Why Immigration Reform Now Isn't Such a Bad Idea

The New York Times is reporting that the White House intends to jump-start a new debate on immigration reform this year, a move in line with promises made by the president during the campaign season. Not surprisingly, there is some trepidation among Democrats as to whether an issue as thorny as immigration might distract from this year's debate on health care, energy and education.

There are, to be sure, some serious risks in addressing immigration reform during an economic crisis. If the White House fails to persuade the public that immigration reform would have a positive impact on the economy, the president faces presenting Republicans with their first winning issue of 2009. The battle cry from the right will undoubtedly be that Democrats are bringing millions of new workers into an economy short on jobs.

Still, now might be the perfect time to debate the issue.

Perhaps the single most important voting bloc in the country is Hispanic voters, who represent the fastest growing minority population in the country. Even Karl Rove recognized how critical this group would be to building a stable, winning coalition, and he pushed for the GOP to target Hispanic voters. But, as with most smart political strategies suggested to the GOP in the last few years, no one who mattered paid any attention.

Instead, Republicans let their nativism run wild, making vicious anti-immigrant proclamations a center piece of their primary campaign. In doing so, they caused what might end up being the most significant realignment in American politics since the south abandoned Lyndon Johnson's Democratic Party. In 2004, John Kerry won the national Hispanic vote, 53-44. In 2008, Obama took it 67-31. In a state like New Mexico, that meant a Democrat winning by 15 points instead of losing by one. It also meant sizable electoral swings in other southwest states, including Colorado and Nevada, and played a significant role in Obama's victory in Florida.

Hispanic voters are the key to Obama's re-election. They are the key to his successor's election. What better time to solidify their support?

The political climate is ripe for it. Obama has admitted that, yes, immigration reform can be a minefield, but what better time to drag Republicans over a few mines? The GOP appears committed to their strategy of opposing the president as unanimously as possible; when they oppose immigration reform, when they once again begin their paranoid berating of immigrants, when they once again feed the panicked xenophobia of their ever diminishing base, they might well succeed in making Hispanics a reliable Democratic voting bloc for a generation.

Obama won't even have to sign immigration reform into law to succeed. He'll simply have to sound reasonable, reach out to the Hispanic community, and let the Republican Party do the rest.

Comments

[wescal]

Anyhow supporting a liberal immigration policy in the midst of an economic depression is pure insanity. I suppose Mr. Loewe could give a tinker's damn for those of us working stiffs who as citizens cannot find work. Besides it is not about Republican minefields; it is about American citizens of either party who will call Congress and scream bloody murder if the Senate and House try to railroad another amnesty bill. I remember news reports of the email servers and the fax machines being deluged by anti-amnesty messages. So this was an angry reaction from a broad swath of citizens. BTW, Obama and his colleagues can call amnesty by whatever euphemism they want, but it always be thought of as amnesty. And it is not a matter of nativism, but more a matter of survival for American citizens. I can see that Mr. Loewe resides in California, and a larger amnestied constituency of illegal aliens could do much to further his career. His career means more to him than the livelihoods of Americans. I do not see him as patriotic.

[jonmonbuckeye]

McDonald's is hiring. So is Burger King and any number of fast food places, and it is . Sounds to me like you don't want to make temporary sacrifices to earn an income. Nobody says you have to do it forever, but as an employer I would be much more impressed seeing someone take "those" jobs even on a temporary basis. Why? Because it would show initiative, something Americans have lost in their quest for self-entitlement.

Let me state this so there is no misunderstanding- I would hire an illegal over a typical blue collar worker any day of the week.

Why? Because they show initiative. They take risks. They understand commitment. Unfortunately, that is one value that the middle class has lost...

[stonsetr]

They should revoke the employers’ business license for at least five years if not forever. Who are you suppose to blame if the “legislators” continue to protect these unscrupulous employers who hire illegal’s. Stop letting them hide behind the smoke screen of “how am I suppose to know their illegal, they gave me a social security number” or “ they gave me working documentation, there is no way to check” baloney!!!
While American workers are losing their jobs and collect unemployment, some are running out of unemployment, still needing to feed, cloth, educated their families, pay their bills and taxes. Yet illegal workers continue to work for a can of soup, ignoring labor laws, cutting the American worker off at the knees, exploiting illegal workers at the expense of the American worker. Make the employers pay them the fair wages and benefits American workers need to sustain the quality of life and American dream that this great country evolved from. Level the playing field. Then you’ll see how quick the culprit employers are to hire illegal. Talk about discrimination, the American worker is the one who is discriminated against.

[claylandg]

Part of the problem aren't you?? Of course you want to hire slave labor, low wages, no taxes on them ,no health ins on them, no workmans comp on them.

[hjo4]

You should be arrested prosecuted and placed in prison for violating the Federal immigration law against employing illegal aliens. Of course people like you like hiring them.Shame on you.

[LeftLeaner]

and I'm sure you'll pay their TAXES and HEALTH CARE - LOL!!!

[wescal]

It really doesn't matter whom I vote for. I think most sane people just apply pressure to whichever political party that will prevent bad laws from being passed. Sometimes it doesn't work. The Patriot Acts are a prime example. I don't oppose amnesty for illegals because I am a right wing reactionary, but because I oppose a world without borders and national sovereignty. To oppose illegal alien amnesty is to oppose neo-liberal trade policy. I don't oppose gun registration and gun bans because I am gun nut, but because I fear Homeland security, FEMA, and the Patriot Acts. A country that is without habeus corpus is a dangerous place to live, and it would be best to be armed if you have to deal with jackbooted goons. Does anybody remember the tyranny that took place in New Orleans in 2005?

[Inaru]

It appears you see the confiscation of guns as a greater evil than the thousands left to find food and water and shelter by themselves. Interesting. There were groups of white Americans shooting black Americans on sight, so confiscated guns was a problem for whom, exactly?

[SoylentGreenIsPeople]

How will it benefit the country?

[garlandk77]

Here's how it will benefit the country:
As Congressman Barney Frank of New York has pointed out, the political benefits of massive immigration outweight any of the costs. About 80 to 90% of new immigrant citizens vote Democratic. Hopefully, Obama's forthcoming immigration reforms will give amnesty to all current immigrants, create a welcoming open door to tens of millions of additional immigrants, and give them all a fast-track to citizenship. By flooding the nation with new immigrant Democratic voters, this will put the Republican Party out of business. We will finally achieve what every decent American longs for: permanent left-wing control of this country . Once Republicans are out of the picture, Democratic presidents will have a free hand to move this country swiftly down the same path to social and economic justice now being taken so heroically by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.

[ObamaIsAPuppet]

Um, the question was "How will it benefit the country?". Presumably we're talking about the USA not Mexico. Millions of Americans are being diplaced out of their jobs, or forced to work the same job with greatly reduced wages, because of the flood of illegal immigrants into this country. Sure, it may benefit them, but how does it benefit AMERICANS? The issue here is not one of racism or xenophobia - it's one of economic justice for the 300 million American taxpayers who have paid their dues and are being gutted by their own government. And wescal is absolutely correct about contemplating this in the midst of an economic depression is sheer insanity.

[nee]

Your first mistake was quoting Barney Frank - get real! So you want their votes? And you are willing to spend BILLIONS of tax payer money to do so. TYPICAL DEMOCRATE.

[hjo4]

There is no debate, we have the most liberal immigration policy in the world, we allow approx 3 million people to LEGALLY immigrate in this country annually .Anyone who choose to illegally enter America and make a life here deserves no consideration nor should they be rewarded with amnesty for violating our immigration laws no matter how long they "lived in the shadows". There is no justifying or explaining why we should give illegal aliens any consideration. We have existing laws concerning illegal immigration and those who employ them, before we reform anything how about enforcing the current immigration laws. Also let's not kid each other if President Obama granted amnesty to every illegal alien tonight, there would be 1 million more to take their place by years end. No ,enforce current law with vigor, anything short would be disappointing the majority of those who voted for President Obama and firmly believe in obey and respecting the law of this country.

[nee]

So true!

[Inaru]

Latino votes gave Obama the election. Latino volunteers organized to get those votes. Some of those volunteers were on the path for citizenship, some have family members who have no path to citizenship under the current laws. Those who could paid good money to apply, hire lawyers, take classes to become citizens to vote for Obama. Every time you call men, women and children "aliens", xenophobia is all we hear. Would you like to see what happens in 2012 without a single Latino and African and Arab and Asian vote for Obama?

[hjo4]

So they would vote against their own best interest because we're asking people to obey our laws. That's makes lots of sense doesn't it. Furthermore why are equating illegal aliens with Latinos isn't that racist. That's like equating all Blacks (which I am one) to all crime in America. We have an immigration system in place that appears to work fine for those who use it, why can't those who chose to enter illegally enter thru normal channels as all others who immigrate here do. They're making themselves victims, the last thing America needs is another lower class of self-proclaimed victims. The best and only solution is to enforce current immigration laws and secure both borders.

[Pleneras]

Which hispanic community?

[dhinds]

The vast majority are of Mexican origen.

[Pleneras]

Thank you. Then politicians, pundits and bloggers should have the guts to call them out if they have a beet and stop hiding behind the term hispanic. We are not monolithic, nor should all of us be placed in the same disapora.

[jweider]

"Perhaps the single most important voting bloc in the country is Hispanic voters, who represent the fastest growing minority population in the country."
That's because the make up a large portion of Illegal aliens. Which is all the more reson to force them to leave.

[NOOTPOSTSFORISREAL]

Most illegal aliens do not vote.

[Inaru]

No one who is not a citizen can vote, or they are banned from getting citizenship forever. Fact. And no one born on this planet is an alien.

[Kassandra]

People act like the only immigrants are the illegal ones. The USA already welcomes many hundreds of thousands who come in the legal way.
I wonder if this move is to time it so the corporations have cheap labor when the new "stimulus jobs" are handed out. Sure is convenient timing, you gotta admit. I'm suspicious­...

Get rid of "Free Trade" and we won't have as many hungry people coming up here. Beleive me, the legal
Hispanic citizens who are here are not happy with illegals taking THEIR jobs. And it's not just Hispanics, we're taking folks from India, china and wherever.
It's a mess, I don't have the answers, but the timing is creeping me out.

[Rule Of Law]

When the banks have taken all our money and the Depression is allowed to unfold as planned, the corporations will begin rebuilding their factories here in the US. The millions of out of work and illegal people will be treated just as they were during the 30's before unions and workers rights. And this time Obama will have the power of the Military and the Patriot act to round up anyone who tries to start a workers movement.

PORTLAND, OREGON:
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/navy_sealsinvade_090708w/

http://mediamonarchy.blogspot.com/2008/08/black-helicopters-over-portland-for-dod.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ustYHPPOMv4
----------
DES MOINES:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/news10/902240390
------------------
TOLEDO:
http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news32.htm
-------------------
DENVER:
http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=881
-------------------
INDIANAPOLIS:
http://www.dailynewscaster.com/2008/06/03/marines-to-begin-martiallaw-training-in-indianapolis/

[jweider]

Actually, it's probably timed to coincide with getting the illegals counted in the census next year to skew the congressional redistricting.

[unitron]

Perhaps it's timed to get done this year instead of next year, because next year is an election year.

[rf-hawaii]

Immigration is not a problem. Too much immigration is.

Out of control population growth will ultimately destroy our way of life.

[Kassandra]

That and the climate change we are ignoring. I'd rather see THAT issue addressed vigorously before it's too late; then none of us will be OK.

[Pleneras]

That's why Cities In The Sea will be the solution in the future, and only when the Republicans never regain power:

http://thevenusproject.com/techCitySea.php

"Until the last few decades, the monetary system functioned to a degree. The global population of three billion was not over consuming world resources and energy, global warming was not evident, and air and water pollution were only recognized by a relative few. The start of the 21st century however finds global population at an exponentially rising six billion, with resources and energy supplies dwindling, global warming a reality, and pollution evident worldwide. Planet earth is in crises and the majority of world population cannot meet their basic needs because people do not have the means to purchase increasingly expensive resources. Money is now the determinant of people’s standard of living rather than the availability of resources.

In a monetary system purchasing power is not related to our capacity to produce goods and services. For example, in a recession there are CD’s in store windows and automobiles in car lots, but many people do not have the purchasing power to buy them. The earth is still the same place; it is just the rules of the game that are obsolete and create strife, deprivation, and unnecessary human suffering.­"

[Kassandra]

We won't have cities in the sea either, not with all our garbage being thrown in there now. It's a s poisoned as the rest of our land is.

Continent-size toxic stew of plastic trash fouling swath of Pacific Ocean
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL&hw=pacific+patch&sn=001&sc=1000

[moonrat]

I am a liberal on most issues but get hot over our immigration quotas. The bleeding heart liberals, the hand-wringing churches and the greedy CEO’s all have different reason for importing even more immigrants. But let’s show some humanity here at home. Our own are now desperate in need of help. Millions here in the USA are broke and in need of a job and affordable housing. We need to put the “NO VACANCY” sign at all airports, docks and borders. Do legal Mexicans really want to flood this country with millions more people just to duplicate the conditions that they fled from. If they want crowded and unemployment why not just go back to Mexico. I sure don’t want millions of Northern Europeans coming over here. The land between the sea to shinning sea is no longer MT, every acre of it is being used to support the population that is already here. Whether it is for farming, grazing, watershed, infrastructure or recreation the USA is already under stress

[Minotaurus]

There are also the immigrants that are waiting for over 8 years to become US citizens and have been abandoned by the Bush Republicans on the fear that they would vote for the Democrats.­..We are waiting to vote for the Democrats if they make us US citizens..­.We pay taxes and work here too...Many of us have applied for the US citizenship 5-10 years ago and we are still waiting to get the US citizenship!

[Rule Of Law]

Illegal Hispanic immigrants are to the Democratic Party of the 21st century, what the Black Man was to the Democratic party of the 20th century.

A political pawn. A power bloc to be catered to when election time rolls around and ignored the rest of the time. A new minority to treat like children, rob of their dignity, hold down in ghettos, and use as tools in the slave wage he//s they will be forced to work in.

No one. No one should be treated that way. Apologists for open borders, amnesty, or any other politically correct solution that fails to recognize the criminality of this system need to look at their own souls. Since the Industrial Revolution this system has been with us. When the first Eastern Europeans were shipped over like cattle to work in soul destroying factories and foundries and make the owners like Rockefeller, Carnegie, DuPont all wealthier than god, it was planned to use them like animals and discard them when they were used up. This is not anything new. Just a different group.

But it is immoral, degrading, and inhumane. Worse, these people are poisoned with the false notion that they might actually rise up out of their misery. One or two might even make it. But the price for generations trapped in the system is just too high. Show some humanity. Force these other countries to improve the lives of their own people so that they realize their dreams of remaining there.

[Inaru]

Such intelligence wasted. Why not force the elites and wanna-be's here to stop sucking up 80% of the world's resources instead? If you won't fight them here, who will you send to "force" other countries to be fair? Your kids? Think about it. If you worked half as hard to take down the corporations rooted here, backed by the mightiest military in the world, as on pushing to get "immigrants" - Latinos, btw, are almost all part First Americans, it is the American continent, after all - out, you might actually solve the problem for everyone. Astonishing how the most politically powerful citizens act the most helpless.

[Rule Of Law]

See my post above about the military industrial complex's complicity in this, as well as the destructive force of NAFTA and the elites who pushed for it.

And while everyone is busy trying to racialize the debate to suit their own argument needs, let's remember that the debate over "who was here first," is one of the weakest. Those who say it belonged to Mexico forget the native Americans. Those who say it belonged to the Native Americans forget that The Navajo and the Hopi could barely live side by side, never mind the other more warlike societies of the Plains.

Land ownership and usage has always been about who had it last. That's just the way it is. What became of the Roman, Greek, or Turkish empires? That is why we have borders today. I am opposed to Illegal Immigration no matter what country or nationality is involved. Period. Look at our history regarding Black people, most of whom can trace their families in America back before any of us! They were kept as virtual pets of the politicians. And they suffered from that just as much as they did under slavery. I see no reason to repeat that experience with another group no matter where they are from.

[randyjet]

From all the comments I have seen, it is obvious that most Democrats are against illegal immigration by an overwhelming majority. I worked for, gave money, and voted for Obama and have been a liberal most of my life. It is now high time that WE progressives get together and start making some noise in the Democratic Party against the right wing nationalists who want to keep down the average worker. They are more concerned about "their" people than the American people. We have to retake the high ground and point out that THEY are the racists who consider an ethnic group MORE important than their fellow citizens. I am of German descent, and I sure as hell don't consider a German to have a right to be an American citizen because he got into the USA illegally. Any black, brown, white American is MORE important to me that a German immigrant.

[CherrySpring]

Cosigned. Democrats, liberals, progressives American citizens that have voted for Dem/Lib/Pr­ogressives really need to send a message to congress and the White House at this point that we do not stand by amnesty for illegal immigrants. It's time to get the jobs taken by illegals back into the hands of US citizens (yes, we will work them, we did it in the past, we will do it again) for FAIR wages. It's also time to send illegal immigrants back to their country so they can come back the LEGAL way if they want. Give amnesty to people who have NO respect for our country? I think not.

[jonmonbuckeye]

I have no respect for this country. And I am a citizen. I am STILL waiting for Rush and Glenn Beck to fulfill their promise- They will pay 5 million to any legal citizen who doesn't want to live here anymore. All they have to do is renounce their citizenship. I told them I would do that in a heartbeat. Still waiting for them to deliver...­.

[Inaru]

Respect? Hello, wake up. Swing states: FL, NV, CO, NM, Latino voters sealed it. States most consistently Democratic? CA and NY, also with the largest number of immigrants. If there had been respect, this would be a Native American continent still, not a European-American one. It took genocide to make that change, nothing legal about it, except that genocide was legal according to the ones with the most lethal weapons.

[tony7914]

So what office are you running for mate? lol!
I hate to tell you this but there is a very large bipartisan group of people including moderates and "progressives" who are against illegal immigration, millions and millions of people who's families have worked, lived, and died here for generations, what is it you think your going to "take" from them? It's not "right wing nationalists" you need to worry about or even the extreme left, it's the little guy in every city and town who believe that justice and the rule of law mean something they are the ones that you have to worry about. it's not an issue of "their" people because the folks who are fighting this are the "American people"
You bring race up in your argument, I've seen this allot in people who cannot debate their point of view, it's a comment designed to divide people and put people on the defensive as well as inflame emotions but it's a hollow argument because this issue has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the rule of law and our way of life.
You said you worked for Obama, what a shame, even though I didn't vote for him he deserves better.

[vivalamigra]

Will anyone guarantee that this will be the last amnesty?
Will anyone so "no" when 20 million more come across the border with the same demands and the same nonsense about "anti-immgrant groups" who are trying to "break up families"?
Will anyone guarantee that immigration laws will be enforced in the future?
Will anyone guarantee that these tens of millions of people will assimilate, learn our language, and not try to force their language and culture on us?
Will anyone care to explain how tens of millions of people coming here illegally, or overstaying visas does NOT constitute an invasion?
Can you name ONE other country on this planet that allows its borders and culture to be compromised this way?

[Pleneras]

If this country was run by the natives I could see the logic in your argument. This country is YOUNG, very young compared to Europe. This country had and still has a past before the Pilgrims and the English... it was the land of the people many stilllll consider Mexicans, even if their family have been here for generations. People migrate.. it's human nature... they will ALWAYS continue to migrate. Geography, politics, and the natural desire for man to seek when their land is distorted by outside interventi­on... they will move because the Earth belongs to mankind.

[D-Driller]

This country had no history before the founders of the nation, mainly English and Dutch settlers, started it. That is quite different than saying that this land was settled by others before our nation was settled. For example, the original inhabitants of the British Isles were Celts. However, the country we now know as England was settled by Germanic peoples, namely the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. I'm not arging the point you make that the land the US is now on was already settled, but I feel it is misleading to say that the US was 'already settled".

[NABNYC]

It would be nice if our side could at least be honest about what is being discussed.

When the Democrats say we need immigration "reform," they mean that they intend to allow all illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. and become citizens. Amnesty.

But that is not "reform," -- that's just a refusal to enforce the laws.

What is in the best interest of the citizens of the U.S.? Not to have our country flooded with cheap labor from other countries to compete for scarce jobs and drive down wages. That is what has happened during the Bush years. Illegal immigrants from Mexico were hired for much of the building boom, at $8/hour, while Americans who used to make $18-$25/hour were thrown out of work or forced to take retail jobs at $10/hour. $25 billion/year was sent home to Mexico by the illegal immigrants instead of being spent here to help our own economy. Tech, engineering, nursing jobs are routinely filled with hb1 visa immigrants from other countries who are paid much less than Americans.

The "reform" we need is to enforce the laws. Long-term residents should be allowed to apply for amnesty, but everyone else should be put on a bus and sent home.

It is not "progressive" to give away your neighbor's job to some poor person from another country. It's also not anyone's right to support a program that will increase unemployment among working citizens of this country.

[tony7914]

Well said!

[CherrySpring]

Good insight.

[FearlessFreep]

It isn't so much a refusal to enforce immigration law as an admission that the law can't be enforced.

[Pleneras]

So what do you think of past Amnesties? Where was the major protest? We are not NATIVES to this land. Kind of poor choice of argument to make when your not a native, legal or illegal. These countries border each other... People have been migrating for thousands of years as did your ancestors not too long ago before the drew the line right after he arrived.

[D-Driller]

I am a native American. My family has been here since nearly Revolutionary War times (when the country was formed). I'm a veteran, as have others in my family been. Please don't insult others by saying that we are not natives - we were born here, we have represented and defended this nation, and we call it home.

[momof3inGA]

Great Points all around! :o)

[research]

Require employers to look up potential workers id on the Immigration site,

If Immigration says they are permitted to work, they can hire them.

problem solved.

[tony7914]

That's called E-Verify it's a voluntary program for employers,this congress as well as the last have been trying to kill that program. Funding for E-Verify was included in the spending bill and other legislation but was striped out during reconciliation.

[research]

I guess congress get's a lot of contribution from employers who want to take advantage of the illegal status of poor folks.

Here's the E-Verify Site:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

[Mezcalero]

40% of all employers of illegals are private homeowners.

How would u deal with that?

[research]

Virtually all homeowners have internet. They can check it out.

[tony7914]

I think the better question would be, how would those home owners deal with that? Saving them a few bucks an hour doesn't justify letting someone break the laws to take jobs and benefits they are not entitled to.

[Ohioliberal]

Fines and legal penalties my friend