The STRIVE Act Is A False Promise

OAKLAND, CA -- On the street, true immigration reform means: fixing the family reunification system so families won't be separated; legalization for the undocumented without incremental phases that stretch out for years; due process and equal rights for immigrants; immigrant worker freedom from exploitation and employer abuse; and an end to the criminalization of immigrants on the border and in the interior.

We also need a serious investigation of immigration's root causes -- economic, military, or environmental --which cause the dislocation of people from countries of origin. What role do our country's policies play in that dislocation? Our national blind spot is that we see immigration one-dimensionally -- only from our side of the border.

Unfortunately, we're getting none of these things from Congress in 2007. Congress continues to view immigrants through a national security and disposable worker lens, proposing harsh enforcement while it moves away from permanent, family-based immigration toward temporary worker programs. For the aspiring millions who spoke out for immigrant rights last year, this is not the response we wanted.

STRIVE (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007), introduced by Congressmen Luis Gutierrez and Jeff Flake, continues to mistakenly frame immigration policy as a national security issue. In STRIVE, 'comprehensive immigration reform' means trading some improvements in the family reunification system for greater numbers of temporary workers, and the continued criminalization of immigrants. Advocates for immigrant rights will not find a human rights perspective in this bill.

STRIVE ramps up the militarization of the border and interior enforcement. An electronic employment verification system and reporting regulations will lead to increased racial profiling, more detentions and deportations, and the spending of precious resources on more jails.

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