Jewish groups back comprehensive immigration reform

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

This afternoon on Capitol Hill, two influential Jewish organizations announced the merging of campaigns stating that immigration raids are not a substitute for immigration reform.

Gideon Aronoff, the President and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society said that the campaigns, “The Progress by Passover" and “We Are Strangers, Too” support comprehensive immigration reform.

“This campaign will seek to further engage the Jewish community around the country in increased advocacy and increased direct service for newcomers in our communities,” stated Aronoff, and that the collaboration is “just the beginning.”

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) said that the high cost of becoming a naturalized citizen and harsh immigration laws unnecessarily separate families.

“This can’t be done piecemeal,” Schakowsky said. “We need to do it as part of comprehensive immigration reform. I believe that now we are poised to do just that.”

Schakowsky said there should be enforcement of reasonable immigration laws and that the U.S. should allow law abiding illegal immigrants, who are willing to pay fees and learn English, a clear path toward citizenship.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) agreed, stating that the support of comprehensive immigration reform comes from the Jewish community because they understand that “the system is broken.” Nadler said that not only do documented and undocumented aliens live in fear of improper law enforcement, so do American citizens.

“It is time to bring people out of the shadows, to unite families, and to provide simple due process of law in accordance with American traditions. It is time to reaffirm our nation as one which welcomes immigrants as it is so wonderfully symbolized by the Statue of Liberty in my district,” Nadler said.

ICE gets slammed at Congressional Border Issues Conference

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

“What happens on one side of the border affects the other side. Mexico and the United States are separated by a border, but both communities share a goal of helping all of our peoples,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the 13th Annual U.S. - Mexico Congressional Border Issues Conference, where panelists gathered to talk about topics such as Comprehensive Immigration Reform, drug and weapon trafficking, and the Merida Initiative. 

Among the panelists was Geraldo Rivera, host of “Geraldo at Large” on the FOX News Channel who said that instead of sending troops to the U.S./Mexican border, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needs to start focusing on catching criminals and stop raiding processing plants where people are just there to work. “The immigration debate in this country has been so poisoned, and it’s become so racist in many ways.... We have distorted policy so that it hurts our national security. We have a totally competent law enforcement agency to deal with these criminals,” Rivera said. Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed with Rivera saying that unnecessary ICE raids are not the American way and that they must stop.

Pelosi talked about the need for comprehensive immigration reform saying that we need it soon. “It would secure our borders, it would protect our workers, it would prohibit the exploitation of workers coming into our country, it would unite our families,” she stated. Pelosi said that she is sending Congressmen to Mexico to see how our nations can work together. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also be traveling to Mexico to show support. 

Rivera also expressed his support for the Dream Act, which states that undocumented young people could be eligible for a conditional path to citizenship in exchange for a mandatory two years in higher education or military service. In order for the undocumented young person to have the chance to become an American citizen, they must demonstrate good moral character to be eligible for and stay in conditional residency. Rivera said, “You want to stimulate the gross domestic product? Let’s get these Latino youngsters graduating high school.... But to take kids who are getting A’s and say they can’t get in-state tuition in college because they’re not documented, It’s preposterous, it’s un-American, it’s Anti-American.... Get Dream passed.”

Pelosi also discussed the Merida Initiative, saying that $300 million would be given to Mexico as part of the omnibus bill that was passed last week. “Every person who comes here with that determination, with that optimism, with that hope, with those family values and sense of community and spirit of faith, every person who comes here, certainly from the Hispanic community, when they come here they make America more American,” she concluded. 

Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Is it needed?

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

At a press conference Frank Sharry, founder of America's Voice, and Janet Murguia, President of the National Council of La Raza, discuss how comprehensive immigration reform would help boost the economy and decrease hate crimes against immigrants.

The migration of the immigration vote

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice, there was a flawed sense of conventional wisdom surrounding immigration's political effects. This included notions that Latinos don't turn out in significant numbers, any votes they do provide are generally split, and that if a Presidential candidate tries to attract Latino voters with a centrist immigration policy it will end up alienating swing voters. During a discussion aimed at analyzing the Latino vote and immigration in the 2008 election, it became clear that this mindset has been overturned.

"For Latino's this election was historic in terms of who was running and in terms of who was voting..conservatively speaking, it is safe to say that at least 10 million latinos voted in 2008. That's a 32% increase over 2004... Latinos supported Obama by 67% compared to 59% for Kerry," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.

Murguia explained that this increase has had an important impact on the election, claiming that the Latino vote helped deliver New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana, and North Carolina for President-Elect Obama.

While the economy, job creation, and education were reportedly the top issues for Latino voters, immigration concerns were also an important aspect of the vote. Murguia described how immigration rhetoric acted as a gauge that helped Latino voters understand each party's attitudes toward them.

"The toxic nature of the immigration debate...effect all Latino's. For us this is a civil right's issue as much as it is an immigration policy issue. We know that hateful words have hateful consequences," said Murguia.'

David Mermi, Pollster and partner at Lake Research Partners, said that the evidence showed that the Republican Party has been negatively affected by the rhetoric surrounding immigration. According to Mermi's poll, although approximately 55% of voters said that illegal immigration was a problem, a solid majority of voters preferred comprehensive immigration policy over the enforcement only approach that has dominated the discussion on the far right.

"67% of the voters say they should be required to register and become legal, 14% say they should leave the country, 13% say they should be allowed to stay temporarily through a guest workers program. No contest, the comprehensive approach is absolutely the one that is preferred," said Mermi.

Marguia gave some conclusions about the election results:

"I think it's fair to say after these election results that the Democrats can put the latinos in their columns. But they're not there forever and they will not be there if Latino's as an electorate don't see action on the issues that they care about...the Republicans have a lot of work to do, their brand has been extremely tarnished, but Democrats should not rest on their laurels and assume that they are going to have Latinos in their column for good."