Vida En El Valle: Immigration Reform, Picking up the pieces

‘As with so many issues, the American people are ahead of Washington on immigration reform. They know that only a plan that offers a path to earned citizenship will fix our broken system.’

— Sen. Edward Kennedy, referring to a poll showing 78 percent of Americans support a legal residency path for undocumented immigrants

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One year ago, people like Maribel Rosendo of Sacramento, María Cadena of Stockton, Susan Rico of Delhi, Rosa Letona of Modesto, and Norma Orozco of Selma made the United States take notice of the growing support for comprehensive immigration reform when they joined millions of others in taking to the nation’s streets on May 1, 2006, to demand action.

Carrying mostly American flags and wearing white, the marchers — whose numbers ranged from more than half a million in Los Ángeles to tens of thousands in Sacramento and Fresno, and thousands more in other San Joaquín Valley communities — were peaceful yet forceful in criticizing HR 4437, a bill promoted by James Sensenbrenner, a Republican Congressman from Wisconsin, as a slap at the country’s estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.

The bill has died in Washington, D.C.’s, political mill, but the debate continues despite polls that show overwhelming national support for comprehensive immigration reform that will allow undocumented immigrants a chance to gain legal status.

Next week, organizers are pushing for similar marches that take a stance for or against the STRIVE Act, a non-partisan bill that has been criticized as too lax or too extreme. This comes on the heels of arrests and deportations of people who have had their day in court and have been sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The agency admits some undocumented immigrants have become collateral victims.

Last year’s marchers got the country’s attention.

"It’s very important for our Hispanic race (to be here) because we need people to know how to respect us, to know that we also have values," said Rafaela Madrigal, a Ceres resident who participated in last year’s marches.

Today, it appears the United States seems unwilling to do much more than trade rhetoric barbs, point to polls that show the country is in the mood to ship out all undocumented residents and construct a 2,200-mile wall on the U.S.-México border that could cost at least $2.2 billion, or else it wants to show a paternalistic side and help them become legal residents.

The country’s mood hasn’t appeared to change much in support of comprehensive immigration reform, according to the majority of polls. Last fall’s election showed the majority candidates whose definition of reform was limited to the word "deportation," lost at the ballot box.

President George W. Bush has talked about the need to find a solution that will keep would-be immigrants from perishing in the Arizona deserts and bring undocumented families from out of the shadows.

Republicans and Democrats alike have stated support for an overhaul that will help businesses find workers by increasing the number of visas for foreign workers and establish an orderly process.

Yet, one year after the massive marches, the United States is back to square one when it comes to immigration reform. More and more cities, counties and states have adopted laws that target undocumented immigrants by forcing landlords to check on renter’s legal residency status or getting their law enforcement officers to work closely with federal immigration agents in identifying a person’s legal status.

Cities like Fresno and Mendota — located in the world’s richest agricultural land that depends on undocumented immigrant labor for its multi-billion-dollar industry — have either looked at or adopted resolutions that condemn ICE raids. In fact, more than two years ago, the United Farm Workers and major ag leaders put aside their decades-old grudges to support the AgJOBS bill, which would make it easier for farmers to get a steady stream of legal workers and give those workers a chance at legal residency.

Similarly, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations have joined forces with churches and pro-immigrant groups to push for comprehensive immigration reform. American businesses have an annual appetite for 500,000 foreign workers, yet there are only 5,000 permanent visas available.

Why have federal lawmakers failed to make much progress on an issue that seems so simple to solve?

Observers believe it is nothing but politics that keeps immigration overhaul from happening.

"Legislators need to step up to the plate and realize that the public wants it," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. "Many people want to see this reach a conclusion this year."

Sharry was speaking in March, when the White House signaled it wanted a package and Congressmen Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Blake, R-Arizona, were putting together the details of the 700-page-plus STRIVE Act.

Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, believes Republican lawmakers who take a hardline approach against undocumented immigrants are the cause for the stalemate.

"We are trying to crack some of those nuts that have been recalcitrant," said Butterfield.

Talk radio — whose airwaves are mostly the property of conservatives like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly — promote a get-tough approach that rules out any possibility of legal status for undocumented residents. In fact, any mention of a path to legal status is quickly labeled "amnesty," a word even Bush avoids.

"Some Republicans listen to talk radio and mistake it for their base," said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration and Refugee Services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Congressman Brian Billbray, R-Calif., responded to last week’s USA Today poll that showed overwhelming support for comprehensive immigration reform by saying he is opposed to putting undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship. "You’d be rewarding them for breaking our laws," he told the newspaper.

Regardless, most people think an immigration reform plan will get to the president’s desk this year with or without the massive marches and with or without conservative Republican support.

Some conservatives, however, are looking to get an overhaul done.

"I think there’s truly recognition that the status quo won’t work," Barry Bedwell of the California Grape and Tree League said during a 2005 meeting with the UFW. "What we have currently is a system that hurts not only workers, but it hurts the employer as well."

Tamara Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute believes the public is ready for politicians to get something done.

"The voters really want this solved," said Jacoby. "They are saying, ‘Please solve this for us.’ "

Next week’s marches may be smaller in numbers, but it doesn’t make the issue that much smaller for federal lawmakers.

Send e-mail to: jesparza@vidaenelvalle.com