This week, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated immigration reform legislation is "dead" in the Senate this year. "When I say immigration's dead in the Senate, risk-aversion abounds," Graham said during a press conference this week. Graham added the consequences of this vote are going to be long lasting politically.
Graham's statement was based on the recently passed healthcare legislation, which he viewed, "poisoned the well" for bipartisanship on any future legislation during this session.
Graham may be right in his assessment, but it is fair to conclude that the well of bipartisanship has been poisoned for some time. As comedian Jimmy Kimmel opined this week, Republicans announcing they could not work with Democrats is akin to Wile E. Coyote issuing a press release that he can no longer work with the Road Runner.
But we can assume from Graham's words that immigration reform is probably dead this year.
It is dead because two Herculean efforts by Congress in the same session are normally not within its DNA. Moreover it unlikely any legislator will risk his or her political career for illegal aliens under the current political climate.
The outburst, by the small right-wing fringe, and the commitment of congressional Republicans to not participate with Democrats in crafting future legislation this session in the wake the health care law passed this week are the best indicators we're still in dire need of a political change of direction.
There are generally three aspects to change as it relates to public policy. First, change invariably begins as the minority opinion.
Second change can only coexist with discomfort. The confidence fortified by being part of the status quo must give way if change is to occur.
The third as aspect to change requires that it not begin on Capitol Hill but it flows through arduous, frustrating, and unpredictable path forged by local communities.
There is a momentum, as indicated by last week's protest in Washington, for humane immigration policy methodically making its way to Congress that is not dominated by the hatred of Minute Men or Tea Baggers. It is a coalition that is as diverse as the nation, including what one might think to be a surprising group: African American pastors.
Last week, members of the African American Clergy United for Just Immigration Reform held a press conference at the Ron Dellums Federal Building in Oakland.
Under the leadership of Rev. Phillip Lawson and Servant B.K. Woodson these ministers are concerned with advocating for a policy that transcends the cacophony of sound bites. People for the American Way's African American Religious Affairs Committee are planing similar press conferences throughout the nation on April 5.
Though immigration is not perceived as their issue per se, the legacy of these African American pastors, descendants of a forced immigration policy, makes them sensitive to the exploitable nature of the current system.
They wish to move the discussion out of the cowardly quagmire that is more concerned with overt hatred of those on the margins than examining the complexity of the issue in its entirety.
Immigrants would not cross the border illegally if they were not being hired to work. Moreover, employers hire them not because they will do work that others will not do, but rather they are economically exploitable.
Why is the lion's share of the animosity seemingly focused more on those who are looking for work than those who exploit cheap labor?
The current broken immigration policy is hardly a reflection of America at its best. Who benefits by maintaining a policy that is more successful at dividing families? I thought the family represented the nucleus of stability in our society.
What the immigration reform efforts going forward are in need of is rational discourse. How do we distinguish from what may be legitimate concerns surrounding homeland security and families separated and economically exploited?
But it seems difficult to believe a judicious conversation can be had about immigration when a member of Congress yells at President Obama, "you lie," when the president, before a joint session, made it clear the health care reform will not cover those who enter the country against our permission.
If the current climate has many of those on Capitol Hill risk adverse to immigration reform as Sen. Graham claims, the discomforting change at the grass roots is where they can regain the requisite courage to do the people's business.
We must have an immigration policy that is fair and upholds the best of American values.
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of "Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War." E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or visit his Web site: byronspeaks.com
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Peace and love.
It is also the supporters of illegals who scream the loudest when ICE and the FAA do their jobs. It also jeopardizes the flying public as well. I hope you get to fly on a plane worked on by illegals. It should be an interesting flight eventually, but you can console yourself as you plunge to your death that you are helping a poor illegal get wages to help his family out.
When the illegals supporters start to call them illegals as was done in years past by everybody, and don't try and state that ALL immigrants are the same, THEN this dose of honesty may give the majority a sense that they will support enforcing the laws, and securing the border.
I can tell you that as a long time liberal Democrat, there are more liberals who think like me than those who are for amnesty and reform. That is because we are rational people and don't need to lie about things and use bogus terms and reasoning.
The reason the black ministers support the employers in this call is that they get a lot of money from those people. They can care less about thoes folks who don't go to their church and contribute money. It is the black, brown, and poorly educated white Americans who are the real victims here and it is their wages which get driven down.
So instead of giving ILLEGALS amnesty let's HEAVILY fine those who hire ILLEGALS. The jobs for them would dry up and they would self-deport. This would free up jobs and BILLIONS of tax dollars for CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants.
The People would agree to amnesty for those here illegally and the Government would agree to enforce laws against employing illegal immigrants.
After the law passed, the Government turned around fought every enforcement measure to completely eliminate employer sanctions. And they know where they work and who employs them, they each a letter every year. See No Match Notices link below. So after we legalized 3 million, 15 million more rushed in. If we legalize 15 million, 75 million more?
So lets finish implementing our current Immigration Reform (Simpson-Mazzoli) and enforce “no-match” letters and require E-Verify for a while and be fair.
The Government needs to show some good faith and keep their promises from Simpson-Mazzoli act. Enforce our current law for a while before you ask the American people to once again trust you when you say your willing to actually do any of the enforcement that will be part of any new Immigration Reform.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Verify
http://www.ssa.gov/employer/noMatchNotices.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986
I am against these pastors and immigration reform. I am black and I vote.
Second, I think there is a basic hypocrisy that must be overcome before anything serious can be done. And that is about money. While a majority of us bemoan the presence of illegal immigrants, whatever our differences regarding a solution to that (kick them all out vs. give them a way towards citizenship), very few will honestly face the prospect of resultant higher costs without them to do such things as crop-picking, construction, landscaping, day-labor, etc. Many will blame employers, but will those same people be willing to pay twice as much to have their roofs reshingled? Pay a higher price for peaches? Facing up to this basic split mentality is one of the most difficult aspects of any meaningful change.
When the hurricane blew down a tree on my house, I had enough money to hire ONLY American workers to do the job. I told the contractors I would not hire them if they had any illegals in their work force. They complied.