Are Dems Willing to Lead Reforms?

WASHINGTON, D.C.--All eyes are on the Democrats now that they control both chambers of Congress: will they finally fix America's broken immigration system?

After criticizing the previous Republican majority for failing on immigration, Democrats have a real opportunity to put an end to the xenophobic politics of 2006 and improve the life of millions of America's immigrant families.

But so far, the Democratic message on immigration has been silence. They did not include immigration reform on their list of short-term priorities once they take office early next year and they have yet to indicate what action, if any, they will take on the issue.

This is unfortunate for at least two reasons. First, immigration was clearly one of the most relevant issues at play last November. Second, Democrats have made overtures to the President for bi-partisan action, and immigration is one issue where President Bush and Democratic leaders are not so far apart.

The so-called Sensenbrenner bill HR 4437 is dead, and voters saw the billion-dollar border fence as a joke rather than a real solution. Democrats must craft an immigration bill that conforms to progressive values as well as pragmatic realities. Incoming committee chairs -- Rep. John Conyers (Mich.) on Judiciary; Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Tex.) on the Immigration Subcommittee and Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.) on Homeland Security -- interestingly, all African Americans, are in a position to lead the nation in healing the racial division over immigration that their Republican predecessors had provoked and to enact immigration legislation that makes sense for immigrants, workers, business and for all Americans.

But for now, the Democratic leadership appears to be reading the political tea leaves, calculating how pursuing immigration reform would help them hold on to the House and Senate in 2008 and help them retake the White House.

In this regard, the results of the elections in Arizona are instructive. Immigrant-bashing proved to be a dud as a strategy for candidates -- anti-immigrant zealot Randy Graf lost by a wide margin to Democrat Gaby Giffords and anti-immigrant Republican incumbent J. D. Hayworth lost his re-election bid to challenger Harry Mitchell. But Arizona voters also voted overwhelmingly for a slate of four anti-immigrant ballot initiatives. What lessons should Democrats draw from these results?

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