WWJMD? On the other hand, reform could end up being a win-win for everyone -- including the Obama White House (which would be looking to fulfill a campaign promise and mobilize Latino voters) and the Republican Party (which would want to make sure it wasn't digging its own demographic grave). "It's a win-win situation," Democratic strategist
Simon Rosenberg argues to First Read. "At some point, the Republican Party is going to have to abandon their anti-immigration views or they are going to be a minority party."
Yet the key to all of this might very well be John McCain. If he wins his primary and re-election, does he once again become an important player on immigration reform? Or does he stand on the sidelines? What will John McCain do?
Though reform has enjoyed bipartisan support in previous years, the two principal GOP shepherds on the issue, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- are nowhere to be seen. The issue has been particularly tricky for Republicans wanting to appear tough on national security, but likewise in need of Latino support (a group for whom immigration is a particularly hot-button issue). Support for tough, controversial measures like Brewer's hurts conservative candidates among this key voting bloc; the result is that many Republicans simply refuse to play ball.
Republicans"have paid a tremendous price" for their inaction, says Simon Rosenberg, president of NDN, a center-left Democratic think tank. "There is no way, politically, that they can sustain their current position."
Below is a portion of President Obama's speech, the presidents full speech can be read here, with video of the speech below his remarks. Would be interested in hearing what people thought. I encourage people to leave comments. Enjoy.
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
American University School of International Service / Washington, D.C.
THE PRESIDENT:
Now, if the majority of Americans are skeptical of a blanket amnesty, they are also skeptical that it is possible to round up and deport 11 million people. They know it’s not possible. Such an effort would be logistically impossible and wildly expensive. Moreover, it would tear at the very fabric of this nation -– because immigrants who are here illegally are now intricately woven into that fabric. Many have children who are American citizens. Some are children themselves, brought here by their parents at a very young age, growing up as American kids, only to discover their illegal status when they apply for college or a job. Migrant workers -– mostly here illegally -– have been the labor force of our farmers and agricultural producers for generations. So even if it was possible, a program of mass deportations would disrupt our economy and communities in ways that most Americans would find intolerable.
Today, we have more boots on the ground near the Southwest border than at any time in our history. Let me repeat that: We have more boots on the ground on the Southwest border than at any time in our history. We doubled the personnel assigned to Border Enforcement Security Task Forces. We tripled the number of intelligence analysts along the border. For the first time, we’ve begun screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments. And as a result, we’re seizing more illegal guns, cash and drugs than in years past. Contrary to some of the reports that you see, crime along the border is down. And statistics collected by Customs and Border Protection reflect a significant reduction in the number of people trying to cross the border illegally.
So the bottom line is this: The southern border is more secure today than at any time in the past 20 years. That doesn’t mean we don’t have more work to do. We have to do that work, but it’s important that we acknowledge the facts. Even as we are committed to doing what’s necessary to secure our borders, even without passage of the new law, there are those who argue that we should not move forward with any other elements of reform until we have fully sealed our borders. But our borders are just too vast for us to be able to solve the problem only with fences and border patrols. It won’t work. Our borders will not be secure as long as our limited resources are devoted to not only stopping gangs and potential terrorists, but also the hundreds of thousands who attempt to cross each year simply to find work.
That’s why businesses must be held accountable if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. We’ve already begun to step up enforcement against the worst workplace offenders. And we’re implementing and improving a system to give employers a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally. But we need to do more. We cannot continue just to look the other way as a significant portion of our economy operates outside the law. It breeds abuse and bad practices. It punishes employers who act responsibly and undercuts American workers. And ultimately, if the demand for undocumented workers falls, the incentive for people to come here illegally will decline as well.
Finally, we have to demand responsibility from people living here illegally. They must be required to admit that they broke the law. They should be required to register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English. They must get right with the law before they can get in line and earn their citizenship -- not just because it is fair, not just because it will make clear to those who might wish to come to America they must do so inside the bounds of the law, but because this is how we demonstrate that being -- what being an American means. Being a citizen of this country comes not only with rights but also with certain fundamental responsibilities. We can create a pathway for legal status that is fair, reflective of our values, and works.
Now, stopping illegal immigration must go hand in hand with reforming our creaky system of legal immigration. We’ve begun to do that, by eliminating a backlog in background checks that at one point stretched back almost a year. That’s just for the background check. People can now track the status of their immigration applications by email or text message. We’ve improved accountability and safety in the detention system. And we’ve stemmed the increases in naturalization fees. But here, too, we need to do more. We should make it easier for the best and the brightest to come to start businesses and develop products and create jobs.
Our laws should respect families following the rules -– instead of splitting them apart. We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status. And we should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents by denying them the chance to stay here and earn an education and contribute their talents to build the country where they’ve grown up. The DREAM Act would do this, and that’s why I supported this bill as a state legislator and as a U.S. senator -- and why I continue to support it as president.
Leading up to President Obama's speech on immigration at 10:45 a.m. EDT, Senior Adviser to the President David Axelrod has put out a press release on the importance of passing cir. Excerpts are below:
The President believes that we must have a practical, common-sense approach that reflects our heritage and our history -- as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. Government must be accountable for enforcing the law, businesses that seek unfair advantages over competitors must be accountable for exploiting the system, and those who break the law must be accountable as well.
For more information on the speech check out the White House blog.
With President Obama set to give a major speech on comprehensive immigration reform, we'd like to present some key analysis and narrative on fixing our broken immigration system.
The pieces below represent important components of NDN's thinking and advocacy on immigration reform.
Analysis and commentary on recent polling data on SB1070 and CIR. While polling shows support for the Arizona law, a deeper examination shows even more broad support for passing CIR.
An economic report written by NPI Fellow and Former Under Secretary of Commerce Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, presents an accurate portrait of America's immigrant population, dispels certain misconceptions about American Immigration and offers economic analysis regarding the impact of immigration, and proposed immigration reforms on wages and the economy.
NPI Fellow Robert Shapiro highlights some of the important facts featured in his economic report on immigrants and the wages of American Workers. An important primer for the economic realities of immigration reform.
NDN/NPI was proud to host Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and Chairman of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Alan Bersin to discuss the first joint U.S.-Mexico vision for a "21st Century Border."
With the passage of SB1070, the immigration debate has entered a new phase NDN President Simon Rosenberg weighs in on this new dynamic by noting that federal lawmakers and the Obama Administration can no longer argue that reform can wait.
With the Republican party refusing to come to the table to work with Democrats on cir, Senate Majority Leader Reid joined Senators Charles Schumer and Robert Menendez to present a Democrats only immigration framework. NDN's statement on the notes that this middle of the road policy proposal provides an excellent opportunity for Republicans to join the immigration debate.
This New Policy Institute Report examines the rapidly increasing Hispanic population in the United States and how it affects the politics and policy of our time. The rapid increase in the Hispanic population in the U.S. is one of the most tangible demographic trends of the 21st century. This report delves deeply into the population and polling numbers to present a clear picture of the Hispanic populations growing economic and political power.
UPDATE - The White House has formally announced that President Obama will be giving a major speech on the importance of passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
Sam Stein of the Huffington Post, has the full scoop here.
Big news today on CIR, yesterday the White House held a meeting with Immigration Activists and formally announced that President Obama will be making a speech on the need to pass Immigration Reform. The announcement is below with important information highlighted:
Readout of the President’s Meeting with Grassroots Leaders to Discuss Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Today, the President met with representatives from a broad range of community groups to discuss the ways in which his Administration is working with stakeholders around the country as well as members of Congress to craft a comprehensive approach that will finally fix our broken immigration system. The President reiterated that he wants to see a bipartisan process based on the proposal presented in the Senate and building on the Schumer-Graham framework, which thoughtfully addresses the need to further secure our borders and demands accountability from both workers who are here illegally and unscrupulous employers who game the system.
During the meeting the President also reiterated that truly securing our border requires comprehensive immigration reform, said that his Administration will continue to work with Congress to act at the earliest possible opportunity and he announced that he would be delivering a speech soon on the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform.
He also thanked the community groups for their support and hard work on this issue as this important process moves forward. In addition, the President once again made clear his views on the recent law passed in Arizona and noted that the Department of Justice was reviewing it.
Erica Warner of the AP has a story up on the meeting which can be read here, excerpts are below:
President Barack Obama is enlisting activists and labor leaders in a push for comprehensive immigration legislation that will showcase Republican opposition and include a speech by the president.
The strategy was discussed during a meeting Monday by a range of prominent labor leaders and activist groups. Participants said Obama reiterated his support for immigration legislation but noted the political realities that have stalled it in Congress.
Latino leaders say they will work in coming months to pressure Republicans to give way and support an immigration bill — and make opponents pay at the ballot box if they don't.
"We're going to make absolutely crystal clear who's at fault here," said Eliseo Medina, a leader of the Service Employees International Union.
Jerry Markon of the Washington Post has written a story on the Supreme Court's decision to review an Arizona Law which creates punitive sanctions against employers who hire immigrants. The full story can be read here. Excerpts are below:
The Arizona law that the court will review during its term starting in October imposes sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants. It is not the new Arizona law that President Obama and other members of his administration have recently criticized. That measure empowers police to question anyone who authorities have a "reasonable suspicion" is an illegal immigrant.
With the Justice Department preparing a lawsuit against Arizona over the new law, the court's decision to review the earlier measure -- the Legal Arizona Workers Act -- signals a willingness to get involved in one of the nation's most politically divisive issues. The Obama administration had urged the court to review and set aside the Legal Arizona Workers Act, saying federal immigration law should preempt state efforts.
U.S. officials have said that in its suit against Arizona's law empowering police to question illegal immigrants, the Justice Department is considering a similar "preemption" argument.
The Legal Arizona Workers Act is designed to stop workers from knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants. Naturally this has led local businesses to file lawsuits to stop the enforcement of the law.
Ronald J. Hanson of the Arizona Republic has compiled basic facts about the program here. Excerpts are below for your viewing pleasure.
.....all business owners in Arizona risk losing their state and local licenses if they knowingly or intentionally - the law makes a distinction between "knowingly" and "intentionally" - hire undocumented workers after that date. Licenses can be suspended for 10 days or longer for a first offense and revoked altogether for a second offense.
Employers are required to check the legal status of their new hires using E-Verify, a free online federal program that checks names and identification documents to ensure that new employees are eligible to work.
The law also sharpens the punishment for identity theft, a crime frequently associated with illegal workers.
It is now aggravated identity theft, a felony, to possess the identity information of someone else to seek work or to have such information for three or more people without their consent.
Under the law, it doesn't matter whether the information is for an actual person or a bogus identity.
We will be following the Supreme Court's movements on this closely, check back here for developments.
The Business Roundtable and The Business Council recently released policy recommendations requested by Peter Orzag, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Affairs.
Immigration reform was included in this list and their recommendations are worth recounting.
There were four areas that they focused on, excerpts on each of these policy recommendations are below.
Spousal Employment:
The ability of the spouse of a foreign professional to work in this country is often a key factor in whether that foreign professional will join the American workforce, or remain in it. Our immigration system has recognized this key point in some professional visa categories. Thus, for example, U.S. immigration law allows the spouses of L visa holders – executives, managers, and specialists who transfer into the U.S. operations of multinational corporations – to work. Yet this opportunity is denied to spouses of other key professional visa holders, such as H‐1B “specialty occupation” professionals.
Narrowing Policy Through Individual Visa Adjudications:
Agency adjudications have become increasingly strict in many key professional visa areas. DHS, for example, has made it very difficult to qualify for an L‐1 visa as a professional with “specialized knowledge.” Cases of the type that have been approved for years are now being denied, and companies are being asked in individual cases to provide evidence to fulfill standards that are essentially impossible to meet.
Proposed H1B and L1 Enforcement Legislation:
The so‐called “REPAIR” concept draft for comprehensive immigration reform released last April suggests that the bill language will include additional enforcement measures for H‐1B and L‐1 visas. Although this draft did not contain actual bill language, the proposals suggested in REPAIR go beyond enforcement, such as arbitrary caps on the number of nonimmigrant visas an employer can sponsor, and prohibitions on employment of specialized professionals as third‐party consultants. These and other restrictions are likely to have serious and unintended consequences for the U.S. economy, including higher costs of doing business in the U.S., the movement of existing and/or planned investment and high‐paying, high‐skilled jobs out of the U.S., and the risk of retaliatory action by foreign governments against U.S.‐based companies.
Immigration Caps and Conditions for Skilled Workers:
Companies in need of highly skilled workers rely upon the H‐1B visa program, a critical tool for hiring foreign nationals, especially those with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Many years, the annual cap for these visas is hit the very first day the visas are available, limiting the ability of companies to attract the talent needed to remain competitive. Likewise, there has been a backlog of employment based (EB) green cards. Backlogs extending over years necessitate the costly and time consuming filing of visa extensions, while the inflexibility of the card limits the ability of employees to change positions within a company. Current policy drives skilled workers to America's competitors and, indeed, may force U.S. employers to take projects abroad to where the workers with the necessary skills reside. Reform would promote domestic job creation and America's global competitiveness.
The Business Roundtable: is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 12 million employees.
The Business Council: is a similar consortium of businesses that have a history of advising presidents and congress on economic and business matters.
ASSOCIATED PRESS - Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have joined several leading businessman to push for comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Read it here. Excerpts Below:
Chief executives of several major corporations, including Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Disney and News Corp., are joining Mayor Michael Bloomberg to form a coalition advocating for immigration reform – including a path to legal status for all undocumented immigrants now in the United States.
The group includes several other big-city mayors and calls itself the Partnership for a New American Economy. It seeks to reframe immigration reform as the solution to repairing and stimulating the economy.
Bloomberg and Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp., appeared together Thursday on Fox News to discuss the effort.
It reflected what Simon Rosenberg, the head of the left-leaning New Democratic Network, says are lingering tensions even in a party of diversity.
"With the Republicans (changing demographics) is an evolving story," Rosenberg said. "And I think the Obama team clearly understood this more than the older parts of the Democratic Party.
"There are a lot of Democratic politicians who grew up in 20th Century America and are at the end of their careers and look around and see kids with I-Pads and all these people of color (and say), 'That is not the world that I understand, that is not the world I grew up in.' "
There has been a lot of immigration news to keep up with recently, and we here at NDN do our best to keep up to date to bring you the reader all the latest information.
Every once in a while we get out in front of something that the national media has not gotten around to covering. This was the case with a recent blog post on SB1070 Copy Cat Laws, the full post can be read here.
Michael W. Savage of the Washington Post recently wrote a story on the same subject, and quoted our post. Law Makers Across the Country Taking Immigration Policy into their own Hands can be read here.
Excerpts are below:
With widespread attention focused on Arizona's tough new law against illegal immigration -- and a measure approved this week in the small town of Fremont, Neb. -- similar proposals are under consideration across the country. Five states -- South Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Michigan -- are looking at Arizona-style legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. NDN, a Washington think tank and advocacy group, said lawmakers in 17 other states had expressed support for similar measures.
If you have not yet read NDN Globalization Initiative Chair Dr. Robert Shapiro's report on how immigrants affect the economy of the United States, I suggest you do so here immiediately.
The report entitled The Impact of Immigration and Immigration Reform on the Wages of American Workers is a must read primer on the economics of immigration.
Dr. Shapiro recently sat down with the Economist magazine to discuss his paper. The full audio of the interview is below. I highly recommend you listen.
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