Obama risks alienating Latinos with lack of immigration reform

Beyonder · 03-05-2010, 08:18 AM

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I have known Barack Obama since 1986, when we were both community organizers. I am still organizing on the streets of Chicago, and what I see in the Latino community makes me fear that the president is oblivious to the pain wrought by our broken immigration system. It could have a profound effect on the 2010 and 2012 elections.

It didn't have to be this way. For a brief moment last year it appeared that Obama might realign the modern political map, cementing the Latino vote into the Democratic coalition by speaking plainly to the American people on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Instead, he squandered a political gift handed to him by the Republican Party's nativist wing -- and its anti-immigrant rhetoric -- during the 2008 campaign. Candidate Obama promised to make immigration reform a priority during his first year in office, and the Latino vote surged to 10 million, from 7.8 million in 2004, and swung eight percentage points toward the Democrats.

Latinos gave 59 percent of their vote to John Kerry in 2004 but gave Obama 67 percent in 2008. The immigrant Latino vote expanded from 52 percent for Kerry to 75 percent for Obama, enough to deliver Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida -- and arguably North Carolina, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

But since taking office Obama has pursued a policy of increased deportations. The president's tin ear for Latino passion on this issue was clear to us in Chicago during his short tenure as our U.S. senator.

After he went into politics, Obama and I worked collegially on issues as diverse as health care for working families to citizenship for new Americans. But we last talked in September 2006, after I publicly criticized his vote as our new U.S. senator in favor of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Obama was shocked at the visceral anger the fence vote caused among his closest Latino allies. At a meeting for damage control, Carmen Velásquez, founder of the Alivio Medical Center for the uninsured and the closest thing to the patron saint of the Mexican American poor, refused to shake his hand. Obama apologized for not understanding the intensity of their feelings -- but clinically explained that the vote was necessary to restore public confidence in immigration enforcement.

Yet Obama did not prioritize the issue last year. To permanently affix the growing Latino vote to the Democratic coalition, he needed to call consistently for Congress to pass immigration reform. Instead, the issue got a brief mention near the end of his State of the Union speech, and Democrats are getting cold feet ahead of the midterm elections.

In its first year, the Obama administration was on track to deport some 400,000 immigrants -- far more than during George W. Bush's last year in office. On the anniversary of Obama's inauguration, Hoy, the Spanish-language newspaper in Chicago, ran a full-page picture of the president on its cover under the headline "Promesa Por Cumplir" ("Unkept Promise"). The sense of betrayal among Latinos -- especially immigrants -- is palpable, just as it was after Obama's 2006 vote on the border fence.

As president, Obama has followed the cerebral strategy that increased enforcement will win support for immigration reform. But if there is no serious progress on the issue, many disillusioned Latinos will stay home in November. Others will decide that because Democrats can't deliver on immigration reform, they might as well vote Republican on the values issues. Depressed Latino turnout in Illinois may well cost the Democrats the Senate seat that Obama once held.

And if the Democrats are cowardly on immigration when they have large majorities in the House and Senate, how will they feel after taking some losses in November? What will Obama's 2012 campaign promise to Latinos be? "Trust me on immigration reform. This time I really mean it"? He might as well say adios to those electoral college votes.

Obama must lead the charge for immigration reform by telling Americans the truth: that tough, fair and compassionate immigration reform is necessary for America's economy and national security, and not just for Latino voters. He must also, somehow, convince Latinos that he really does feel their pain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030404037.html

Sonawabich · 03-05-2010, 05:39 PM

Thanks for this.

dreamberry · 03-05-2010, 07:05 PM

Interesting article. I read an article a few months back where it gave statistics on the increase of deportations since Obama took office and recently read another which had more statistics claiming a reduction of illegal immigration into the United States.

Years back when the immigration debate occured, many opposed the proposals that would allow undocumented individuals to become legal because the border was not as secure as it is today and immigrants kept coming at a fast pace, illegally.

Sacrifices have been made and I truly hope it pays off.

ECL23 · 03-05-2010, 10:06 PM

Well, another accountability for the reduction of undocumented immigrants is due to our economic downfall. If Americans are having a hard time finding a job, imagine how hard it is for someone who isn't authorized to work!

Not only that, but it has become very difficult to live a "normal" life for immigrants after 9/11 occurred. It is as if every foot-step has a stamp saying let me see your ID, or most importantly what is your SS#? It has been extremely hard since most things that used to be accessible isn't anymore. (I think people here know what I mean).

dreamberry · 03-05-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ECL23

Well, another accountability for the reduction of undocumented immigrants is due to our economic downfall. If Americans are having a hard time finding a job, imagine how hard it is for someone who isn't authorized to work!

Not only that, but it has become very difficult to live a "normal" life for immigrants after 9/11 occurred. It is as if every foot-step has a stamp saying let me see your ID, or most importantly what is your SS#? It has been extremely hard since most things that used to be accessible isn't anymore. (I think people here know what I mean).

Very true. I don't doubt it. At least the statistics could be used in our favor.

Eddy117 · 03-06-2010, 02:17 AM

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Originally Posted by dreamberry

Sacrifices have been made and I truly hope it pays off.

It doesn't matter how many are deported or how many don't cross the border; The far right is dominating the GOP and is pushing the Dems into a state of shock. The American voter as a whole is not as bright as we give him/her credit. If their true opposition to immigration is their view on lack of enforcement, it doesn't really matter because someone like Palin, Limbaugh, Bachmann or O'reilly will simply say otherwise and the sheep shall take it without question. So all of these immigration raids and deportations have been sacrifices made in vain.

dreamberry · 03-06-2010, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddy117

It doesn't matter how many are deported or how many don't cross the border; The far right is dominating the GOP and is pushing the Dems into a state of shock. The American voter as a whole is not as bright as we give him/her credit. If their true opposition to immigration is their view on lack of enforcement, it doesn't really matter because someone like Palin, Limbaugh, Bachmann or O'reilly will simply say otherwise and the sheep shall take it without question. So all of these immigration raids and deportations have been sacrifices made in vain.

Lets not think that way. Lets hope all these deportations and discentives the country offers can be viewed as a change that can help an immigration reform in the future. Nancy Pelosi has already been using recently released statistics to convince the American people that steps have been made to enforce the border.

Eddy117 · 03-06-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamberry

Lets not think that way. Lets hope all these deportations and discentives the country offers can be viewed as a change that can help an immigration reform in the future. Nancy Pelosi has already been using recently released statistics to convince the American people that steps have been made to enforce the border.

That would be true if you can honestly tell me that the most vocal opponents of immigration were at all reasonable. Even when congress voted to built a fence on the border and the national guard was on the border helping the Border patrol-even when the numbers showed decreased entry, those people were screaming bloody murder when it came to immigration reform calling it amnesty and an affront to American sovereignty. These people are the face and voice of the opposition of comprehensive immigration reform and cannot be swayed by facts and numbers. So forgive me if i have a negative outlook on the situation because that's how the political climate has been for the last decade in regards to immigration. While the majority agrees to immigration reform the vocal minority on the right has the reigns of the GOP.

Believe me, I need immigration reform to pass, I've been waiting since elementary school for something to happen yet it hasn't because it's never been politically feasible so I'm rooting for it...but i won't be have false optimism.

dreamberry · 03-06-2010, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddy117

That would be true if you can honestly tell me that the most vocal opponents of immigration were at all reasonable. Even when congress voted to built a fence on the border and the national guard was on the border helping the Border patrol-even when the numbers showed decreased entry, those people were screaming bloody murder when it came to immigration reform calling it amnesty and an affront to American sovereignty. These people are the face and voice of the opposition of comprehensive immigration reform and cannot be swayed by facts and numbers. So forgive me if i have a negative outlook on the situation because that's how the political climate has been for the last decade in regards to immigration. While the majority agrees to immigration reform the vocal minority on the right has the reigns of the GOP.

Believe me, I need immigration reform to pass, I've been waiting since elementary school for something to happen yet it hasn't because it's never been politically feasible so I'm rooting for it...but i won't be have false optimism.

I agree, the most vocal opponents to immigration reform won't favor rewarding undocumented individuals at any cost, but there are some that can be swayed into favoring an immigration reform based on the statistics. One vote can make a difference. We need to use everything we got to our advantage. If polls and statistics give us positive results, lets use them, as we have so already. Sometimes false optimism gives people hope and encourages them to do things that they wouldn't have done without it. Its not completely bogus, as it can be used for positive outcomes.

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Obama risks alienating Latinos with lack of immigration reform