and their supporters, particularly Latinos who turned out in record numbers to help elect Obama last year.

"We've heard all of the beautiful oratory about immigration reform, but we have yet to see concrete actions to stop the suffering," said Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Many give credit to the Obama administration for ending residential raids on illegal immigrants and improving conditions in detention centers. But Salas and others said dismay has mounted among immigrant advocates that reform has not moved forward and that the Obama administration has continued and even expanded controversial enforcement programs, such as those that track down illegal immigrants at worksites and in jails, and authorize state and local police to enforce immigration law.

In addition, some advocates interpreted recent speeches by Obama in Mexico and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in Texas as downplaying immigration reform.

A Homeland Security spokesman declined to comment on the frustration. In a statement, Napolitano said the meeting was "an important opportunity" to hear from those involved in the immigration debate.

At the White House meeting Thursday, both Obama and Napolitano reaffirmed their support for immigration reform to more than 100 representatives from labor, business, law enforcement, religious organizations and immigrant rights groups. The assembly broke into smaller groups to share ideas about how to address the main pieces of a comprehensive reform package: enforcement, guest workers, family visas and legalization of the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

In a teleconference call Friday, several attendants expressed satisfaction with the meeting as a good step forward.

Eun Sook Lee of the National Korean American Service & Educational Consortium in Los Angeles said she raised concerns about the continuing deportations of young people who could be eligible for legalization if Congress passed the so-called "Dream Act" granting that right to those bound for college or the military. White House officials said they would look into the issue, she said.

The meeting "kind of stopped the bleeding," said Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a Washington-based immigration reform group. "Going forward, we're going to have to see concrete actions and not just meetings."

It is far from certain, however, that reform can be passed next year.

Angelo Amador, executive director of immigration policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said business and labor were still divided over the best way to bring in guest workers for jobs unfilled by Americans.

And although the White House maintains that a comprehensive reform bill could be introduced this fall and possibly passed next year, top officials have told Latino leaders privately that it could take as long as two to four years, according to Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a national Latino policy and research organization in Los Angeles.

The potential extended timeline has set off divergent reactions among Latino and immigrant rights activists, he said. Some are vowing to punish legislators at the ballot box next fall if they fail to enact comprehensive reform.

Others are urging patience, saying Obama's plate is already full with healthcare, climate change and other issues.

A position quietly gaining momentum, particularly among members of Congress, is to push early passage of a smaller bill, such as legalizing younger immigrants bound for college, as a "down payment" on reform, Gonzalez said.

"That logic is becoming more and more appealing," Gonzalez said. "People are going to get real nervous about going into an election cycle with nothing to show for immigration reform."

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 7785.story

LOL.....so some of them are finally getting it through their heads that they're not going to get amnesty, are they?

Good! It's about time they got knocked the hell off their high horses.

A position quietly gaining momentum, particularly among members of Congress, is to push early passage of a smaller bill, such as legalizing younger immigrants bound for college, as a "down payment" on reform, Gonzalez said.

"No"

"N.C. community colleges reviewing immigrant policy (vote!)"
https://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=Forum ... 658#942658

Angelo Amador, executive director of immigration policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce...

Since when does the Chamber of Commerce direct immigration policy?

"That logic is becoming more and more appealing," Gonzalez said. "People are going to get real nervous about going into an election cycle with nothing to show for immigration reform."

Oh contraire, Mr G., just drop the idea of CIR and watch the American people re-elect by a landslide those who would be responsible for that.

These idiots seem to think that if they don't pander to these demanding and pathetic people, that they won't get re-elected. Fools!

why is it-- always Hispanics..???
They will indeed take over part or all of this country. With the exception of the Wisconsin , Michigan area which is partly under Muslim control now. What did we fail to notice about the people we elected to public office that they not only do not resist but join in the effort to conquer America. How much blood and how many loved ones have we lost over the history of this country, only to submit to the yoke of third world migrants whose goal is to change America to their rat holes rather than to work hard and rise to the American dream???
They do not, belong her. We must remove them. They have used Gandhi's passive resisteance. Now their illegals have , somehow become legal. They serve in our Congress and their traitorous, treasonous efforts are to overpopulate our country with Hispanics. No other nationality does that. No other ethnic group works on the principle that we stole their country and they will take it back.The Muslims want to kill us because of faith differences not because they feel this is land we stole from them.

I , personally, today, declare war on the invaders of our country. I cannot depend on my Congress to do so.

And please--can't you folks in SC recall that traitor Graham?? You have inflicted us with him. He is he;ping to ruin America.

"People are going to get real nervous about going into an election cycle with nothing to show for immigration reform."

Yeah, all those illegals will refuse to vote.

Obama, how about a surprise meeting with the American people?

Some are vowing to punish legislators at the ballot box next fall if they fail to enact comprehensive reform.

There wont be anyone left for Hispanic voters to punish when we are done. All the pro-illegal traitors will be gone.

The end game is New World Order. Census for the illegal immigrant is wonderful for who?

It is far from certain, however, that reform can be passed next year... push early passage of a smaller bill

How do you eat an elephant? One fork at a time.

No! Obama and Democrats are not going to shove amnesty down my throat one piece at a time.

The idiots have already tried it... the Dream Act has failed 5-6 times to pass. Lastly, illegal aliens (criminal foreign nationals) will never serve in the military.

Dixie

Unfortunately, pro-illegal groups like LaRaza have made their views very clear, but with the mass amount of reps from other groups I have never heard of, we are in for a hell of a fight!