Latinos expecting Obama to deliver on immigration promises

ian247 · 11-21-2008, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Latinos expecting Obama to deliver on immigration promises
By Susan Ferriss
[email protected]
Published: Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 | Page 12A

Barack Obama borrowed more from the immigrant labor movement than just a slogan.

Just as Latinos historically had marched for worker rights to the chants of "Yes, we can," ("Si, se puede"), they organized and stumped by the thousands this year to help elect Obama.

Although they initially leaned more toward Hillary Rodham Clinton, Latinos gave Obama 67 percent of their votes nationwide, increasing their turnout, delivering several key states and gaining clout in the Democratic Party.

They say they earned a seat at Obama's table and plan to remind him that he promised to revive and enact a proposal many favor: a comprehensive immigration overhaul, including a legalization program.

"I'm feeling positive about Obama. I believe him. That's why I worked for him during the election campaign, going to Nevada on weekends," said Raúl Cárdenas, a naturalized U.S. citizen who organizes janitors in Sacramento with Local 1877 of the Service Employees International Union.

Stoked by a surge in new citizens and voter registration drives, Nevada's Latino electorate leaped 87 percent from 2004 levels. With 76 percent of the state's Latino voters choosing Obama, they gave him a decisive edge in a state President George W. Bush won in 2004.

"It's hard to take on immigration in the middle of an economic crisis," said political analyst Bruce Cain, director of the University of California Washington Center. Obama might find he has to wrestle with divisions within his own party over immigration, especially in the House of Representatives.

On the other hand, Cain said, opportunity exists. Some within the Republican Party are urging their brethren to repair relations with Latinos, the fastest-growing voter demographic.

Meanwhile, for the Democrats, Cain added, "politically it would be a huge mistake not to do immigration reform in the first term, given the Latino support for Obama."

Latinos are helping Democrats gain in the red states of Texas and Arizona and have helped color California blue.

Latino rights groups and leaders of immigrant-rich unions, including Cárdenas', agree it seems counterintuitive to pursue major immigration policy changes during an economic crisis with rising unemployment. But they expect Obama to sell the overhaul as a plus for stability and economic recovery. He can build support, they say, with businesses and Republicans who favor the changes.

"I think it's a matter of timing, and how it all fits together," said Mike Garcia, Los Angeles-based president of SEIU Local 1877, part of a union movement that has made legalizing illegal immigrant workers a priority.

While Latinos and unions plan their strategy, groups that oppose their policy agenda are also weighing their options. Numbers USA, which wants a reduction in legal immigration, is already calling on Obama to oppose "amnesty," and searching for allies in the new Congress.

Cain said, "Obama knows this is a can of worms. And what we do know about Obama is he is a very deliberate person."

On Monday, after a meeting between Obama and Sen. John McCain, his defeated GOP rival, aides suggested immigration was an issue the two could work on together, given that McCain has a history of co-authoring comprehensive policy overhaul bills that included a program for undocumented workers to earn legal status; more workplace enforcement, and more visas for foreigners to legally fill proven labor shortages.

Sylvia Ruiz, SEIU Local 1877's state political director, said, "We don't expect immigration reform in the first 100 days." But she added: "We're building a movement to get the Congress and Obama back to this."

SEIU deployed Ruiz from her base in San Jose last July to New Mexico, where she campaigned for Obama, door to door, up to Election Day.

New Mexico narrowly went for Bush in 2004, but Ruiz feels her effort helped win over GOP voters and galvanize Latinos, who gave Obama another decisive edge with 69 percent of their votes.

SEIU is one of the nation's fastest-growing unions.

To elect Obama and Democrats, SEIU sent 3,000 of its own staff and local leaders to swing states, and an additional 100,000 members – nurses, janitors, caregivers – stumped in home states.

The union registered 227,000 new voters in California and swing states, an SEIU post-election report also shows. And now one of its top officials, executive vice president Eliseo Medina, has been appointed to Obama's transition team committee on immigration.

Medina, a Californian born in Mexico, served on Obama's Latino campaign advisory committee. He has lobbied for legalization and a new visa system for years, working closely in a coalition with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Garcia said SEIU will ask for some immediate changes on immigration policy that Obama can control.

Unions want a rollback on Homeland Security workplace raids President Bush began late in his presidency, after comprehensive policy changes, which Bush backed, failed.

Recent raids, unions complain, have mostly let employers off the hook and torn apart families who grew roots here while workplace enforcement was virtually nonexistent.

"We need to get control of our borders," Garcia said. "Obviously, to have 11 to 12 million undocumented workers is not a healthy thing, and not good for the economy. But we (unions) believe stabilizing the existing immigrant workforce is important."

SEIU's view, Garcia said, is that undocumented workers have generally filled shortages in the U.S. labor force and fueled economic growth. Unions like SEIU can better organize workers who are legal, he said.

A new administration might not start with a comprehensive package, Garcia said, but rather with pieces of legislation, such as the DREAM Act. That bill, which was also supported by McCain and other prominent Republican senators, would allow undocumented youths who have grown up here to earn legal status by attending college or serving in the military.

http://www.sacbee.com/501/story/1416648.html

NumbersUSA will try to sway people to adopt an anti-Amnesty stance...in the first 100 days, i think we should call a whole heck of a lot to ensure our voices outnumber those Anti's. It is encouraging to read these articles which suggest the piecemeal approach b/c our dream could be that much closer.

dado123 · 04:53 PM

Dreamact1982 was the pro-active member of DAP that maintained "thread calling stations", for lack of a better term, we are going to need ALL members of forum to be active during campaigns for Dream through "thread calling stations".

dreamerhippie · 08:50 PM

Erase / Rewind

dado123 · 11-22-2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamerhippie

i've got 1500 minutes.

when the time comes, someone gimme a list of ppl and i can guarantee you i will call as much as i can.

Thanks for your concerns.

lonely_dreamer · 11-22-2008, 09:21 PM

Latino voters helped Obama get elected. If he doesn't get anything done on immigration in the next four years, he will have a lot of explaining to do to the Latino community. Let's hope he keeps his promise.

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Latinos expecting Obama to deliver on immigration promises