Activists And Labor Organizations Unite To Launch National Immigration Reform Campaign
Activists And Labor Organizations Unite To Launch National Immigration Reform Campaign
This morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Reform Immigration for America launched its nationwide effort to bring “together individuals and grassroots organizations with the mission to build support for workable comprehensive immigration reform.” The campaign is being led by various labor, policy and activist groups such as the AFL-CIO, the Services Employees International Union, the NAACP, the Center for American Progress, the National Immigration Forum and the National Council of La Raza.
In fact, support for immigration reform is already gaining momentum. A Pew Research Center for the People and Press “Trends in Core Values 1987 to 2009” report released last month found that “by nearly two to one (63 percent to 34 percent), most [Americans] favor a way for illegal immigrants in the United States to gain legal citizenship if they meet certain conditions, including passing background checks and paying fines.” Indeed, a number of recent polls echo these sentiments:
– April 24, 2009 Washington Post/ABC News Poll: Sixty-one percent of those polled support “a program giving illegal immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they pay a fine and meet other requirements.”
– April 2009 New York Times/CBS News Poll: Forty-four percent of respondents support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, up from 38 percent in December 2007.
A new national poll released just yesterday found that nearly two-thirds of voters (64 percent) support comprehensive reform. But when given specific details of what that reform entails — including securing the border, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, requiring immigrants to register for status, pay back taxes and learn English — 86 percent offered their support. Moreover, the poll respondents perceived “an economic and fiscal benefit to immigration reform and want Congress to address the economy and immigration reform simultaneously.”
The Times/CBS poll also found that 59 percent believe that President Obama was at least “somewhat likely” to “bring about significant immigration reform in his first term.” And it appears that Obama is planning on getting started. Politico reported last month that he will be inviting members of Congress to the White House in the coming weeks to “highlight immigration reform.” “The meeting will be an opportunity to launch a policy conversation that we hope will be able to start a debate that will take place in Congress later in the year,” an administration official said.
8 Responses to “Activists And Labor Organizations Unite To Launch National Immigration Reform Campaign”
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ya well why don’t see what they think when you tell them
1. that amnesty will accelerate america’s becoming a majority black and latino nation with much balkanization, higher taxes and worse schools and test scores and a ruined enviorment. (as i will bet anybody we will have).
2. tell them that by 2011 many academics predict the majority of birthes in the U.S. to be to non-white mothers (there’s nothing wrong with any race it’s just that some of us don’t want to transform our country in a generation, got a problem with that?)
B. that america’s on course to having almost twice as many people by the end of the century.
C. what the dropout and illegitimacy rates of latinos are
D. tell them how much latinos use of social welfare services
E. tell them about L.A. county
G. show them how popular the “la reconquesta” movement is among mexican-americans
I. show them the polls that show 3rd generation mexican-american citizen’s primary loyaltys and attachments to mexico
THEN PULL THEM! the u.s. public doesn’t know a damn thing about amnesty or sotomayor cause you refuse to tell them the truth about either subjects. you won’t discuss ricci and you won’t mention latino’s conflicting loyalty problem, dropout rates or born out of wedlock rates cause your to PC!
June 4th, 2009 at 7:28 amD.K.,
Was English your first language?
June 4th, 2009 at 10:40 amFor far too long, restrictionists and fear mongers like D.K. have hijacked the immigration debate and instead of focusing on solutions, we have politicized the lives of millions of individuals who are active members of our community, and who want to contribute to this country.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:28 pmTo think that we can deport 12 million people its a fantasy, we simply don’t have the necessary resources and it would create a humanitarian and budget crisis beyond belief. We need to get undocumented workers into the system, onto our tax rolls and right with our laws.
Actually, DK’s Spanish is not better (misspelled
June 4th, 2009 at 4:29 pmreconquista :) and his thinking skills don’t appear to
be that stellar either :)
Check out tweets from the campaign summit here:
http://visibletweets.com/#query=%23ri4a&animation=2
It’s a visualization of the #ri4a hashtag.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:30 pmI’m glad this is getting under way. Finally! I hope it goes through this time.
Don’t much care about the details of poll results, they can always be weighted one way or another. What I do know and care about is what’s going on in my neighborhood. I’m an anglo married to an immigrant. I’m sick and tired of watching people — many of whom *do* have papers — profiled, persecuted and terrorized. The environment is unhealthy for everyone.
Balkanization is a real risk. We need to keep talking to each other, no matter how strong the disagreements. I’m glad folks are keeping it relatively civil here.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:49 pmwhy do we need amnesty?
c’mon will u guys just admit you want to add 12-20 million more democrats aka poor latinos to the population?
June 5th, 2009 at 8:01 pmThe United States is a multi ethnic nation. I am saddened to see comments that essentially suggest that people who are not white are not welcome here.
June 5th, 2009 at 8:31 pmDK, your question about amnesty is legitimate, at least the first part of it. There are no solutions that can feasibly be carried out other than amnesty. There is no way, as Kathecita mentions, that we could possibly deport all undocumented immigrants. This would not be a humanitarian solution and could possibly been more costly and less effective than amnesty. With amnesty, millions will be able to contribute legitimately to society. At the very minimum this can be understood economically: people will be able to contribute taxes. Furthermore, with stability in their lives, they will be able to earn more and transcend the poverty which drags others down.
The issues here are all interconnected: if we allow people to become a legitimate part of society, they will be able to participate more fully in it and won’t need to stay hidden, which does increase the liklihood of “Balkanization”. They will be able to take advantage of English language programs, and feel the same pride for our country’s core principles that native citizens feel.