Apparently under pressure from immigration reform advocates who will march Sunday on the Capitol, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) published their blueprint for an immigration reform bill on Thursday and President Barack Obama quickly expressed his support for it.
Shortly before, in a little noticed bit of news, the initiative may have found a much-sought-after second GOP senator to support it. Despite widespread opposition among Republicans, Sen. Jon Cornyn (R.-Texas) said he was committed to finding “common ground” on the issue, according to a Spanish-language media outlet.
As expected, the Schumer-Graham plan has a stronger focus on enforcement of border security and hiring practices than the one introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D.-Ill.) in December.
In a op-ed in The Washington Post, the senators wrote:
Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.
Despite the public gestures, which may be followed Friday by additional announcements from the administration, according to an activist, doubts persist on Capitol Hill on the overhaul’s chances of passing this year. Graham himself warned that Republicans would not support it if Obama and the Democrats pass health care reform using a controversial parliamentary maneuver.
One of the key to-do’s emerging from last week’s meeting between Obama and the two senators was finding another Republican who would support the bill.
Earlier Thursday, Senator Cornyn told Spanish-language wire service Agencia EFE that he was committed to finding “common ground” towards a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“The problem is there’s no bill yet, there’s no written proposal. I want to see the proposal, see what’s in there… but it won’t happen without leadership from President Obama,” Cornyn said. (This is a re-translation of his remarks, which were reported in Spanish.)
Cornyn told EFE he has discussed the issue with Schumer and said he was ready to work to resolve their disagreements over the propsed bill.
The wire service interviewed Cornyn after he took part in a U.S.-Mexico legislative conference on border issues, during which he said that “the status quo (on immigration) is simply unacceptable
3.22.2010
3.19.2010
The right way to mend immigration
The Washington Post
By Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham
Friday, March 19, 2010
Our immigration system is badly broken. Although our borders have become far more secure in recent years, too many people seeking illegal entry get through. We have no way to track whether the millions who enter the United States on valid visas each year leave when they are supposed to. And employers are burdened by a complicated system for verifying workers' immigration status.
Last week we met with President Obama to discuss our draft framework for action on immigration. We expressed our belief that America's security and economic well-being depend on enacting sensible immigration policies.
The answer is simple: Americans overwhelmingly oppose illegal immigration and support legal immigration. Throughout our history, immigrants have contributed to making this country more vibrant and economically dynamic. Once it is clear that in 20 years our nation will not again confront the specter of another 11 million people coming here illegally, Americans will embrace more welcoming immigration policies.
Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.
By Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham
Friday, March 19, 2010
Our immigration system is badly broken. Although our borders have become far more secure in recent years, too many people seeking illegal entry get through. We have no way to track whether the millions who enter the United States on valid visas each year leave when they are supposed to. And employers are burdened by a complicated system for verifying workers' immigration status.
Last week we met with President Obama to discuss our draft framework for action on immigration. We expressed our belief that America's security and economic well-being depend on enacting sensible immigration policies.
The answer is simple: Americans overwhelmingly oppose illegal immigration and support legal immigration. Throughout our history, immigrants have contributed to making this country more vibrant and economically dynamic. Once it is clear that in 20 years our nation will not again confront the specter of another 11 million people coming here illegally, Americans will embrace more welcoming immigration policies.
Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.
3.08.2010
Immigration Reform: Change Takes Courage and Faith
Immigration Reform: Change Takes Courage and Faith
by Jim Wallis 03-04-2010
The window is closing on comprehensive immigration reform. At least that’s what the politicians in Washington are saying. They’re afraid of more demagoguery. They’re afraid of upcoming elections. They’re afraid of the politics of fear. But I am more and more troubled by how little they seem concerned about the worsening plight of many of America’s most vulnerable families — about how families are being broken up by the U.S. government, forcibly separating children from their parents. And for the media, immigration reform is just another looming political conflict to report, more of the gamesmanship of Washington to cover.
As always, the real stories of real people get lost in the win/lose politics of the nation’s capital. Yes, the nation is going through some tremendous challenges right now. And we all know that Congress is hesitant to tackle tough issues before mid-term elections. But while politicians can write off one more piece of legislation on a packed agenda, they won’t be able to write off, or ignore, a movement rooted in our faith communities. If our political leaders won’t make room for the “strangers” among us, we will — because Jesus commands us to do so.
Significant social change does not begin with Congress, and it doesn’t happen overnight; it usually takes a movement, and it always takes courage. Sojourners has been convening, educating, and mobilizing Christians nationwide through our Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform campaign for the past three years, and we are proud to be in good company with the growing interfaith movement fighting for dignity and justice for immigrants.
On March 21, 2010, tens of thousands of supporters of immigration reform will join together in Washington, D.C. for the “March for America: Change Takes Courage.” In the faith community, we have amended the tagline to read “Change Takes Courage and Faith” because courage truly does come from our faith.
Changes to our immigration system will simply not happen without both courage and faith. For many of us, faith is a catalyst to action that can solve the really big issues — and this is one of the biggest ones we face now. People of faith will look beyond the political calculations and see this for the moral and family crisis it is. It will take people of faith to knock down the doors of Congress and bring the stories of immigrant friends, neighbors, and family members as evidence of the injustices that are experienced on a daily basis. Finally, we need faith in a God who is larger than we can imagine, the God who cries as we humans build border walls to separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters on the other side, the God of justice who isn’t persuaded by the political timetables of Washington, D.C.
It’s time to stop playing politics with something that should have been dealt with long ago. The situation will only get worse for both citizens and immigrants if we don’t resolve it now. That’s why Sojourners is launching Voices of Immigration, a new campaign aimed at highlighting stories of immigration in our country and exposing the flaws in the current system. As people who believe that everyone is made in the image of God, we want to restore the human element to the conversation around immigration reform, including subsequent legislative and policy decisions. Each day next week a new story will be highlighted on God’s Politics with additional ones posted throughout March on CCIR’s Web site.
It is our hope that bringing to light the human face of the social, political, and economic problems caused by the current system will demonstrate the urgent need for immigration reform. I hope these stories will inspire you to join us in fighting to fix a broken system that harms us all. We must boldly declare that it is morally wrong to keep families apart, and that it is morally right to fix the broken system so that immigrants are treated with respect and mercy. At this crucial turning point, we must take the call of our scriptures seriously and act prophetically for justice. If Washington fails to make room for the strangers in our midst, we need to make it clear to Washington that we will do it ourselves.
by Jim Wallis 03-04-2010
The window is closing on comprehensive immigration reform. At least that’s what the politicians in Washington are saying. They’re afraid of more demagoguery. They’re afraid of upcoming elections. They’re afraid of the politics of fear. But I am more and more troubled by how little they seem concerned about the worsening plight of many of America’s most vulnerable families — about how families are being broken up by the U.S. government, forcibly separating children from their parents. And for the media, immigration reform is just another looming political conflict to report, more of the gamesmanship of Washington to cover.
As always, the real stories of real people get lost in the win/lose politics of the nation’s capital. Yes, the nation is going through some tremendous challenges right now. And we all know that Congress is hesitant to tackle tough issues before mid-term elections. But while politicians can write off one more piece of legislation on a packed agenda, they won’t be able to write off, or ignore, a movement rooted in our faith communities. If our political leaders won’t make room for the “strangers” among us, we will — because Jesus commands us to do so.
Significant social change does not begin with Congress, and it doesn’t happen overnight; it usually takes a movement, and it always takes courage. Sojourners has been convening, educating, and mobilizing Christians nationwide through our Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform campaign for the past three years, and we are proud to be in good company with the growing interfaith movement fighting for dignity and justice for immigrants.
On March 21, 2010, tens of thousands of supporters of immigration reform will join together in Washington, D.C. for the “March for America: Change Takes Courage.” In the faith community, we have amended the tagline to read “Change Takes Courage and Faith” because courage truly does come from our faith.
Changes to our immigration system will simply not happen without both courage and faith. For many of us, faith is a catalyst to action that can solve the really big issues — and this is one of the biggest ones we face now. People of faith will look beyond the political calculations and see this for the moral and family crisis it is. It will take people of faith to knock down the doors of Congress and bring the stories of immigrant friends, neighbors, and family members as evidence of the injustices that are experienced on a daily basis. Finally, we need faith in a God who is larger than we can imagine, the God who cries as we humans build border walls to separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters on the other side, the God of justice who isn’t persuaded by the political timetables of Washington, D.C.
It’s time to stop playing politics with something that should have been dealt with long ago. The situation will only get worse for both citizens and immigrants if we don’t resolve it now. That’s why Sojourners is launching Voices of Immigration, a new campaign aimed at highlighting stories of immigration in our country and exposing the flaws in the current system. As people who believe that everyone is made in the image of God, we want to restore the human element to the conversation around immigration reform, including subsequent legislative and policy decisions. Each day next week a new story will be highlighted on God’s Politics with additional ones posted throughout March on CCIR’s Web site.
It is our hope that bringing to light the human face of the social, political, and economic problems caused by the current system will demonstrate the urgent need for immigration reform. I hope these stories will inspire you to join us in fighting to fix a broken system that harms us all. We must boldly declare that it is morally wrong to keep families apart, and that it is morally right to fix the broken system so that immigrants are treated with respect and mercy. At this crucial turning point, we must take the call of our scriptures seriously and act prophetically for justice. If Washington fails to make room for the strangers in our midst, we need to make it clear to Washington that we will do it ourselves.
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