Mexican American and Frustrated by Lack of Movement on Immigration Reform

Here we are during the Holiday Season.
We are in the 5th year of our President's tenure.
We have no movement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

I know the issues. I know the Problems.
Republicans have one agenda.
Democrats, a different agenda.

Republicans, especially the extremists, want to close the borders and deport everyone who does not have citizenship.
Democrats want Immigration Reform, but lack the strength to take a stand to pass it.

I have to give it to Republicans and all people who thrive in HATE for their strength and determination. They are willing to be demonized, ridiculed, hated, attacked, voted out of office, and they still stand their ground. They don't care about polls. They don't care that main street America disagrees with them and ridicules them. They stand their ground and still fight.

Democrats, on the other hand, always try to be politically correct. They thrive on polls and popularity. They continue to apologize for their views if they get a bad poll. Apologize and beg for forgiveness. Where are their guts?

Here I sit. Frustrated. Knowing Mexican Americans and Latinos are on the RIGHT SIDE of History. Immigration Reform is the right thing to do. (Like Healthcare, Civil Rights and so many other humanitarily correct philosophies).

What is the resolution? Do we have to wait until the 2014 elections?
I honestly don't know.
So here I sit.
Frustrated.
Not willing to post on my Blog every day anymore.
I still believe in Truth, Justice, America - the Land of Immigrants and Immigration Reform.
But I am NOT willing to be a pawn of those pushing forward a political agenda.

I DEMAND Comprehensive Immigration Reform for the Sake of Humanity and because it is the Right Thing to Do for OUR America!!

Washington Republicans Agree with the President in Moving Forward with Immigration Reform and the "Kid's Act" for Dreamers

Many Republicans in Washington are speculating that some type of Immigration Reform bills will move forward before the end of 2013. Republican Eric Cantor is planning on introducing the “KIDS Act,” which gives citizenship to one million DREAMers.

National Review reports: Cantor made his most impassioned public case for the legislation yet at a press conference this morning, saying that addressing the fate of the so-called DREAMers – a reference to the DREAM Act, another bill that would afford citizenship to illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — is “an issue of decency, of compassion.”
“Where else would these kids go? Again, they’ve been brought here as a minor in many instances having no idea what was going on, knowing no other place than America as home,” Cantor added.
Speaker John Boehner is also supporting the legislation. “This is about basic fairness. These children were brought here of no accord of their own. Frankly, they’re in a very difficult position and I think many of our members believe that this issue needs to be addressed,” he said.

Washington Post reports: Byron York reports that the prospects for reform are still alive, noting there is a core group of House Republicans still working on a series of proposals, though they are shrouded in great secrecy. These efforts, York reports, have the blessing of GOP leaders.''
...Frank Sharry tells me that if Eric Cantor goes through with his plan to introduce the “KIDS Act,” which gives citizenship only to the one million DREAMers, immigration advocates and many Dems probably would be prepared to accept it — if Republicans are also willing to go to conference negotiations. “If the KIDS Act is good on the substance, Republicans will be surprised at how much love it gets from immigration reform advocates,” Sharry tells me. “Many of us would encourage Democrats to vote for the KIDS Act, if in exchange Republicans agree to a bicameral negotiation where all issues are on the table, including legalization and citizenship for the 11 million. This would be a stepping stone (to overall Comprehensive Immigration Reform).”

Angry Tea Party Republicans Vowing to Stop Immigration Reform and Alienate Latino Voters before 2014 Elections!

This morning, with the Shutdown Fight OVER, President Obama said he wants Congress to get a bill to his desk that will fix the Immigration system. The President said, “Let’s get this done!”

However, Tea Party Republicans, angry with their Government Shutdown LOSS, are plugging their ears and throwing tantrums. Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), who earlier this year quit working with the bi-partisan congressional team to write an immigration bill, said that President Obama’s "refusal to negotiate" with House Speaker John Boehner over funding the government and increasing the country’s borrowing limit made him unwilling to enter into talks over immigration.

“After the way the President acted over the last two or three weeks where he would refuse to talk to the speaker of the House … they’re not going to get Immigration Reform. It’s Done!” Labrador screamed, walking off the House floor Wednesday night after voting against the measure to open the government and increase the debt limit.

The Senate passed a broad immigration overhaul bill in June with the votes of every Democrat in the chamber and 15 of its Republicans. But Boehner has refused to bring the bill to a vote on the House floor because it is unlikely to receive the support of the majority of GOP House members. House Republicans have long said they want to pass a series of bills that overhaul different parts of the immigration system. The House Judiciary Committee has held hearings this year on increasing the number of visas given to high-tech workers, ratcheting up requirements for employers to check the immigration status of new hires, and allowing immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to apply for legal status, among other measures.

But none of them have been brought to the floor for a vote. Now, the Crybaby Tea Party caucus is stomping their foot and Saying No!

Careful Republicans. Your approval level is at an ALL TIME LOW. Now, are you going to allow your Tea Party Brats to alienate ALL LATINOS against you? Just in time for the 2014 elections? We are ALL WATCHING WHAT YOU DO NEXT!!

Ailing Midwestern Cities Extend a Welcoming Hand to Immigrants (Documented and Undocumented)

NYT Reports: DAYTON, Ohio — Fighting back from the ravages of industrial decline, Dayton adopted a novel plan two years ago to revive its economy and its spirits: become a magnet for immigrants. The Dayton City Commission voted to make the city “immigrant friendly,” with programs to attract newcomers and encourage those already here, as a way to help stem job losses and a drop in population.       

In north Dayton — until recently a post-apocalyptic landscape of vacant, gutted houses — 400 Turkish families have moved in, many coming from other American cities. Now white picket fences, new roofs and freshly painted porches are signs of a brisk urban renewal led by the immigrants, one clapboard house at a time. “We want to invest in the places where we are accepted better,” said Islom Shakhbandarov, a Turkish immigrant leader. “And we are accepted better in Dayton.”       

 

Other struggling cities are trying to restart growth by luring enterprising immigrants, both highly skilled workers and low-wage laborers. In the Midwest, similar initiatives have begun in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Lansing, Mich., as well as Detroit, as it strives to rise out of bankruptcy. In June, officials from those cities and others met in Detroit to start a common network. “We want to get back to the entrepreneurial spirit that immigrants bring,” said Richard Herman, a lawyer in Cleveland who advises cities on ideas for development based on immigration.       

 

... Concerns about uncontrolled illegal immigration, which produced strict curbs in Arizona and other parts of the country, have not been an issue in Dayton. Officials here say their goal is to invite legal immigrants. But they make no effort to pursue residents without legal status, if they are otherwise law-abiding. The momentum for change in Dayton came from the immigrants. In 2010, Mr. Shakhbandarov told the newly elected mayor, Gary Leitzell, that he was thinking of asking Turkish immigrants across the United States to settle here. Most of the Turks in Dayton are refugees who fled persecution in Russia and other former Soviet bloc countries. Mr. Leitzell was intrigued. “I said, the worst thing that could happen is that 4,000 Turkish families could come to Dayton and fix up 4,000 houses,” the mayor recalled. “So how do we facilitate their success?” With 14,000 empty dwellings in the city, officials were open to trying something different.       

 

Officials quickly realized that this city of 141,000 already had a small but fast-growing foreign-born population: more than 10,000 Muslims from different countries; refugees from Burundi and Somalia; college students from China, India and Saudi Arabia; Filipinos in health care jobs; and laborers from Latin America, many here illegally. “The hospitals, the police, the libraries, the service agencies, the landlords, they were all dealing with immigrants, but no one was talking about it,” said Tim Riordan, the city manager. “So we brought it out of the shadows.”       

 

... In October 2011, the City Commission voted unanimously for the Welcome Dayton plan.

Working with local organizations, the city found interpreters for public offices, added foreign-language books in libraries and arranged for English classes. Teachers went back to school to learn other languages. Local groups gave courses for immigrants opening small businesses and helped families of refugees and foreign students. City officials worked with Wright State University, a public institution, to find ways for immigrant doctors and engineers to cut through bureaucracy and gain certifications so they could practice in the United States.

 

The police chief, Richard S. Biehl, ordered officers to no longer check the immigration status of crime witnesses, victims and people stopped for minor traffic violations or other low-level offenses. The police union and sheriffs from nearby counties denounced the policy, saying Dayton had become a “sanctuary city” where immigration law was not enforced.

 

But Chief Biehl defended his approach, saying it allowed the police to focus dwindling resources on serious crimes. Immigrant leaders, especially Hispanics, embraced it, becoming less wary of the police. “If we have any group of citizens who are afraid to talk to us or don’t trust us,” Chief Biehl said, “that’s going to compromise our ability to produce public safety.”

 

...“It’s all about attitude,” Mr. Shakhbandarov said. “Americans maybe have seen better days of Dayton, a better life, better economy. But we never seen that. We have learned to appreciate what we have. And what we have here is much beyond what we ever had before.”

 

..In a national study published last month, Jacob L. Vigdor, an economics professor at Duke University, found that over the last four decades, immigrants helped preserve and in some cases add manufacturing jobs in cities where they settled, sustaining employment for Americans. They also added to local housing values. For every thousand immigrants who moved into a county, 270 Americans moved in after them, Mr. Vigdor found.  Dayton’s immigrant experiment is particularly close to home for one lawmaker who will most likely have a major impact on the debate in Washington: the Republican speaker of the House, John A. Boehner. His district wraps around the city on three sides. But Dayton officials said they were not waiting for Congress. “We’ve found that we can repopulate our city and we can educate the people and inspire them to employ themselves,” Mayor Leitzell said. “In 10 years, when the federal government figures everything out, we’ll be thriving.”

Racist Republicans Opposed to Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Don't Give a Crap About Offending Latinos!

It's been 3 months since the Senate passed an Immigration Reform Bill. They left it to the House to pass their version, however the Republicans in the House are Racist and Refuse to Pass Any Version of Comprehensive Immigration Reform and they could Give A Damn about Alienating the Latino Vote. The Republican dominated House, whose 1st goal was stricter Mexico Border enforcement, has walked out of negotiations.

Republicans walking out are attempting to blame "Obamacare" for their walkout, but the facts are clear. They are walking out because Republicans in the House cannot gain enough votes to pass a bill within their own ranks. They are a party divided and the racist half is the most Vocal, the most Opposed to Comprehensive Immigration Reform. And it is their Racist Half that is adamantly and Vocally opposed to Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

It is clear most Republicans DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT LATINOS and Could Care Less IF We Vote For Them.

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a strong supporter of Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). He has founded a group, “Fwd.us” which was set up to lobby for passage of CIR.  Zuckerberg said CIR is vital to the US Economy.  The US needs skilled workers to work IN the U.S.
“Eleven million people are being treated unfairly right now,” Zuckerberg said in reference to the 11M currently in the U.S.

Zuckerberg is also establishing another group, “Internet.org” which is based on the promise to “Connect the next 5 billion people.”

Zuckerberg is meeting with members of the Gang of 8 and other Democrats and Republicans this week to “listen, learn and share his perspective on the knowledge economy and the passage of Immigration Reform.”

Are the President and Chuck Schumer saying they Support a Piece Meal Approach to Immigration Reform? THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!

Oh My Gosh!!
Articles I am reading are saying that the President AND Chuck Schumer from the Gang of 8 are saying they are supporting the GOP House of Reps in passing a Piece Meal Approach to Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

According to GOPUSA Articles: Sen. Chuck Schumer said he'd support the Republican-led House's piecemeal approach to U.S. immigration reform, provided it offered a path to citizenship. "We would much prefer a big comprehensive bill, but any way that the House can get there is OK by us," the New York Democrat told CNN. "I actually am optimistic that we will get this done." Schumer, a leader of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators whose comprehensive immigration-reform legislation passed the Senate in June, said he'd "had a lot of discussions with various members of both parties in the House. Things are moving in the right direction. "The initial reaction was the House isn't going to take up any bill," Schumer added. "That would have been very bad -- no bill. Now, they're doing it in pieces. A couple of their pieces are very similar to our bill."

If Schumer bothered to read the PRESS of the House GOP's Piece Meal Version of Immigration Reform, he'd know that Piece Meal means passing ONE Step at a Time.
Step One: Enforcing Current Law = Mass Deportation, ICE Raids and Racial Profiling Enforcement Sweeps
Step Two: 2,000 Mile Electronic Fence,
Step Three: Changing the 14th BirthRight Citizenship Laws
Step Four: English Only

Around Step 18 or 20, they begin to think about the possibility of Legalization, but that, from their perspective, is years and years down the road, IF EVER.

IF the President and Schumer are Truly Considering this, THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. THIS IS NOT, NOT, NOT ACCEPTABLE!!

Happy July 4th to Our Beautiful Multi-Cultural Society where ALL People are Free AND Equal!

Happy 4th of July to ALL Viewers of my Blog.
Thank you for reading my pages.

As I've often said, I LOVE AMERICA!
Many of my viewers, particularly the ANTIs, often ask me, "Why do you have these pictures?" "Why do they say 'I am an American?'" "The girls look Latino AND Asian. What are you saying?"

I always respond. These pictures depict the Real America. Our Evolving America. These are Beautiful, Multi-Cultural Americans. These are 1st generation Americans of every, beautiful ethnicity. My family is Latino, Black, White, Asian, Native American. So is America!

The ANTI's call the multi-cultural American Babies -- "Anchor Babies." The ANTI's denigrate them. They chastise them. They have made several efforts to introduce NEW LAWS to change the 14th Amendment -- the Birthright Citizenship Laws. The ANTI's talk about supporting the Rule of Law -- But Only Laws they AGREE with, not laws, like the 14th Amendment and the current Birthright Citizenship laws that they strive to change. The ANTI's chastise these Beautiful, Multi-cultural Faces! They DEMAND a Change to the 14th Amendment! How Un-American!

These same ANTI's are now present in the Right Wing Extremist Tea Party groups that are AGAINST the Immigration Reform Laws. These groups are Demanding a 2000 mile fence, a Change to the 14th Amendment, and English Only laws.

We True Americans understand what they are doing. Their Motivation is STRICTLY based on their racial biases.

Republicans Against Immigration Reform say they Don't Need Latino Votes, Just More White Votes!

More and more Tea Party Republicans are saying they are Against Passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform and they DO NOT need the Latino Vote. Instead, they are starting a movement to increase the White - ANTI-Latino Vote!

TPM Memo reports:
Fox News anchor Brit Hume called "baloney" Monday on the notion that House Republicans must help approve the immigration reform legislation that just passed the Senate, arguing that Hispanic voters are still not as important to the GOP as white voters.
The right-leaning Hume was responding to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who warned Sunday that Republicans may never win another presidential election if they don't help pass immigration reform.
"And I am absolutely convinced that this trope that you’re hearing that says that if the Republicans don’t go for immigration reform much as the Senate has done, they’ll never win another presidential election. Oh, baloney," Hume said during an appearance on the conservative cable news channel. "If you look at the statistics, you find there was one significant bloc of voters who turned out in smaller numbers this time in a major way — way below expectations, below even their '08 turnout — and that was white voters. Now, that doesn’t mean that if they turned out that Romney would have gotten them all but it shows you that this Hispanic vote, which is I think now 8.5 percent of the electorate or something like that, is not nearly as important as, still, as the white vote, which is above 70 percent."
Hume added, "So, if you look at it from an ethnic point of view, that addresses the question of whether you need to get right with the Hispanics."

This is NOT a new idea. This "Promote the White Vote" was initially reported on the Hate website "VDARE" in November, 2000.

Here at VDARE, we've discussed repeatedly how dire will be the long-term impact of immigration on the Republican Party. It's crucial to understand, however, that the long-term has not quite arrived. The GOP is not yet held hostage. It still has a window of opportunity - definitely stretching through the next recession but maybe not to the recession after that - to save itself by changing the immigration laws.... picked up an additional 3 percent of the white vote? The most obvious source: white union families. The 26% of the electorate with a union member in their households voted 59% to 37% for Gore. For the time being, most union families are still white. So if Bush could have won enough white labor families to raise his total labor vote from 37% to about 46%, that would have done the trick of lifting his share of the white vote from 54% to 57%.

I LOVE AMERICA and Looking Forward to Voting for Hillary in 2016!

I've been contemplating recent global, national and media events, of late.
I am many adjectives. Concerned. Perplexed. Pondering. Wondering. Questioning.

The world is a complex place.
There are so many sides to each issue.
The complexities are FAR beyond Red and Blue.
The complexities are FAR beyond American and Global.

People are Good.
People are Evil.
People are Both.
The bottom line is PEOPLE WANT POWER.

I have been studying recent events:
. Snowden
. Michael Hastings
. The Media
. Middle East
. Benghazi
. Gun Killings, Weapons of Destruction
. Hate Groups Advocating Use of Weapons (Militias)
, The Supreme Court
. Right Wing Radio (and their insanity)
. Women's Rights, Minority Rights, Gay Rights = Equality
. President Obama
. Hillary Clinton
. The Far Right
. The Left

Then considering ALL OF THIS, how on earth can we expect the very political right and left to come together to establish a mutually agreeable policy to resolve our Immigration Issues in America? Frankly, I don't believe it is possible.

So many conflicts. So much politics.
Where is the Humanity? Where is the Justice?

All we can do is ask our political leaders to allow our country to continue our Freedoms:
. Love our Families
. Make our Own Choices
. Equality for All

While I contemplated ALL of this, it suddenly occurred to me -- the REAL REASON other countries Hate Us = as was said in Shawshank Redemption: THEY HATE US FOR OUR LOVE! 

Regardless of the schemes of the Political Right or the Political Left, each of us, each American, STILL has their Freedoms. We have Freedom of Speech -- freedom to disagree or approve. We have Freedom to LOVE Our Family and Friends. We have Freedom to IGNORE! We still continue to Live our Lives REGARDLESS of Who is in Power. We have Freedom of Religion. We have Freedom of Work, Education, Freedom of Fun! Going to the Movies, Playing Games, BUT MOST OF ALL, WE HAVE FREEDOM TO LOVE OUR FAMILIES!

We are not the war torn countries. WE ARE AMERICA and I Like It Here!

WE DO HAVE the Freedom to Vote!
I Can Hardly Wait until 2016 WHEN I have the RIGHT to Vote For Hillary Clinton!!

Racists Attack Talented American Latino Child Singing American Anthem at Spurs Game!

I am so upset. So many Latino Americans just like me are SO Upset! Latinos across America are Angry. We are blogging and tweeting across America!
This issue makes me very angry!
Last night, a very talented American child of Latino descent sang the National Anthem at a Spurs game in San Antonio. Afterwards, hundreds of racists tweeted or facebooked that this innocent child was "Illeegal," a "Wetback," a "Mexican," and many other RACISTS tweets.

What kind of country is this? When an innocent child cannot sing the National Anthem? How many racists are there in America? Those tweeting were Black and White. Those tweeting spewed Hate and vicious attacks against this talented  young boy.

You can't help but ask why?
Their responses are from the same people that also attack Comprehensive Immigration Reform, support Racial Profiling Laws, and viciously attack ALL Latinos.
What kind of America is this?
This is EXACTLY WHY we Latinos will NEVER Vote for a those who support this type of rhetoric or Racial Profiling bills.
These people must be stopped.
WE THE PEOPLE can stop them with a VOTE for Comprehensive Immigration Reform!!

Nativist Republicans are Blocking Immigration Reform in Congress! Demand No Healthcare and Border Enforcement First!

ABC News is reporting House Republicans are Blocking the passage of the Gang of Eight's Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) bill. These Republicans are demanding that newly legalized workers now working in the shadows should have no access to government-sponsored health care programs during their 15-year pathway to citizenship. Democrats say that since these newly legalized immigrants would be paying taxes they should be eligible for benefits.

The Republican's BLOCKAGE of the Bill is not expected to be solved. Additionally, Republicans are insisting that any Immigration Reform bills will move forward in a piecemeal fashion starting with increased Border Enforcement. Read this to mean the passage of a National Immigration Bill similar to Arizona's infamous Racial Profile bill "sb1070."

This latest development represents a huge blow to immigration reform advocates because the House is likely to pass several smaller bills that address Secure Borders, but would not include a pathway to citizenship. It creates a much longer and arduous legislative road to a bill President Obama would be willing to sign.

Prominent Republican Grover Norquist Supports Immigration Reform. Mocks Tea Party.

Anti-tax leader Grover Norquist said Immigration Reform has developed a very broad coalition of supporters which ensures passage of the bill, even with anti-amnesty groups vehemently opposing it. Support from the Chamber of Commerce, the Religious Right, the Catholic Church and high-tech groups has dramatically cut the number of voters who are anti-immigrant.

Norquist voiced his support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform by asking, "Where is the power of the anti-amnesty groups? It is not in the pews, not in the churches, not in the business community. Every free market group in this town is against them except for Heritage."

Norquist said every frontrunner mulling a 2016 presidential bid has come out in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, giving even more political credibility to GOP efforts to overhaul the current system.

Then, as if to MOCK the Tea Party, he added: "The core conservative wing of the party thinks this is important. The future of the Republican Party is all here."

Dastardly Canadian Ted Cruz Attacks -- and his Minions Attack Latinos and Comprehensive Immigration Reform!

The Rats are Coming Home to Roost!
Dastardly Canadian Ted Cruz is leading the charge! He is rallying the Tea Party Republicans in Congress to ATTACK the Bi-Partisan Gang of Eight's Resolution for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and by doing so, is attacking ALL Latinos in America, advocating Racial Profiling towards all of us!!!

We've heard all of the racist hate bashing by the likes of Ted Cruz, before!
This racist rhetoric will NOT be tolerated by American Latinos.

We do NOT want the racial profiling of the likes of the racist sheriff Arpaio to continue!
STOP this racial profiling!
STOP this FALSE equivalency! DO NOT use your so called "Secure the Mexican Border" to resurrect the heinous "Operation Wetback!" WE THE PEOPLE will NOT Tolerate it! IF you attempt such tactics, WE THE PEOPLE, especially the LATINO Americans, will NEVER vote for a racial profiling Republican Again!

SUPPORT Comprehensive Immigration Reform!!!
God Bless America!
God Bless OUR President, Barack Obama!

Gang of Eight's Immigration Reform Bill Comes Out Tuesday! Rubio says "It will be More Expensive & More Difficult." Tea Party calls it "Amnesty."

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, speaking for the bi-partisan "Gang of 8" said their Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill will come out on Tuesday. He also praised the bill and their team's efforts. He said, "This is a very balanced bill. The American people have told us to do two things. One, prevent future flows of illegal immigration and then, come up with a common sense solution for legal immigration. And that’s just what our bill does. Our group is “very, very close” to a final proposal, which is scheduled to be presented on Tuesday. I think you’ll see a major agreement that’s balanced but fair, that will have the widespread support of the American people on Tuesday. The eight of us have met in the middle. And I think that’s where the American people are.”

While Schumer spoke positively about the bill, Marco Rubio sounded made the bill sound much more restrictive and untenable. Rubio said, "All we’ve done here is create an alternative that they can access, and the alternative we’ve created is going to be longer, more expensive and more difficult to navigate. It will actually be cheaper if they went back home, waited 10 years, and applied for a green card.  And so, secondly, we’re not awarding anything.  All we’re giving people the opportunity to eventually do is gain access to the same legal immigration system, the same legal immigration process that will be available to everybody else.”
Rubio also said that some of the undocumented workers currently in the country would not be eligible to seek legal status under the bill. “I think it’s important to understand it does not give anything.  It allows people access to the legal immigration system,” Rubio said. “Number two, some people won’t qualify.  They haven’t been here long enough; they’ve committed very serious crimes.  They won’t be able to stay.  Number three is all people will get is an opportunity to apply for things, to apply for a legal status, which isn’t awarded on day one. The only thing you are earning here is an opportunity to apply for temporary status, and ultimately, potentially to apply for a green card, the way everybody else does.  And that’s the process that we are outlining.” 
Even Rubio's dire picture does not satisfy the Tea Party Republican Right. Elf Eared Sen. Jeff Sessions said he thinks their proposal is "Amnesty."

Seven Obstacles Preventing the Passage of Immigration Reform

Despite what you've heard, there are Seven Obstacles that are a Hindrance to the Passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform:

Problem 1	Talk Radio, Cable News, Right Wing Media	The right wing pundits are ruthless. Their only motivation is ratings. They know and understand the more discussion and anger they derive, the higher their ratings!
Problem 2	Republicans Aspiring to be President	List them off: Rand Paul, Rubio, Cruz and so many others. They don’t care about Immigration Reform. They care about being elected President. We’ve already seen their flip flopping. Yes they are for a Pathway. No, don’t say Pathway. All they care about is achieving their goal of becoming the 2016 nominee.
Problem 3	Hate Groups, Tea Party, Website News Commenters	The Hate Groups are Up in Arms! They are upset that ANY Republican considers a Pathway to Citizenship. We’ve seen the effect on potential future Presidential candidates. We’ve witnessed their flip-flopping. These groups have Organized. I’ve witnessed their attacks on various websites. As commenters, they are filling any websites that discuss Immigration Reform with hate-filled, ANTI Latino, ANTI Immigration Reform comments. They’ve expanded beyond their typical Right Wing websites including Drudge Report, Alipac and Daily Caller. They’ve now extended out to the Left Wing sites, including Huffington Post.
Problem 4	Gang of 8 Secrecy and Border Security Measures	They talk of a Pathway to Citizenship and they also talk about Increasing Border Security – But What are the Details? Why the Secrecy?
Problem 5	House Republicans	The House Republicans are split. While it is true that the Republican leadership is making efforts towards influencing fellow Republicans to support Immigration Reform, the Grass Roots right wing extremists (funded by the Hate Groups) are sending calls and emails to deter their efforts.
Problem 6	Opposing Lobbyists	Unions vs Business – do they really have shared principles? We don’t know how either sides efforts will play out OR who the majority supports.
Problem 7	House Democrats	Now, this is the trickiest part of all. While the majority of Democrats and our President supports Immigration Reform, there are some Democrats, particularly those in restrictionist Districts, that can be negatively influenced towards the opposing view. We just don’t know who they are or what they will do.

Teaparty Racists Scream Violence, Guns and Mass Deportation at John McCain's Town Hall Meeting

At John McCain's Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, the teaparty right wing came out of the closet and spewed their hateful racist attacks against the 11M here. One Wild Haired wacko screamed, "Why don't the army stop them.. because the only thing that stops them... is a GUN!" Another skin-headed Anti-Latino extremist shouted, "Cut off their welfare and all their STUFF and they'll go back!"

I think we all knew it was only a matter of time before the Republican teaparty base would rebel against Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It is just as I predicted. Republicans are coming out of their closets and speaking out against Immigration Reform that includes any type of legalization for the 11M here, including for the Dreamers.

Initially, right after the election, Republicans were in SHOCK. Their Leaders, wailing about Romney's loss, shook their heads when they saw how dramatically they lost the minority vote, particularly the largest and fastest growing minority, Hispanics. Republican pundits were all over cable news channels and Talk Radio saying, "We need to do something to get the Hispanic Vote! They are the largest growing minority. We need them." Pundit after pundit said, "We need to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform and we will get their vote back." They lifted up their token Latino onto their shoulders and said, "We will make Marco Rubio our Savior and he will lead the charge in passing Immigration Reform." Talk Radio came on board. Rush Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, Michael Medved and others started joining the chorus, urging Rubio on as their token leader in putting together their version of Immigration Reform. Racist callers on Talk Radio starting calling in, demanding "Racial Profiling" BORDER SECURITY be the 1st step. The next thing you know, the Talk Radio pundits start talking about "Border Security 1st." Then their Golden Boy Rubio starts demanding "Border Security" first. We ALL KNOW that Border Security 1st = RACIAL PROFILING.

Now, the HATERS are starting to headline Talk Radio. Yesterday, I heard Mark Krikorian on Bill Bennett's radio show. Krikorian is an Infamous Right Wing Racist Extremist who often talks about Mass Deportation and "Rule of Law." Bennett and Krikorian were talking about Latinos being "born takers" and most wouldn't vote for Republicans anyway (just as stated in the National Review Op-Ed). He warned that another "amnesty" would destroy America.

Latinos. What we are seeing is Republicans in a war against themselves, against their own racist base which is actually 37% of their base. This base drove much of the Teaparty agenda.

I almost feel sorry for Republicans. They are a party against themselves. The teapartiers are motivated by the KKK of the past. They are motivated by the White Supremists of the previous century. They have nowhere to go but to face their own demise. They neither want to know nor do they want to understand that our Country is EVOLVING into a Beautiful Multicultural Society.

Right Wing Pressures Rubio to Backtrack Away from Path to Citizenship! Pushes Blame on President

During the 2012 Presidential Campaign, our President talked about the need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. After the election, he met with several groups to gain input for a bill. At the same time, Marco Rubio announced he would be doing the same thing.
On January 18, I wrote about their high level views and provided a comparison.
On January 28, I wrote about the Group of Eight's high level proposal for a bill.
On January 29, I wrote about the President's Immigration Reform talking points during his visit to Las Vegas.
As we all know, the President and his staff have been gathering input from several groups in order to put together their recommendations and both the President's staff and the Group of Eight's staff have been working together to provide input to the final bill.
Both the Group of Eight (and staff) and the President (and staff) were working together fine.

Then, something happened
The Editors at the National Review -- the Republican Bible -- wrote a very nasty op-ed attacking Latinos, especially those crossing the Mexican border. I wrote about it on January 31. In part they wrote: "More than half of Hispanic births are out of wedlock. Take away the Spanish surname and Latino voters look a great deal like many other Democratic constituencies. Low-income households headed by single mothers and dependent upon some form of welfare are not looking for an excuse to join forces with Paul Ryan and Pat Toomey. Given the growing size of the Hispanic vote, it would help Republicans significantly to lose it by smaller margins than they have recently. But the idea that an amnesty is going to put Latinos squarely in the GOP tent is a fantasy."
Then, after the State of the Union, Marco Rubio's Immigration Proposal CHANGED. As I reported on February 12, Rubio went BACK to his Piecemeal approach saying Immigration Reform had to START with SECURING the Border and a fast track for Legal Immigrants with advanced degrees, and the bill would NOT INCLUDE a Pathway to Legalization UNTIL a Commission comprised of Republican Governors said the Southern Border was secure.

Now, yesterday, USAToday reported that there was some sort of leak of the President's proposal. As we all know, and as I've previously reported, the Administration has been passing their high level views to many different audiences and has been working with the Group of Eight's staff to provide recommendations for the final bill. Apparently, one of the groups asked to provide feedback LEAKED the high level recommendations to USAToday.

Nothing was really different about the recommendations except for:
1. may allow some illegal immigrants to become legal permanent residents within 8 years.
2. Four year transition for employers to implement systems to verify legal status for new hires.

When USAToday asked Rubio about the so called leak, Rubio angrily responded, "It fails to follow through on previously broken promises to secure our borders, (and) creates a special pathway that puts those who broke our immigration laws at an advantage over those who chose to do things the right way and come here legally," Rubio said. "It would actually make our immigration problems worse... If proposed in Congress, it's DEAD ON ARRIVAL."
It is clear that Rubio has been listening to the Far Right, breaking his Pathway to Citizenship promise to the American people and looking for a reason to Blame the President for his Failure! Rubio's plan will NOT allow a pathway to legalization until the following occurs -- and this could take years:
. Republican Governor Commission to oversee SECURING the Mexican Border. The Commission will include Jan Brewer and Rick Perry. Before ANY path to legalization is considered, the Border Governors MUST say the Border is Secure.
Additionally, his plan insists on speeding up the Legal Immigration process for "Highly Skilled (advanced degreed) NEW Immigrants." This is another favorite of the far right.
BTW, I wrote about views Ted Cruz provided about his version of Immigration Reform on January 20, 2012.
Here is a Summary of their THREE Recommendations:

OBAMA Plan: One Bill	Rubio/Gang of Eight: 6 Separate Bills	TED CRUZ / Tea Party
Enhanced Border Security	FIRST: Bill 1: Enhanced Border Security . more border patrol on Mexican border . surveillance technology, Drones . Create border commission comprised of Border Governors, Attorney Generals, and Community Leaders along the southern border to monitor progress of securing border.	. Boots on the ground, plus a WALL           . Triple the size of the Border Patrol .Give police more power to ask about immigration status (Racial Profiling) and supports sb1070                                . Strengthen border security and increase enforcement; Detention; Deportation
Improving legal immigration: grants a green card to foreign students who earn advanced science and technology degrees in the U.S	BILL 2: Increase the number of visas for "highly-skilled" workers
E-Verify: Enhanced enforcement on businesses that employ undocumented immigrants	BILL 3: E-Verify: Enhanced enforcement on businesses that employ undocumented immigrants . Develop tough, fair, effective and mandatory employment verification system.
Guest Worker Program	BILL 4: Guest Worker Program, especially for guest farm workers. Electronically track all guest/temporary Visas to make sure they don’t overstay
Pass the Dream Act: pathway to citizenship to undocumented youth seeking a higher education or military service	BILL 5: Pathway to Dream Legal Status	No Dream Act
PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP, may be within 8 years: PAY BACK TAXES, criminal background checks, learn English and paying a processing fee.	BILL6: PATHWAY TO Legal Status: PAY BACK TAXES, criminal background checks, learn English and paying a processing fee. Then go to the back of the line, apply for Green Card & Potential Legal Status. . Non-Citizens and ALL those in process will NOT have access to ANY Federal Public Benefits.	No path to citizenship for the 11M here
Improve Immigration Processing/Reduce Backlogs from Entering Countries and Backlogged Court Proceedings

Marco Rubio's Immigration Plan demands Latino’s continue to be the Working Underclass, Second Class citizens

There are discussions across all the Cable News Channels about passing Immigration Reform. The President has said passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform is at the top of his agenda this year. Republicans are saying they are amenable to passing some form of Immigration Reform as a means to obtain the Latino Vote especially since they did so poorly with the Latino Vote during the 2013 Presidential Election.

Yesterday, on ABC This Week, Rick Santorum said the Republican Party is “ready to do something about Immigration.” However, he said, Republicans are NOT willing to allow a Pathway to Citizenship for the 11M here. Instead, he said (sounding like Marco Rubio) Republicans are ready to target specific areas of Immigration, especially “the rule of law” and “fortifying our borders.” In other words, he was talking about Walls, ICE Raids, Deportations and Racial Profiling Laws. They also want to “ease restrictions” for those with advanced degrees.

It is clear that Santorum, Rubio and most Republican politicians don’t have a clue as to why Latinos are not voting for them nor why we want Immigration Reform.  The answer is very simple. Latinos are not voting for Republicans because over the last several years, as a result of their Border Enforcement and Rule of Law measures, racial profiling laws like Arizona’s sb1070 have been passed. They have been passed in several states. Because of Enforcement Laws like sb1070, all 55 Million Latino U.S. Citizens have been targets of racial profiling and harassment by law enforcement. Sheriff Arpaio and his ski-masked volunteer posse are key examples of this abuse. Any Latino driving or walking in Maricopa County knows this. Ask anyone in the town of Guadalupe, Arizona about Arpaio and his “suppression sweeps.”

What those who are pushing these racial profiling laws don’t understand is, the vast majority of the 55M Latino US Citizens are like my family. We are NOT NEW IMMIGRANTS. We have lived here for over 200 years.  In fact, by ethnicity, our ethnicity is 50% Native to Northern America. We ARE Native Americans.  Yet, those pushing the “Rule of Law” Racial Profiling laws say -- Latino Citizens should “accept” this racial profiling because “we fit the profile.” How ludicrous. That’s like saying “teens and twenty somethings” should accept Profiling any time a school shooting occurs. Or when a serial killing occurs or a Wife Murder occurs, all White Males in their 40s and 50s should be profiled, just because “they fit the profile.” Would this be acceptable? Of course not! And neither should racial profiling against Latino Citizens or sleepy little Latino neighborhoods like Guadalupe, Arizona.

All 55M Latino US Citizens in America want to be treated equal to all other Americans. Through our own hard work, we want to have the ability to achieve the American Dream. It is that simple.  

We Latinos will never vote for a party that insists upon these racial profiling laws – or – as they term them “Rule of Law” and “Border Enforcement” measures. Those that support these heinous laws say they are not racial profiling laws and even put these words in their bills saying they are NOT racial profiling, but there is NO DOUBT that these laws are intended and enacted as racial profiling laws specifically targeting Latinos.
Another troubling aspect of Rubio’s Immigration Plan is his refusal to include a pathway to citizenship for the 11M here. Instead, his Plan allows a Legal Status only. As reported in the Wall St. Journal:

Rubio would grant temporary legal status to those who passed background checks, underwent fingerprinting, demonstrated English skills, and could prove having an extended residence in the country. These newly legalized immigrants could apply for permanent residency leading to citizenship but would not receive any expedited consideration. They would have to apply through the same channels as aspiring immigrants outside the nation’s borders.

This has caused some concern among Latino advocates who worry that some immigrants would have to wait years or even decades to convert their temporary status to permanent legal status. But Rubio has assured potential critics that he does not want to create a worker underclass akin to what exists in France and Germany.

“I don’t have a solution for that question right now,” Rubio told reporters and editors at The New York Times. He has proposed accelerating the process for granting green cards to legal immigrants.

It is clear. In Rubio’s plan, Latino’s continue to be the Working Underclass, Second Class citizens, here only to do the jobs Anglo Americans don’t want to do. His Plan calls for easing restrictions for the Elitist Northern Europeans with Advanced Degrees. Yet, there is NOTHING in his plan asking for Citizenship status for the Latinos who have been working on their hands and knees, harvesting fruits and vegetables for the American Dinner Table.

We Latinos want ONE THING:  We want to be treated equal to all other Americans. Through our own hard work, we want to have the ability to achieve the American Dream. It’s that simple.