As a General Manager in the Food/Restaurant Industry, I am very familiar and have been privileged to have meet outstanding hard working and proud immigrants that only desire an opportunity for a better life. Granted that there are always undesirable elements to any immigration that is not legal and fully vetted but the wide brush that paints all in one stroke is irresponsible and unjustifiable. The discrimination, high risk of harassment and abuse by predatory landlords, possible rogue law enforcement officers and hate groups must be stopped. This is one of the reasons the 2010 Census is so important to our community.
The introduction of House bill H.R. 4321 by Rep. Gutierrez, a Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Task Force on Immigration, has 92 co-sponsors(Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009) and was a step in the right direction.
The first immigration reform bill of 2009 was proposed on January 6, 2009. All of the sponsoring senators were members of the Democratic Party. Senate Bill 9 is also called the " Stronger Economy/ Stronger Borders Act of 2009.The ability to strengthen our economy, provide additional measures for border protection and security, increase employment enforcement and streamline available avenues for legal immigration is the best path to a reconciliation of this difficult and contentious issue. Congress needs to enact legislation to achieve these purposes.
We must also look into the passage of The Refuge Protection Act of 2010. This particular piece of legislation streamlines the process for asylum by eliminating the requirement that asylum applicants file their claim within one year of their arrival, by protecting particularly vulnerable asylum seekers (including LGBT people) by ensuring their ability to file a claim even if their persecution was not "particularly or socially visible;" and by giving asylum seekers an opportunity to explain any inconsistencies a judge might find in their testimony.
-George David Perezvelez
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 07, 2010
Top House Dem: Latinos view Obama with 'suspicion'
A member of the House Democratic leadership said Wednesday that Latinos view President Barack Obama with "suspicion" for failing to meet expectations.
Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), the House Democratic Caucus vice chairman, offered stern words for Obama, saying that the Latino population wants to see more from the White House on issues that are important to them.
"I think there’s a lot of suspicion, a lot of doubt, a lot of concern," he said on KPCC Radio of Obama's image among Latinos. "The president made a promise. He hasn’t fulfilled that promise. Rightfully, I think a lot of folks are questioning where the president’s priorities are."
Becerra's comments are one of the most significant broadsides from a lawmaker against Obama's sway with Latinos.I think the Latino leadership in Congress is playing this right. The administration tends to pay attention to the squeaky wheel - that would be conservative Dems, and Republicans, who threaten to bring down the President's legislative priorities. Progressives are going to need to step up their game if they want to be noticed, and if they want to hold the administration to its promises. It will be interesting to see whether the Latinos have any success. I suspect with their voting power, they will.
During the 2008 presidential race, Obama was able to galvanize Latinos into a solid Democratic voting bloc after President George W. Bush attracted a record level of Latino support for a GOP presidential nominee in the 2004 election.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has been negotiating immigration reform with the White House and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), said last month that the issue is "dead" in the Senate this year because the contentious healthcare debate left Republicans with a sour taste in their mouths.
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