Congress & Immigration in '07 -- Reform or Punishment?

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congress should “have a serious, civil and conclusive debate--so that you can pass, and I can sign, comprehensive immigration reform into law,” declared President George W. Bush during his State of the Union address.

But what kind of “comprehensive” legislation does the president have in mind? If his touting of recent ICE immigration raids across the nation is any sign, the position he’s staking out could erode due process, civil and worker protections for immigrants, their families and their communities.

Bush’s “middle ground” calls for tougher enforcement at the border and in work places and a temporary worker program while including a legalization (not amnesty) program based on a substantial financial penalty, an English requirement, payment of taxes, background checks and employment for a number of years before eligibility for legalized status. It also requires applicants to go to the “back of the line.” It’s a middle ground with many troubling hurdles for already beleaguered immigrants who must live in the shadows.

In a letter to the House and Senate leadership, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a national coalition of grassroots immigrant-led organizations, called on Congress to take the high road in crafting legislation, to reject anti-immigrant rhetoric and answer the real needs of immigrant and non-immigrant communities alike. Endorsed by nearly 300 organizations the letter calls on Congress to enact:

· Workable, inclusive, earned legalization – including the DREAM Act and AgJOBS Bill – that doesn’t discriminate based on the length of time in the U.S. or other arbitrary factors. The more complex a legalization program becomes, the harder it will be to implement, and the greater the chances for making some categories of immigrants more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

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