Join us as we walk 18 miles in solidarity with the Trail of Dreams, a 1,500 mile journey from Florida to D.C. that 4 students began on January 1, 2010 for just and humane immigration reform and equal access to higher education.
On February 27th, students, parents, seniors and workers will come together and walk the CA “Trail of Dreams” in Los Angeles to recognize that immigrants are key to rebuilding America’s economy.
The solidarity walk in Los Angeles will be making a few stops throughout the city, you can join up at any of these locations on February 27th.
8:00-8:30am
Seoul Int’l Park (3250 San Marino St)
10:30-11:00am
Federal INS Building/USCIS Office (300 N. Los Angeles St.)
12:30-1:30pm
Salazar Park (3864 Whittier Blvd.)
5:15-5:30
Radio Korea Lawn (3700 Wilshire Blvd.)
The walk is part of the United We Dream Coalition’s week of action. To find out more, visit KRCLA’s site.
What: Screening of 9500 Liberty, documentary of Prince William County as ground zero for the nation’s immigration debate.
When: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Reception at 5:30 p.m.
Movie at 6 p.m. Followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers Annabel Park and Eric Byler
Where: Center for Community Change, 1536 U St. NW, Washington DC 20009
The Center for Community Change is proud to bring you 9500 Liberty, a documentary that began as a YouTube channel documenting Prince William County’s adoption of a law requiring police officers to question anyone they had “probable cause” to suspect was an undocumented immigrant.
The law’s adoption converted the county into ground zero in America’s explosive battle over immigration policy. 9500 Liberty reveals the startling vulnerability of a local government targeted by national anti-immigration networks that use the Internet to frighten and intimidate lawmakers and citizens. Alarmed by a climate of fear and racial division, residents fight back using YouTube videos and virtual town halls, setting up a real-life showdown in the seat of county government.
9500 Liberty depicts the devastating social and economic impact of the “Immigration Resolution” on the lives of people in homes and businesses in Prince William County. 9500 Liberty provides a front row seat to the ferocious fight to adopt and then reverse this policy as it unfolds inside government chambers, on the streets and on the Internet.
Last week, Tom Tancredo kicked off the National Tea Party convention in Nashville with a bang – an anti-immigrant bang to be exact. Tancredo, long known as an enemy to the Latino population, ranted on about America being under attack from “multi-culturalism”, which in simpler terms means that America is under attack by brown people who don’t look like Tancredo.
“People who could not spell the word vote or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House — name is Barack Hussein Obama,”
You would think that there should be no place for extremism like this in the public discourse of our country’s future, but this type of anti-immigrant fervor has taken hold in many factions of the Conservative movement and the extreme has quietly entered the mainstream. (By the way, the video above is from Jimmy Kimmel Live and nails the hypocrisy of Tancredo discussing literacy as a litmus test for voting.)
While I would love to appeal to the humanity of folks to make the argument against this extremism, it’s an argument that hasn’t seemed to work. It is my belief that the structural racism inherent in our systems is too much to unpack, explain and absorb for many of these people. Just this morning I had somebody calling themselves “Tea Parties” leave this lovely comment on the blog:
mexicans its over you are done this is the begining of the end for you.
Then, when I didn’t post the racist comment, I got this:
wetback post all comments
I’m not sure that engaging in a productive dialogue about racism is going to be effective in this instance. And, for the record, I moderate all comments on this blog and do not post any that use profanity, hate speech or incite violence of any kind.
A different approach is to discuss the electoral politics of this issue. Put simply: the GOP will become totally irrelevant if it doesn’t pay attention to the power of the Latino vote.
The outcome of the upcoming debate on comprehensive immigration reform will determine how – and if – this group of Americans votes in 2010 and beyond.
Those people who “could not spell the word vote or say it in English” could make Tom Tancredo and his crowd obselete if they don’t grow a brain (and a heart) and realize that “multi-culturalism” isn’t what’s threatening this country, fear of the “other” is. Don’t let fear dictate politics or policy. It’s time for a sensible and humane debate on the topic of immigration reform and those willing to engage in such a debate will be rewarded.
While many of Obama’s ever-ready opponents complained about the amount of spending in the budget in the name of lowering the deficit, there is one solution that people truly concerned about economic recovery have yet to address: comprehensive immigration reform.
There is a $4.1 trillion choice in Washington. We did the math, and put simply:
Comprehensive Immigration Reform = $1.5 trillion increase in GDP over 10 years
Mass Deportation = $2.6 trillion loss in GDP over 10 years
And there are the numbers to back this up. Two separatereports have recently been published that show comprehensive immigration reform would be a boon to our economy, while mass deportation would drive us further into our current economic crisis.
Congress has a $4 trillion choice to make: pass comprehensive immigration reform and grow the economy by $1.5 trillion – or enact the anti-immigrant lobby’s impractical mass deportation agenda, at any cost.
One lawmaker who seems to understand the inextricable link between immigration reform and the economy is Representative Luis Gutierrez. Today, in the Hill, he writes:
Comprehensive immigration reform by definition means change that helps workers and business. Unless Congress acts to end the status quo, American workers will continue to be pitted against immigrant workers by unscrupulous employers who drive down wages, avoid taxes and violate labor laws. Taxpayers who pay their full and fair share will continue to be undercut by workers and employers who do not. And employers who pay decent wages, offer good benefits, and follow all the rules will continue to be destabilized by bad-actor employers who game the system.
We cannot put off legislation that ends this kind of unchecked corruption at the expense of our economic security. America’s workers want it for their own protection; American employers need it to operate effectively and ethically; taxpayers deserve it to stop shouldering the cost of a broken system. And Congress owes it to them to do our jobs.
The time is ripe for immigration reform to be considered as not only the right thing to do, but economically sound thing to do. This is a win-win scenario for lawmakers, the American public and the economy. By continuing to ignore this reality, Congress is not solving the hard problems we elected them to address and they are losing the faith of the voters who put them in office.
This is the latest post from Standing FIRM’s guest blogger, Robert Gittelson.
On Tuesday night, the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition held a press conference at the Santa Clarita California City Hall, in which we expressed our opposition to the very public anti-immigrant, and anti immigration reform comments of their City Council Member and former Mayor Bob Kellar.
This issue first came to the attention of our members, when the Daily News broke the story of Bob Kellar’s statements, captured for the world to see on YouTube, in which he basically imploded, and bragged about being a proud anti-immigrant racist.
See for yourself:
Actually, the Daily News piece was originally intended to inform the public about the march, rally, and panel discussion that we had sponsored on Saturday. However, when “Bob the Racist,” went public with his ideology against immigrants, it hijacked the story. Therefore, when the actual story appeared in print, our actions were relegated to one or two lines in the middle of the article, sort of as an after-thought. The media responded strongly to our call for a press conference, held just prior to their City Council Meeting, and most of the major news outlets and television stations came to hear what we, and some of our invited speakers, had to say about this issue:
The demonstrations were sparked by comments from Councilman Bob Kellar, who called himself a “proud racist” during an anti-illegal immigration rally two weeks ago.
He first referred to a statement from President Theodore Roosevelt that said the United States only has room for one flag and one language. He said he had quoted it at a past city council meeting.
“The only thing I heard back from a couple of people was `Bob, you sound like a racist’,” Kellar said.
“I said, `That’s good. If that’s what you think I am because I happen to believe in America. I’m a proud racist. You’re darn right I am’.”
On Tuesday, Kellar said his words were taken out of context and that he abhorred racism.
“Racism is wrong and should never be tolerated,” Kellar said.
But many opponents have seized on it as reflecting the true mindset of Kellar and other opponents of illegal immigration.
More than 150 people packed the council chambers, with the vocal majority applauding Kellar as he entered the room.
“It’s about red, white and blue – not white, brown and black,” said Robert Crooks, a Canyon Country resident and president of a local Minuteman chapter. “It’s about America, we the people. We are not racists.”
Supporters of Kellar held signs reading, for example, “Bob Kellar `patriotic hero’.”
But other demonstrators representing immigrant-rights groups held signs that read “Fire `proud racist’ Bob Kellar.”
“People who share Kellar’s views want to see immigrants in concentration camps,” said Carlos Alvarez, representing the immigrant rights group Answer Coalition.
“Black, Latino, Asian, whites – we are all struggling together. Immigrants are not the problem.”
“An elected representative gets elected to unite people, to bring people together, not to polarize them, not to pull them apart, not to inject hate and dislike for ethnic minorities,” said Juan Guitierrez, an immigration reform advocate.
When it was my turn to address the media, I made the following comments:
While I normally speak about this issue in National terms, since this is legally a Federal issue, it is on occasions like this when we are reminded that at its heart, this issue affects all of us on a community level. Let’s face the facts; in a country of over 300 million people, there is always going to be some percentage of the population that is racist. I see this every day, because through my writing, I have attracted “hate comments” or “hate mail,” literally by the hundreds or probably thousands over the years. However, when a community leader “leads” this debate in the direction of racism and bigotry, it does a tremendous disservice to the majority of Americans that seek an actual solution to the problems inherent in our broken immigration system, and moves this debate in a direction that is not constructive, sidetracking this issue by playing on emotions instead of a factual analysis of issues. When the media gets sidetracked by hate speech, or anti-immigrant propaganda, that also elevates the agenda of the people or organizations that are frankly ignorant of the true facts about this issue, and brings their divisive fear-mongering of this issue to the forefront of the debate.
Three weeks ago, a study was released by Professor Dr. Hinojosa-Ojeda of UCLA, factually documenting how CIR would benefit our GDP by some 1.5 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. However, in their attempt to project a balanced coverage of that study, one of our major Los Angeles newspapers dedicated half of their article to the academic findings of the professor, and the other half of the article to the “counter-spin” of the anti-immigrant organization FAIR, which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The next week, another academic study was released by Professor Dr. Manuel Pastor of USC, which factually documented that the State of California would see its Gross State Product, (GSP), grow by some 16 billion dollars per year through CIR. However, again, a major Los Angeles newspaper dedicated half of their coverage to the study, and in their attempt to display balanced coverage, the other half to the negative spin of the anti-immigration “think tank” the Center for Immigration Studies, which is a sister group of FAIR, as they were both started through the efforts of John Tanton, the renowned white supremacist.
Last week, a major Los Angeles newspaper chose to amplify the comments made to a dozen or so Minutemen by this self proclaimed racist, and minimize the march, rally, and panel discussion that mobilized over a thousand Los Angeles residents about 10 miles away in Van Nuys. There is something wrong with this picture. We need to drive this debate back to the facts, and toward the middle ground, and away from the issues that add to the divisiveness, and distract from the solutions to this issue.
Sure enough, when the news got around the area that the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition was holding a press conference at City Hall, the supporters of Bob Kellar, mostly his fellow Minutemen and John Birch Society members, started showing up in droves, spoiling for a fight.
Confrontation quickly ensued, thus not only demonstrating the divisiveness of the racist agenda, but proving that, as I stated to the press, when we allow our leaders to lead us in the direction of hot tempers and hateful emotions, and away from the facts, it obstructs the path to actual solutions.
In the hours leading up to Tuesday night’s Santa Clarita City Council meeting, the outside of City Hall was turned into an emotional powder keg as Minutemen groups and immigrant support groups clashed — a culmination after more than a week’s worth of controversy over Councilman Bob Kellar’s comments at an anti-illegal immigration rally.
The Minutemen and their supporters held signs calling Kellar “an American Hero.”
Members of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and other immigrant support groups, held signs saying “Fire ‘proud racist’ Bob Keller (sic) now!”
Kellar’s speech last week has been polarizing — drawing praise and criticism from people on either side of the debate. Some have said Kellar’s words have been taken out of context; others say his speech violated the city’s code of ethics adopted in May 2008.
Outside of City Hall, some demonstrators got into each others’ faces, yelled and pointed fingers at each other.
“Minutemen are a dying breed,” said Carlos Alvarez, 23, from Los Angeles.
“Racists say get back, we say fight back,” he and others chanted.
“Are you an American citizen?” responded Mountain Minutemen founder Robert Crooks, 59, from Canyon Country.
“Do you have a green card?” Crooks said.
Several television crews and photographers recorded the altercations as the drama unfolded. Several Los Angeles television media outlets descended on Santa Clarita to cover Tuesday’s meeting.
“They’re going to take our guns away,” one man said.
Another man, Ed Ventresca of Santa Clarita, wore a shirt saying, “Stop the New World Order.”
The John Birch Society member passed out literature saying liberalism is an evil conspiracy to destroy the United States of America.
In an interview Monday, Council candidate Harrison Katz, who also addressed the Council, said he agreed that the problem wasn’t Kellar’s stance against illegal immigration, it’s the “divisive rhetoric” Kellar used to explain his position that’s the problem.
“Anytime you call yourself a proud racist, it’s a mistake,” Katz said. “It brings embarrassment to our community.
“It was a very stupid comment,” he said.
Roger Gitlin, the leader of the Santa Clarita Valley Independent Minutemen, told the Council in a prepared statement to add a Council agenda item clarifying the city’s stance on illegal immigration.
“Santa Clarita voters want to know where you stand (on illegal immigration) and they want to know before the April, 2010 election,” Gitlin said.
In closing, I would note that just prior to the start of the press conference I had an opportunity to speak privately with Roger Gitlen, whose day job is as a Civics Teacher at a local High School. Frankly, we had a very civil discussion. I introduced myself to him, and we started talking. He was there to support Bob Kellar in that evening’s City Council meeting. When he found out that I was there as a Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition member, he said, “Well, I guess that we aren’t on the same side.”
I told him that while that was true, as we spoke, I made a point of demonstrating that we probably weren’t as far apart on this issue as most people would suspect, and ultimately he agreed. I told him that we weren’t for open borders, and that we realized that part of an effective solution to the problem that we both recognized existed was based on enforcement. As we kept talking, I suggested that we concentrate on the common ground that we could start with, and agree to disagree for now about the issues that we didn’t agree upon, such as, as he described it, the “pathway to citizenship.”
When this issue is discussed calmly and quietly, I believe that a solution – which is in reality exactly what CIR is – can be realized. However, it will only be possible to achieve that if we can keep this debate focused on building upon the common ground that truly does exist, and by working in good faith to solve this problem, instead of allowing it to remain as a festering blister upon the civil landscape of our society. It is incumbent upon both the media and the leaders on each side of this debate to make a good faith effort not to allow this issue to spin out of control due to the deeply emotional ideologies that surround both sides of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform argument. If we can all stay focused and well intentioned, we can achieve a solution to this issue in 2010.
Last night, along with many of you, I tuned into President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address. While I was genuinely interested to hear the President speak on the full scope of the issues facing our country right now – and there are many – I was, of course, especially interested to hear what he would say about immigration reform. More pointedly, I wanted to know if he would say anything at all.
Towards the end of the speech, word 6,300 of 7,000 total to be exact, President Obama did mention immigration.
“We should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system to secure our borders, enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.”
While I was glad that the issue was mentioned and that the President noted the current system is broken, I think I speak for many passionate immigrant rights and immigration reform advocates when I say I was more than a little disappointed.
After words of commitment at key times, after the Latino and New American vote helped put him into office, after months of lip service to the idea of just and humane reform, after years(s) of hard work and organizing, after flexing our political muscles on the Hill, in the streets and across the country, we deserve more.
As Maegan at VivirLatino pointed out, last night was a missed opportunity to demonstrate to the American public why immigration reform is inextricably linked to the other major issues facing our country.
He failed, as so many do, in pointing out where health care reform and immigration reform intersect.
And where the economy and immigration reform intersect and where immigration reform and jobs intersect. At one point, the President said:
“In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency.”
And it’s time that government produce an immigration system that matches the country’s decency too. Too many people are suffering right now at the hands of this broken system, for it to just be a passing thought in laying out the domestic agenda.
So, where do we go from here? For those of us who remain committed to seeing this through in 2010, for those of us who refuse to believe that last night was the “death knell” for reform?
First, we organize. We keep knocking on doors, holding town halls, protesting in the streets and marching on Washington. We win hearts and minds and political power the old-fashioned way: through action.
Second, we keep the pressure on Congress. Today alone, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid publicly stated the Senate’s commitment to immigration reform, Senator Chuck Schumer noted that progress is being made on the legislation he is currently drafting and Rep. Luis Gutierrez took it to the blogosphere to remind Congress that the responsibility rests squarely on their shoulders:
Though he clearly supports the notion that our laws must reflect the contributions immigrants have made to literally build this country, it is clear to me that Congress cannot wait for the President to lay out our time-line for comprehensive reform.
Third, we raise the stakes. We start demanding reform, rather than asking. It is clear that Congress is still more swayed by their fear of the political complexity of this issue than they are of the power of the immigration reform movement and the political power of the Latino and immigrant electorate. Its time to change that.
In the next few months, there are some big things planned, including a large-scale march on Washington, DC on March 21st. Its time to show Congress that we WILL hold them accountable and its time to force President Obama to take the leadership he promised on this issue.
With this said, it’s worth noting that using one speech as the barometer for the likelihood of a huge issue’s success or lack thereof is probably not the best approach to take. While I will admit that I was disappointed and a bit disheartened last night, it has only stoked the fire of my commitment to see this issue through in a real and tangible way.
But determining the future of immigration reform on a “word count” in the State of the Union address is bad strategy. Instead, immigration advocates should keep Presidential promises in perspective, redouble their efforts and continue to hold Congress’s feet to the fire.
On Saturday, nearly 1,000 advocates gathered in Van Nuys, CA to march for immigration reform! The marchers left the Van Nuys City Hall and marched 1.2 miles to the Church on the Way, where they attended a panel discussion of experts and advocates.
Angelica Salas of CHIRLA marches with her daughter, Robert Gittelson and Raul Murillo, President of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional Los Angeles.
On the panel Angelica Salas, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, reminded the crowd that the number of votes needed to win immigration reform is 279 and that every day people are on the ground organizing to make that number a reality.
“There’s no way to win unless we’re out there, knocking on doors, getting in their face. We need voters and the American public to demand reform.”
Bernie Walsdorf , the president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association opened his discussion with a Bible verse about treating immigrants with dignity. He went on to rattle of some sobering statistics about currently immigration policy under the Obama administration:
ICE detains 32,000 people everyday! The Obama administration has deported over 200,000 people and there have been 107 deaths in immigration detention facilities.
Our system is certainly not treating immigrants with dignity and is lacking in the basic civil and human rights that should be afforded to everyone. Immigration reform is about returning those rights and standing up as a country of morals and dignity.
Can we afford to leave this money on the floor? Untapped? Can we afford NOT to pass immigration reform?
The panel was both informative and a rousing and inspiration event for advocates. Despite the naysayers and the grim reports of immigration reform’s small hope in the current political climate, these advocates and experts know that reform is the right thing to do, the smart thing to do and what the American public wants to do.
Congratulations to the folks that made Saturday’s event such a success and a special THANK YOU to the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition for pulling the event together, to Robert Gittelson, our guest blogger here at Standing FIRM who was integral in organizing the event and Will Coley who live-tweeted the event and made sure to snap the pics you see in this post.
Tomorrow, January 26th, advocates fed up with inaction on immigration reform will gather at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, DC to call for an immediate end to deportations of immigrants with U.S. citizen family members.
Tuesday’s action is in solidarity with The Trail of DREAMs – a journey through the U.S. south, from Florida to Washington, to demand immediate relief for suffering immigrant communities. Drawing inspiration from the civil rights movement, four young persons are walking to bring public attention to a failed immigration system that tears families apart and halts the progress of students studying to contribute to their communities.
Several recent actions across the country, including the 17-day Fast for Our Families in South Florida, and a march of tens of thousands in Phoenix, Arizona to protest local enforcement of immigration law, have focused on the capacity and the moral obligation of the Obama Administration to use its executive power to stop separating families and criminalizing immigrant communities. While local in nature, these actions have received nationwide support from activists frustrated by federal inaction.
Tuesday’s action will feature bold action, speakers and boisterous chants demanding justice for our communities. Immigrants and non-immigrants directly affected by the lack of presidential action will be available for interview.
Today, thousands of immigration reform advocates gathered for a rally, a march and a panel discussion to move immigration reform forward in 2010.
The event will kick ed off at 11:00AM PST with a rally at the Van Nuys City Hall, 14410 Sylvan St.Van Nuys, California 91401. For full details – check out the event listing here. After the rally, advcoates are convening at the Church on the Way in Van Nuys for a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
Follow the panel discussion live by following @willcoley on Twitter. Here are some updates from earlier today:
Van Nuys is nice! Sun is out & so are marchers for immigration reform!
Marchers in Van Nuys approaching Church on the Way for forum with reps.
Folks are filling sanctuary in Van Nuys to hear community leaders PREACH immigration reform!
The panel has a spectacular, and diverse, line-up of guests, including faith leaders, immigrant rights activists, elected officials and academics. Check out the list of panelists below. And be sure to follow Will here!
Robert Gittelson – Entrepreneur and long-time advocate for Comprehensive Immigration Reform – Introductory remarks, acknowledgements, introduction of moderator Jim Tolle
Dr. Jim Tolle, One of the foremost faith leaders for CIR, and one of the most well known and nationally respected faith leaders in the country as Pastor of The Church on the Way, who testified before the Senate Sub-Committee on CIR in Oct. ’09.
Juan Jose Gutierrez, founding member of the Full Rights for Immigrants coalition, and a long-time community and national leader and activist for human and equal rights.
Rt. Reverend Father Alexei Smith of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and their spokesperson for CIR.
Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, (CHIRLA).
Bernie Wolfsdorf, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, (AILA).
Dr. Manuel Pastor, Professor at U.S.C., Director of USC’s Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) and co-Director of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII).
Dr. Juan Hernandez, Founder of the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies at the University of Texas, and former cabinet member for Vicente Fox.
Rep. Dr. Judy Chu (D- Cal. 32nd), member of the Judiciary Sub-Committee on Immigration, (along with Rep. Howard Berman), as well as the Government Oversight Committee.
The panel discusses immigration reform in 2010 at the Center for American Progress.
I just got back from a great panel discussion at the Center for American Progress (CAP) about getting immigration reform done in 2010. The discussion, which happened in front of a packed house at CAP, discussed the prospects for reform this year both from a political and a policy perspective.
The panelists were Nico Pitney, National Editor of Huffington Post; Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga , Founder and Editor of Daily Kos; María Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; and Andrea Nill, Immigration Blogger and Researcher, Think Progress.
While Representative Luis Gutierrez was slated to come, he got held up in a vote and was unable to make it. (I know, a lawmaker that is actually legislating – gasp!).
Faiz Shakir, Editor-in-Chief of Think Progress kicked things off, by introducing the panel and asking the first in a series of questions to help shape the discussion.
Each panelist had a unique perspective on why passing immigration reform in 2010 is possible.
Markos Moulitsas drove home the electoral politics of the issue, noting that unlike other issues (ie: health care), immigration reform was never going to be a straight partisan vote.
“If this was just about having 60 votes in the Senate, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
But Moulitsas noted that the issue has bi-partisan support, with members of the GOP that support and some Democrats who oppose.
The true key to why passing immigration reform is in legislators’ best interest, however, is that there is a major voting consituency at stake: Latino and New American voters. He noted,
“The Latino vote has been the difference in many elections in the last several cycles. In order to be politically viable, both Democrats and Republicans will have to deliver on immigration reform, or face losing those constituencies”.
Adding to the chorus of positives for tackling this issue in 2010, Maria Durazno noted that this time around (unlike 2007), the coalition working for immigration reform has the full backing of the labor movement. In response to the question: “How do we tackle this issue with so much of the nation’s focus on jobs”, she responded:
“Immigration reform IS about jobs. Immigrants are already essential workers in our economy.”
Andrea Nill went on to note that passing immigration reform would not only create 700,00 jobs, but would also bring $1.5 trillion in additional Gross Domestic Product over the next 10 years.
Not only is this good policy, but its also popular policy. Both Moulitsas and Nill cited a recent poll from America’s Voice that showed over 60% of Republicans, Democrats and Independents support a pathway to legalization. Moulitsas, however, noted that just because there is good policy and popular support does not mean passage of a bill – just look at the health care debate. He called for a fair debate, without the outrageous claims of socialism and death panels, and said that if the debate were only about policy and substance, immigration reform would be the clear winner against the opposition.
The panel noted that the media would play a large role in either keeping this debate focused on policy and sensible discourse, or feeding into the lies and misinformation that has dominated much of the health care debate. And Nill noted that nobody should be fooled by the rhetoric of the opposition:
“They frame themselves as only against “illegal” immigration, but if you check out their stances on a variety of issues, they oppose humanitarian provisions in current laws because they are actually against all immigration, period.”
To help frame the debate in a way that keeps the focus on policy and politics of the fight, Moulitsas called on more progressives and progressive bloggers to join in the debate. And all of the panelists agreed that this issue should be a progressive priority.
In sum, the discussion shows that not only is immigration reform economically desirable and policy that is popular with the majority of the American public, but it is an issue that will determine the political viability of many candidates during a midterm election year.
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From the Korean Resource Center of Los Angeles: Join us as we walk 18 miles in solidarity with the Trail of Dreams, a 1,500 mile journey from Florida to D.C. that 4 students began on January 1, 2010 for just and humane immigration reform and equal access to higher education. On February 27th, students, parents, seniors and [...]
You’re invited! What: Screening of 9500 Liberty, documentary of Prince William County as ground zero for the nation’s immigration debate. When: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Reception at 5:30 p.m. Movie at 6 p.m. Followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers Annabel Park and Eric Byler Where: Center for Community Change, 1536 U St. NW, Washi […]
Last week, Tom Tancredo kicked off the National Tea Party convention in Nashville with a bang – an anti-immigrant bang to be exact. Tancredo, long known as an enemy to the Latino population, ranted on about America being under attack from “multi-culturalism”, which in simpler terms means that America is under attack by brown people [...]
On Monday, President Obama released his budget, which has a heavy focus on job creation and economic improvement. While many of Obama’s ever-ready opponents complained about the amount of spending in the budget in the name of lowering the deficit, there is one solution that people truly concerned about economic recovery have yet to address: comprehensi […]
This is the latest post from Standing FIRM’s guest blogger, Robert Gittelson. On Tuesday night, the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition held a press conference at the Santa Clarita California City Hall, in which we expressed our opposition to the very public anti-immigrant, and anti immigration reform comments of their City Council Member and former [ […]
