Political Winds Favor Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Published November 11, 2008 @ 08:00AM PT
The mainstream blogosphere is talking about immigration reform and the electoral consequences the GOP is seeing of alienating the Latin@ vote. Kos has a message for Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama: pay attention to what just happened to your opponents. Don't repeat their mistakes. The Latin@ vote is a swing vote, and the current alignment may not be permanent if the Democrats don't take this opportunity to legislate sensible, humane comprehensive immigration reform.
[W]atch in 2010, as an unreformed Republican Party tries to play off its old playbook of division and hate. The immigrant bashing was muted this year because of McCain's presence at the top of the ticket. Had Romney been the nominee (or pretty much anyone else), such restraint would've been thrown out the window. They won't have that problem in 2010.
That playbook led them to wage a hateful anti-immigrant campaign in 2006, to ill effect. Their one chance to pick off an entrenched non-freshman Democratic House incumbent this year -- Paul Kanjorski in PA-11 -- fell flat on its face after a practically one-note anti-immigrant effort. The strategy has had zero payoff at the polls, while ensuring that Latinos are an even bigger, more reliable Democratic constituency.
That won't stop some Democrats from freaking out. While I generally don't mind Rahm Emanuel as Obama's chief of staff -- I like his pugnacious partisanship, and I expect that to counteract Obama's tendencies toward conciliation and compromise -- fact is Rahm dedicated the last two years of his tenure with the House leadership fighting to push the Democratic caucus Right on immigration, even getting NC Rep. Heath Shuler to co-sponsor a bullshit anti-immigration bill with the anti-Latino bigot Tom Tancredo.
I know for a fact that prominent party Latinos are viewing Rahm's new perch at the White House with some healthy skepticism. But Rahm has proven that he's nothing if not practical. Hopefully the new data from this election proves to him the wisdom of pursuing a pro-immigrant policy as not just the moral course of action, but the most politically expedient for the near- and long-term health of the Democratic Party.
[Image: Heath Shuler, nativist extraordinaire]
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Comments (9)
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David is an attorney in Philadelphia, PA, where he helps immigrants to the U.S. navigate the complex immigration legal system. Views he expresses at change.org are his alone and don't represent the views or opinions of his employer, Nationalities Service Center. The information contained on this site is intended for educational and advocacy purposes only.
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Feinstein, why are you deporting U.S. Citizens?
1419 People
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Feinstein, why are you deporting U.S. Citizens?
Can we lay to rest the phrase "Comprehenisive Immigration Reform"? It seems like the last few years of failure have discredited the idea it imparts: legalization with heavy-handed enforcement and border security. I like "overhaul" or "update" better. Both reflect the fact that our immigration laws are woefully out of date.
Posted by Will Coley on 11/11/2008 @ 09:09AM PT
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Americans seem to forget that all of their ancestors were immigrants.
Posted by Julia Long on 11/11/2008 @ 10:17AM PT
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Fair enough, Will. Old habits die hard. I don't even know where the 'CIR' piece of branding came from.
I'm inclined to just call it "legalization" or something similarly brazen. The restrictionists have successfully made "amnesty" as toxic as "commie" or "red" from yesteryear. It is what it is--we want a path to citizenship. We can talk about the business community's goals and what to do about the border wall fiasco *after* the raids stop.
Oy, what a mess.
Posted by Dave Bennion on 11/13/2008 @ 07:23PM PT
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We want to buy our home, to see our kids growing and studing , see our families again. We justa want to work and live our lives...just it.
Posted by VERA REIS on 11/14/2008 @ 11:27PM PT
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Why should those who are here illegally be given preference to the multitude of people waiting patiently to enter llegally?
Why should they get to take a short-cut?
That's like letting people who sneak into a movie theater keep their seats and watch the show, while telling those who are waiting in line to purchase their tickets: "Sorry, we're rewarding the cheats, honest folks like you lose your opportunity."
Posted by nurse j on 11/15/2008 @ 12:18PM PT
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From a citizens point of view....We don't understand why illegals feel entitled to all the government benefits legal citizens have spent their lives working for. We know illegals go to our emergency rooms in our counties for free routein treatment for all the kids. US citizens pay. Schools are stressed by the racial tensions and non-english issues. I happen to think Mexico is a beautiful country and looked into retiring there with a business at one time. Unfortunatly it would be illegal for me to work in that business and if my visa ran out I would be jailed. I respected that Mexico has the right to do what it feels is best for it's citizens as do we. Why are illegals so hostile toward legal citizens for enforcing United States laws. I am not hostle toward Mexican's for enforcing their laws although I admit I was disappointed....but not hostile. I live in a rural agricultural county. The Latin Kings have moved in and there is grafitti right behind our town hall. Crime is out of control,getting dangerous and mostly drug related. At the Save-A-Lot where we shop, a large majority of Mexican transactions are with food stamp cards and little english is spoken as they buy their groceries on our tax dollars. I cannot afford to fill my basket as they do. Please understand, I get how NAFTA has hurt both of our countries,but for me to search for a less expensive life in Mexico is denied, while illegals feel entitled to a benefit full life on the back of legal citizens. If Americans invaded your country and took Mexican citizen jobs, harmed your schools,spent Mexican tax dollars on health care.....and sent the money back to America to spent there and not in Mexico, how would you feel? Perhaps the hope of the new administration is to take a holistic look at this issue which would involve a return to Mexican sustainable agriculture without the dumping of subsidized GMO food onto your people from multinational corporations. Perhaps Obama will understand that total globalization is not faring well for any country and cheap goods dumped on indigenous peoples forcing them from their homelands damages families and cultures around the globe. Perhaps Fair Trade which I support where possible will help others to make a sustainable living in their homeland. Perhaps we will learn that the multinational corporations who own our governments must be de-chartered for irresponsible behavior. The solutions to this problem do not have to be the same old solutions of the past. New ones are needed...out of the box thinkers.....wanted.
Posted by Geminga Stevens on 11/16/2008 @ 06:11PM PT
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Warnings about this Pro-Illegal Immigration site has been passed on to thousands of other people and hundreds of sites informing them of this one sided vote.
Posted by Mike Farnam on 12/04/2008 @ 12:53PM PT
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Enough if anyone wants to post articles and facts please feel free to visit Ameriborn News.
There this immigration battle can be fought on all sides.
ameriborn.com
Please feel free to fight for change. By default any one that becomes a member can post articles. Waiting review for hate speech.
I look to everyone for facts and answers.
Tell the America what is going on and how to fix it.
Not one sided articles but rather all sides and all types of solutions.
You come with your cause and we can debate it.
There are many causes on all sides. Many ideas and many facts people do not always get their hands on.
You now have a chance to let them know these facts and your solutions respectfully.
Posted by William Landers on 12/05/2008 @ 01:11AM PT
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All of people are agitated by the Immigration law, we deserve and we need a reform, that protect the borders better that allow racionalized work permits for people that can serve the country. We need and deserve it.
We need a way to identify all the immigrants in the country and sending back those that are criminals or has commited felony.
The only WAY TO DO THAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE REFORM ACT.
Don't be blind is the only way to bring them to legality and control them.
Our Country needs them, has been here since the late 80's and 90's supporting the grow of the economy. They deserve it!!! We need people that demands Homes, Services, cars, goods, etc. they need it!!! They don't have it because they can qualify for a loans. Let's them ignite our economy again.
Historically that has passed in the past. review the History. When the Country has need them they have been there to help the Country, birnging blessings to the Country.
Posted by Gabriel Perez on 12/31/2008 @ 06:35PM PT
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