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Progressives Risk Bitter Split over Immigration Reform
One year after millions of immigrants and their supporters took to the streets demanding amnesty, the drive for progressive reform is at a crossroads. Although House Republicans lost seats in 2006 over their anti-immigrant stance, the early start of the 2008 presidential nomination process has further shifted the Party’s immigration position to the right. This has darkened the once bright prospects for enacting meaningful reform in 2007, as President Bush will not sign a measure without Republican support. This political environment has split progressives over strategy: work to get the best deal possible now, or wait for a Democratic President in 2009. Those in the former camp are supporting the STRIVE Act of 2007, which grants six-years of temporary legal status but requires immigrants to first return to their home countries in order to obtain US citizenship. Can an emerging progressive split over immigration strategy be avoided?
As crowds take to the streets on May 1 to protest the Bush Administration’s raids on immigrants’ homes and workplaces, an internal debate rages in the immigrants’ rights community.
On one side are those who believe that progressives should not support federal legislation that offers less than complete and unconditional amnesty for undocumented immigrants. This means no compromises around “guest worker” policies, no mandates that immigrants first return to their native countries before returning as legal US immigrants---a process known as “touchback”---, and no different rules for longtime vs. recently arrived immigrants.
Other progressive interests, most notably the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), see the situation differently. They believe there is no chance that an ideal amnesty bill would ever pass Congress, and that allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good in 2007 guarantees that nothing will be done to address legalization until at least 2009 (there is consensus that immigration reform cannot pass during a federal election year). In the meantime, all undocumented immigrants, including unionized janitors, will continue to face the daily risk of deportation. Such immigrants will also continue to be denied drivers’ licenses, subsidized housing, and access to many jobs.
SEIU is currently backing the Security Through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy Act of 2007, known as STRIVE. Sponsored by Democrat Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona, this grants six-years of temporary legal status but requires immigrants to first return to their home countries in order to obtain US citizenship.
More
http://beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=4459#more
On one side are those who believe that progressives should not support federal legislation that offers less than complete and unconditional amnesty for undocumented immigrants. This means no compromises around “guest worker” policies, no mandates that immigrants first return to their native countries before returning as legal US immigrants---a process known as “touchback”---, and no different rules for longtime vs. recently arrived immigrants.
Other progressive interests, most notably the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), see the situation differently. They believe there is no chance that an ideal amnesty bill would ever pass Congress, and that allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good in 2007 guarantees that nothing will be done to address legalization until at least 2009 (there is consensus that immigration reform cannot pass during a federal election year). In the meantime, all undocumented immigrants, including unionized janitors, will continue to face the daily risk of deportation. Such immigrants will also continue to be denied drivers’ licenses, subsidized housing, and access to many jobs.
SEIU is currently backing the Security Through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy Act of 2007, known as STRIVE. Sponsored by Democrat Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona, this grants six-years of temporary legal status but requires immigrants to first return to their home countries in order to obtain US citizenship.
More
http://beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=4459#more
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