Mooers Immigration » Politics

GOP’s Hispanic Outreach Stalls

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 13:47:43 +0000

Jordan Fabian, ABC News

“It’s been almost a year since Mitt Romney lost seven in ten Hispanic voters to President Obama, sparking Republicans to try and improve the party’s poor reputation with Hispanics. Yet, the GOP has little to show that its “re-brand” is working.”

Full Story

Senate Rejects STEM Bill

Mooers Immigration — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:42:22 +0000

The failure of the House of Representatives bill that purported to help graduates of US universities in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math) demonstrates yet again that immigration posturing — not immigration solutions — continues to dominate Congress. The bill passed the House on party lines and contained landmines that House Republicans knew would be rejected by Democrats in the Senate.

Hopefully, when the new Congress is sworn in in January, leaders on both sides will roll up their sleeves in a determined effort to craft a comprehensive approach to America’s immigration mess.

A Focus on Young Immigrants

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:27:20 +0000

Yesterday’s Washington Post featured two interesting articles about young immigrants. The first explores the unexpected decrease in the number of DACA applications, a number that was originally expected to increase with President Obama’s victory. The second article discusses a new version of the Dream Act introduced by Republican Senators John McCain, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Jon Kyl.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/among-young-immigrants-applications-for-deportation-relief-have-slowed/2012/11/27/fdd2e7e6-3425-11e2-bfd5-e202b6d7b501_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senators-introduce-gop-alternative-to-immigration-dream-act/2012/11/27/34428b0a-38b4-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html

Immigration and the Election

Mooers Immigration — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:37:55 +0000

Immigration reform is one of the hot topics surrounding the upcoming election. So exactly where do Romney and Obama stand on immigration, and what do they each plan to do to fix our broken system? Check out the following articles for information on their respective plans.

Romney: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/06/22/mitt-romneys-immigration-plan-the-full-text/

Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy

STEM Visas

Mooers Immigration — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:30:01 +0000

The end of the Congressional session saw a flurry of activity surrounding the current backlog of long-delayed Green Cards for Indian and Chinese nationals who have been working in the US for years, primarily in the IT industry. Neither the Democrats’ nor the Republicans’ competing bills to increase the number of visas available to foreign STEM graduates gets at the heart of the problem, namely the fact that Congress is ill-equipped to respond in any kind of timely fashion to America’s changing economy. The Republican solution comes at the expense of the diversity visa lottery, while the Democrats claim new Green Cards should be allocated for advanced degree graduates of US institutions and should not impact the availability of visas under the diversity lottery. Each side feels the other’s approach is wrong-headed. However, they are both missing the point. What is most needed is a body of experts who can take Green Card issuance out of politics and develop target numbers that can go up and down depending on the needs of American industry and business.

Information about the bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) can be found here: http://www.gop.gov/bill/112/2/hr6429

Many Hesitant to Apply for Deferred Action

Mooers Immigration — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:50:18 +0000

The Department of Homeland Security announced last week that a small group of Deferred Action applications has been approved. Since the application process became available on August 15, approximately 72,000 applications have been submitted, a much smaller number than anticipated. With free clinics and workshops offering legal advice and application assistance, why have so few of the more than 1.7 million eligible applicants actually applied? While there are a number of potential reasons for the low application numbers, there seem to be two main issues causing potential DACA applicants to delay their applications:

1. The upcoming election

Should Mitt Romney become our next president, he has suggested that he will reverse the Deferred Action initiative. Uncertainty over what will then happen to the beneficiaries of Deferred Action, their families, and individuals who have submitted applications has deterred a number of potential applicants from applying.

2. Fear of divulging information

In applying for Deferred Action, individuals must provide information to the US Government, including personal information, information about their families, and any and all Social Security Numbers and identities used during their time in the US. Failing to provide this information or lying about it on application forms is considered fraud. USCIS has promised not to turn individuals over to ICE unless they pose a threat to national security, but they have yet to answer other questions, such as what will happen to individuals who admit to using fake identities or Social Security numbers.

With many questions still unanswered and many rules still undefined, many are hesitant to take advantage of Deferred Action. For those who are concerned, it may be advisable to wait to submit an application until USCIS has provided further clarification on the initiative’s grey areas.

Our Broken Immigration System

Mooers Immigration — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:10:48 +0000

The election has been over for a week, and the last contests have finally been decided. What the election holds for immigration law and policy is anyone’s guess at this point.

On this Veteran’s Day 2010, we give thanks to those who have served around the world to make our country and planet a better place. As we do so, we also pause to analyze where our country stands with those who have sacrificed by leaving their own countries to immigrate to the US in search of the American dream.

Here is several elements of our current broken immigration system:

a. Green Card lines for Master’s and Bachelor’s degreed professionals are measured in years, with the current wait for many of the most talented people six to ten years. This is on top of the approximately ten years they have already spent in the US studying and working. These are smart, talented people that no country can have enough of. Frustrated with the long lines, many have given up and returned home or immigrated to Europe or Canada where they will begin to help the economies in these areas grow and prosper.

b. Only 5,000 Green Cards are issued each year to the people who occupy unskilled positions. Since their family members count against this number, this means that only approximately 1,250 workers are let in each year to perform (legally) ALL of the unskilled work across America. With just over 3,300 counties in the US, this means that there is only one worker to fill every unfilled unskilled position for three counties.

Think about it – in the Washington Metropolitan area alone this means that all of the unskilled work of Fairfax County, Washington, DC and Montgomery County should be left to one person. Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties would also have to share one legal worker among them. In New York/New Jersey, one worker would have to do all the jobs located in Westchester County, New York City and Union County.

Three workers to fill all the jobs in nine of the most populated jurisdictions in the world. Our system is indeed broken.

c. Family members (sons, daughters and spouses) of permanent residents are separated by months and years of waiting in lines caused by insufficient quota numbers.

d. States are feeling even more empowered to pass anti-immigration legislation. Throughout the US, we are already witnessing a sharp increase in the number of “Arizona”-type legislation filed in State Legislatures. We can expect to see tighter restrictions and increased local enforcement of Federal law. The responsibility of “good Americans” to fear foreigners will be the rallying cry of the anti-immigrant forces set to take over many State capitals in December and January.

The anti-immigrant groups’ goal of “attrition” continues through the combination of a bad economy and record deportations from increased enforcement under the Obama Administration. As the Obama Administration concludes 2010 with a second record year of deportations, the number of foreign nationals living in the US without lawful status continues its decline. In addition, with so many people out of work, there are fewer jobs that Americans are unwilling to take. This is likely to change when the economy returns to good health and better jobs return.

Political parties are missing the opportunity to lock up the bulk of the “immigrant vote” by refusing to take real action to pass immigration reform. The first major political party that gives more than lip-service to immigration reform will likely benefit for generations to come from grateful new citizens. Unfortunately, both parties have been driven by short-term fears of blow-back by a small but vocal band of anti-immigrant vigilantes. So long as the few control the will of those who represent the many, immigration reform will be just an unrealized dream.

Congress and the President have six weeks to enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We will know on Christmas Eve whether they were able to get anything done on this very important issue.

As always, let us know how you feel. Send a message to MI@mooers.net.

Don Mooers

Mooers Immigration

Lame Duck Session: Fight for Immigration Reform

Mooers Immigration — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:06:55 +0000

MI Blog

1 November 2010

With one day to go before the 2010 mid-term elections, the immigration debate continues to take a back seat to the issues of jobs and the economy. What was thought to be a major thorn for immigration reform supporters and an opportunity for immigration repressionists has turned instead into a dud.

While analysts will debate the hows and whys of this diminished role of immigration reform in national campaign debate, the issue now is what path to follow with the expected changes in the composition of Congress and the fact that the 2012 Presidential campaign will begin as soon as the final ballots have been counted for the 2010 election.

With the chances of immigration reform success in the next Congress bleak at best, the best opportunity for reform will come over the next seven weeks. The Lame Duck session – the special sitting of Congress between Election Day and the early-January swearing-in of the newly-elected Representatives – could be the answer to years of frustration over missed opportunities and dashed hopes for millions of individuals living in the shadows across America.

This cannot happen – this will not happen – on its own. Individuals and Americans across our country must focus and work harder than ever starting on Wednesday, November 3, if they hope to get Congress to move on this issue. Immigration reform is in everyone’s interest – Democrats, Republicans, native born, immigrants, businesses, churches, communities, schools, etc. – and the time is now to pass immigration reform.

Why is the Lame Duck session the best opportunity to pass immigration reform? There are at least four reasons:

1. It is difficult to turn a vote in the Lame Duck into a campaign issue. The next election will not be for two years (2012), and there will be many other votes and issues between now and November 2012 for the voters to focus their attention.

2. Many supporters of immigration reform are likely to be voted out of office on Tuesday. These Democratic Party lawmakers have nothing to lose and they should be more willing to vote for what is best for their country rather than have to vote for what is best for their reelection.

3. Both Democrats and Republicans need the immigrant vote – especially the Hispanic vote – for their long-term viability. Republicans are set to elect Hispanic candidates to major positions in Florida and New Mexico, and Democrats do not want to be left behind. Success for President Obama’s reelection, and the re-taking of the House, in 2012 could rest with the Hispanic vote. If the Democratic Congress does not pass immigration reform, Hispanics may feel that they will be better served by Republicans.

4. Democratic Party leaders, including the President, Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, promised to pass immigration reform. They missed their chance prior to the election, and the only opportunity left to them is the Lame Duck session.

The immigration reform package passed by Congress will likely not be full CIR bill that will take care of all issues. More likely it will be a combination of initiatives (DREAM Act, EB-5 expansion, additional immigrant visas for those in line for EB-2 and EB-3 adjustments, H-2B reform and other specific issues). It will also include language regarding border and internal immigration enforcement. This leaves the thorniest issues – the path to legalization for those out of status, and the future flow of immigrants – as the biggest question marks. Will Congress demonstrate the courage and intestinal fortitude to pass legislation that helps bring millions of deserving individuals out of the shadows and into the mainstream of society?

Get ready, folks. The time for immigration reform to pass Congress has FINALLY arrived.

Don Mooers
Mooers Immigration