Democrats Reach Out to Hispanics on Immigration Bill
By JULIA PRESTON
Democrats’ decision to put forward legislation that would grant legal status to some students who are illegal immigrants is meant to bolster support among an important voter group going into the midterms and beyond: Hispanics, the largest minority in the country.
On Tuesday, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, announced that he would attach an amendment to a military spending bill with a proposal to open a path to legal status for students who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents when they were children.
On Wednesday, Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey who is also the Senate’s only Latino member, said he planned to offer his own version of broader legislation to repair the immigration system and grant legal status to an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.
For months, the White House and the Democrats have been parrying accusations from immigrant advocates that they were dragging their feet on immigration reform. But on Wednesday evening, President Obama went on the offensive against the Republicans, speaking at the awards dinner of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
“Don’t forget who is standing with you and who is standing against you,” Mr. Obama said, addressing his comments to “the Latino community across this country.”
He acknowledged that he had broken repeated pledges to pass the immigration overhaul.
“I know that many of you campaigned hard for me, and understandably you’re frustrated that we have not been able to move this over the finish line yet,” Mr. Obama said. But he blamed Republicans for the stall, and issued a plea for Latino voters to turn out in November.
“Don’t ever believe that this election coming up doesn’t matter,” Mr. Obama said.
Senator Reid’s announcement fell like a lightning bolt on immigrant student groups across the country, which have been in high gear all year demanding that the Democrats move separately on the bill tailored to benefit them, known by its supporters as the Dream Act. In the first major test of their ability to mobilize, on Thursday they began a campaign of protests across the country and telephone calls to lawmakers.
As of today, the bill’s chances of passage are considered slim, with Republicans saying they object to appending an immigration measure to the military spending bill. But Congressional aides said Democrats are betting that even if the legislation fails, they can still reap credit for trying from Latino voters in November.
There is general agreement in Washington that any bigger immigration overhaul is dead for this year, if not longer.
Nowhere is Latino turnout more vital to the Democrats’ prospects than in the race that Senator Reid is facing in Nevada against Sharron Angle, a Republican who rode to the nomination with Tea Party support. Mr. Reid’s popularity has been sinking, with his state hit by the collapse of construction employment and one of the highest housing foreclosure rates in the country. Despite a lackluster early campaign by Ms. Angle, polls show the race is tight.
Latinos are now one-quarter of Nevada’s population and nearly 12 percent of voters, according to the Immigration Policy Center, a research group in Washington. Their strong turnout in 2008 swung the state for Mr. Obama. While Ms. Angle has not focused on Latinos, Senator Reid has been running Spanish-language ads and attending rallies, declaring his commitment to the immigration overhaul.
With the student bill, Democrats are confronting Republicans on an immigration measure that has long enjoyed wider support than a broader overhaul. Many illegal immigrant students who would benefit have outstanding academic records and want to become legal so they can go to college or enlist in the military. The bill would legalize illegal immigrants after they attend college or do military service for at least two years.
Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and a sponsor of the bill, said Thursday on the floor that it made sense to attach it to the military measure because the Pentagon had long supported it.
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, argued against including it in the military , though he has voted for the student bill in the past. Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, said he would not consider any legalization measures until the Southwest border was more secure.
The first showdown on the student bill will come in a procedural vote on Tuesday. Whatever the outcome, the Democrats have seen some political gain. The effort brought new unity for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the immigrants’ rights movement and leaders of the immigrant students, who have not always agreed on whether to push for the student bill as a separate measure.
The vote gives the student movement a chance to show its muscle. Unlike other illegal immigrants, the students have become increasingly willing to protest publicly despite the risks.
“Our people will remember in November,” said Carlos Saavedra, a Latino leader of the immigrant student movement. “They will be ready to reward or to punish.”
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CALIFORNIANS SAY NO TO BEING MEXICO’S WELFARE AND JOBS PLAN! BOXER, FEINSTEIN, WAXMAN, PELOSI, LOFGREN SAY AMNESTY = MORE ILLEGALS AND DEPRESSED WAGES FOR THEIR CORPORATE PAYMASTERS!
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AN INITIATIVE TO HELP CALIFORNIA'S
BUDGET DEFICIT CRISIS:
CALIFORNIA TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT
BORDER CONTROL BY STOPPING THE MAGNETS
The initiative requires illegal alien mothers to apply in person for a certificate designated for Foreign Parent, pay an additional fee, submit official government issued identification with photograph and fingerprint, all of which is transmitted to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
ENDS illegal aliens use of all public funded benefits including pre-natal and non-emergency medical care. California is one of thirteen states with this taxpayer expense. In 1987, California had a teenage birth rate below the national average. Pre-natal commenced for illegal aliens in 1988. Four years later the teenage birth rate was twice the national average and the highest of any state. If you understand the multitude of long term problems that are transferred from one generation to the next which are caused by teenage births, you will support this initiative.
TERMINATES all child welfare checks that are now direct deposited into illegal aliens
bank accounts for the anchor babies. Many of these checks become remittances that are
sent out of the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the state
can require lawful presence of all applicants to prevent state block grant funds from going to illegal aliens.
The California Legislature allows issuance of child welfare to illegal aliens for 18 years.
Citizens can only receive the benefit for five years. Between 1988-1995 this welfare program quadrupled and continues to spiral out of control. In spite of the budget deficits the Legislature refuses to end this welfare magnet.
Public benefits to be issued to only those who are citizens, or qualifed aliens with signed affidavits verified for lawful status.
With your support to Taxpayer Revolution we can launch the legal movement to end birth tourism caused by the unconstitutional policy of automatic U.S. citizenship.
If "birth tourism," and all other welfare paid to illegal aliens had been stopped 20 years ago there would not be a state budget deficit today that is close to $42 billion dollars.
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