| A major question for progressives in recent years and for upcoming elections is how we will stand on the question of illegal immigration, and the recent senate illegal immigration reform bill gives us a chance to crystallize our stance. From my vantage, a progressive policy position on this issue has been somewhat silenced by the red-meat conservative message of no allowance for ?amnesty? (a loaded term) for any illegal ?aliens? (a dehumanizing concept) and the media somewhat playing into this point of view. The senate bill, which combines increased funds for border security with the caveat that millions of undocumented workers can receive citizenship, is a less-than-perfect bill, but it is one that I think we should support because of its dual approach to the issue, that is, focusing on enforcement of laws to deter illegal immigrants from coming here, including penalizing companies who hire undocumented workers, while at the same time providing humane, real-world solutions such as citizenship for many of those workers who have been invited by American businesses to the U.S.
Our junior senator, Menendez, has been at the forefront of negotiations for the current senate immigration bill; to be sure, this has been Menendez?s most prominent moment in the national spotlight thus far in his senate career, as he is appearing on talk shows, is sought after for quotes on the current bill (he opposes it because of restrictions on families being allowed to immigrate), and is arguably the most prominent voice on the left in favor of humane, ethical treatment of illegal immigrants. Menendez?s opposition to the bill stems from the aforementioned deterrents to having families legally migrate with their fellow family members:
To change the terms more to his liking, the Hoboken Democrat has teamed up with Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., to introduce a measure that would make reuniting legal immigrants with their spouses and children living abroad a top priority. It now takes five to 10 years for spouses and underage children of legal immigrants to get green cards, according to Menendez' staff. Contrast this with Rep. LoBiondo?s reactionary, anti-immigrant statements on the recent bill, and you?ll be reminded why this South Jersey congressman needs to be shown the door in 2008:
Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-Ventnor, said allowing those who entered the United States illegally to remain here "is the very definition of amnesty. If the amnesty principles remain as proposed, the Senate should and must defeat the bill. I would be the first to vote against an amnesty bill."
Unfortunately, the other side seems much more mobilized as a political force on this issue, as a recent Courier Post article http://www.courierpo... reports that:
Lawmakers say they've gotten hundreds of calls, mostly from people angry that the Senate proposal would allow an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. Aides to Rep. Jim Saxton said the Mount Holly Republican alone has received 102 calls in the past two weeks, all opposing the deal. Besides this mobilization in our supposedly progressive state, Mark Shields, on PBS?s News Hour reported that an unnamed Republican senator also received hundreds more calls, 1300 to 35, that were critical of any immigration bill that granted earned citizenship (again, the conservative buzzword is ?amnesty?) to illegal immigrants.
It is time for us to contact Senators Menendez and Lautenberg and our respective congressmen to let them know that we agree with them in general principle on this bill and that immigrant rights are important to us; the far right has been dominating this discussion for too long. Their offices in Washington can be reached at 202.224.4744 (Menendez) or (202) 224-3224 (Lautenberg). The left in our state needs to mobilize behind immigrant rights, as it has a direct effect on immigrant families in the state and on businesses, particularly farms, that rely on their labor to survive. |
