In an interview on Univision over the weekend, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) spoke about the path forward for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)—in particular, the need for Republican support and its notable absence. Senator Reid called attention to the fact that Arizona’s recent immigration law is a reaction to the lack of federal oversight on the issue—yet when push comes to shove, Arizona’s senators refuse to work with Democrats on a reform bill. Like many Republicans, Arizona Senators McCain and Kyl are hiding behind the “secure our borders first” line—a tired strategy that has only exacerbated the myriad of other problems within our broken immigration system. Although the enforcement-first sound bite may play well with Arizona voters today, the failure to find bipartisan solutions on immigration will continue to have negative long-term consequences. Will voters—especially Latino voters—support the Republican Party if its leaders are perceived as uniformly obstructionist on immigration reform? Will the “Party of No” become the “Party of No One” come election day?
Speaking to Univision host, Jorge Ramos, Senator Reid pointed out the obvious—if states like Arizona want federal action on immigration reform, why won’t their elected leaders work with Democrats on a reform bill?
I’m frustrated; I’m upset just like the people you referred to. We are committed to do comprehensive immigration reform, the President supports us on that, but I tell everyone we can’t do a bill unless we get some Republicans. How about one, how about two, how about three?
This is an issue that demands our attention and doesn’t demand the negativity, so irrational what is going on. We have Republican legislators all over the country focused on Arizona particularly, saying we are concerned about this because the federal government is not doing anything. The two senators from Arizona won’t work with us, it’s illogical to hear the state of Arizona complaining about the federal government not doing anything and the two Republican senators from Arizona won’t join with us to do anything.
And Harry Reid isn’t the only one who’s frustrated. Two recent public opinion polls confirmed that the majority of Americans think our immigration system is broken and that a get-tough, enforcement-only, deport-them-all strategy is NOT the best way to move forward. In fact, hundreds of thousands of supporters took to the streets earlier this month to demand congressional action on reform and to protest Arizona’s harsh immigration law. As other states contemplate similar anti-immigrant legislation, the drumbeat for reform is only going to get louder.
But just as Hispanic voters will likely hold the President’s feet to the fire for not moving quickly enough on reform this year, Republicans, too, will likely take a hit not only for obstructing progress, but for passing such a strict anti-immigrant bill in Arizona. As TIME reports:
But if the immediate danger is to Democrats seeking Hispanic votes this November, the longer-term danger is to Republicans if they’re perceived as blocking the legislation. The Arizona law, authored and passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and a Republican governor — means that the GOP starts this cycle with a black eye with the Hispanic community.
“There’s a great deal of pressure in the Republican Party to address it once and for all and move it off the table so they can start repairing their relationship with the Latino community,” says Clarissa Martinez de Castro, director of immigration and national campaigns at the National Council of La Raza, one of the country’s largest Hispanic advocacy groups. “Not doing so sets them on a suicidal course going into a presidential election.”
As Congress juggles energy, a Supreme Court nominee and immigration reform in the months ahead, voters should and will pay attention to how Democratic and Republican leaders move—and don’t move—on important issues like immigration. The question is, how big of a political price will leaders pay at the voting booth for obstructing movement on reform?
Photo by s myers.
Loading tweets...
5 comments
Love2Watch says:
May 10, 2010 at 7:01 pm (UTC -5 )
The way Republicans deal with the Broken Immigration System in the country, shows that they do not care what the will of the people’s are what they care only is about themselves and the power they have. They forgot that the american people are the ones that put them where they are right now and yet they cannot govern. November election is coming american’s wake up and smell the bad odor on how Republican’s deal with these complicated issue’s
Sondra says:
May 11, 2010 at 1:02 pm (UTC -5 )
We need Immigration Reform NOW!
We need to fix our current immigration system that continues to “DIVIDE” many Blended American Family’s where one or both parents of U.S. born children are being “JAILED” Indefinitely or “REMOVED” from their homes “PERMANENTLY”. I do not believe that this great nation had intended for these laws to leave children without parents or husbands without wives so they are left to raise their families alone. The current system is out of touch with the needs of our country which has always been described as the “MELTING POT”; a nation which was founded upon Immigrants.
PLEASE, I petition you to find the courage to move forward with Immigration Reform “NOW” with specific legislation that would include a provision to “REUNITE” the American Families much like my own that has been DESTROYED by the current IMMIGRATION POLICIES & FELONY CRIMINAL consequences for minor violations. Most of the ILLEGAL ENTRY and REENTRY cases could be alleviated by a better system for processing the immigrant without such a lengthy wait time. These families are just trying to reunite with their loved ones, their children and the lives they left behind here in the U.S. Ask yourself what you would do if you returned home and your family had been taken, placed in a detention center and set for “REMOVAL” from the U.S.? Then they were scheduled to be returned to a third world country “FOREVER” with “NO” possibility to return legally for many years or “NEVER” due to the current immigration laws? Many American Families have been “RIPPED” apart and they are not really criminals at all. They are parents, husbands, wives and siblings and sometimes infants who will “ALL” be punished for a “LIFETIME” right after serving a lengthy Jail sentence in a United States Federal Prison for “LOVING” their Families too much. The U.S. immigration process is a windy road that demands an abundance of money, painful separation and many years to complete. Often the individuals are “DENIED” entry at the end of it all, due to “MINOR” infractions that have severe immigration consequences. WHY? We need to preserve the Unity of Blended American Families and their children!
My husband is NOT A CRIMINAL and yet he was “REMOVED” almost (3) yrs. ago after living (14) years here in the United States. We were a happy American Family raising our kids, working hard, paying taxes and making our house a “HOME”; and now he has a “LIFETIME BAR”. Me and our (8) CHILDREN are all American born “CITIZENS” who will continue to suffer the irrevocable damage bestowed on us by our own government following the removal of my husband /their father. This issue must be addressed during the reform process so as to protect our “AMERICAN CHILDREN” from being denied a parent due to Policy & Fear.
Thank You,
“A Family Divided”
5/11/2010
jon-paul says:
May 11, 2010 at 9:40 pm (UTC -5 )
Sondra,
I feel you. I grieve and hurt much the same as you do. For me this mess gets just about intolerable. And ‘yes’ it is complicated. Yet I do have questions for everyone concerned – most by the way – for the special interest groups (Nat’l Council for La Raza et, al) and also for the actual immigrants themselves.
Why does it appear that given the current circumstances, that is, why is all of the reform about a demand put on the American people and as you stated, “I do not believe that this great nation had intended for these laws to leave children…” and I do not believe that there is a person in our great nation that intends to see this happening.
However, just like politicians we (you and I and everyone else) need to evaluate the situation and look for true reform. Sure the INS is broken beyond repair. We all are to blame for that. But the question remains, what do we do to fix it?
Every day I hear talk, or read, or write something about real immigration reform. Yet to this day I’ve yet to hear anything in the form of concession, or what must “we do” on behalf of the immigrant. I have a lot of empathy. And I hope you can understand that the very people trying to get into this country are also trying to change it.
Where else in recorded history has a group of peoples overtly broken the laws of another country and then blame that country for not accommodating them? Help me to understand. Thank you very much.
jon-paul
James King says:
May 13, 2010 at 8:52 am (UTC -5 )
It is obvious that McCain is trying to play “Patriotic Sentiments,” to lure Arizonian voters to his side.
When Hispanic votes mattered, McCain was all for illegal aliens; now that Hispanic votes are not so important, McCain wants National Guard troops to be deployed along Arizona’s border with Mexico. The borders are safer now than when McCain needed Latino votes for presidency; now that Latinos don’t matter, McCain want to empower police to lynch Latinos on “reasonable suspicion.” [Senator Graham, on the other hand, wants immigration reform postponed to 2012 at which time he will use it to run for president].
In case Senators McCain and Kyle don’t know: President Franklin Roosevelt once started an address of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) by saying, “My dear fellow immigrants.” Roosevelt knew that the members of the D.A.R. were particularly proud of their American pedigrees, but he wanted to remind them that both he and they had descended from people who had immigrated to the United States. They came long after it had been inhabited by even earlier immigrants: the Native Americans. It can be safely said all Americans are descendants of people who came o this continent from some other place — some relatively recently, some may, many years ago — but we are all descendant of immigrants nonetheless.
Mia LaMorena says:
May 14, 2010 at 8:16 pm (UTC -5 )
I don’t think I understand what is being “demanded” of American people or what ANY American citizen stands to lose by moving foreard with immigration reform?