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Calls for immigration reform under Obama

By JULIANA BARBASSA Associated Press Writer
Posted: 01/21/2009 04:29:18 PM PST on Mercury News

SAN FRANCISCO—Taking to heart an inauguration speech that honored those who "traveled across oceans in search of a new life," thousands embarked on a campaign Wednesday to make immigration reform a priority for the new president.

Immigrants who lent President Barack Obama their support at the ballot box joined those who cannot vote in marches and prayers, writing letters and raising banners from Miami to Los Angeles to push the issue to the top of Obama's long to-do list.

In spite of the president's promise to tackle the thorny issue within his first year in office, even advocates recognized that with two wars and a floundering economy on the table, immigration reform was a tough sell.

But seeing the son of an immigrant in the White House makes anything seem possible, said Altagracia Garcia, 25, who waits tables to help pay for her political science degree.

"He was the one who told us that you can dream big," said Garcia, who lit candles and called for the end of immigration enforcement raids during a pre-dawn vigil in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Los Angeles.

Hispanic voters, a group for whom immigration reform ranks high, supported the Democratic ticket by a margin of more than two-to-one and helped carry battleground states such as New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada for Obama, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Seizing on the momentum of Obama's success, the moment to make demands is now, said Juan Carlos Ruiz de Dios, of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice in New York, before a rally at Manhattan's Federal Plaza. "Power does not concede anything without a demand," he said.

But even in the best of times, immigration is one of the most divisive issues facing elected officials. In 2007, deep-seated differences between supporters of legalization and advocates of tougher immigration controls ultimately scuttled a reform package that had won substantial bipartisan support in Congress.

At a time when Americans are struggling to keep their jobs, measures that would allow more immigrants into the country by creating a path to legalization for undocumented workers or by setting aside more visas will not go over well, said George Grayson, a professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

"Go down to the unemployment office and ask what people lined up think of immigration reform—you'll get an earful," said Grayson. "It's the wrong time, at the wrong place, and the wrong issue to invest your political capital now."

But the promise of change by the new administration touched immigrants, who gathered around the country Wednesday. Sara Mijares, of the Mundo Maya Foundation in Los Angeles, took part in a campaign to get 10,000 letters to the new president on his first day in office.

They asked for measures the president can implement immediately, including an end to raids in which ICE officers question immigrants not named in their warrants, and a stop to an ICE program that allows local and state police officers to perform immigration checks.

"He can do this right now—we don't have to wait a year, two years, for immigration reform," Mijares said.

The immigrants and advocates who packed the Westminster Presbyterian Church in southwest Washington put forth similar demands. They also heard from Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who said the caucus sent a letter to Obama on Wednesday requesting a meeting to discuss the issue.

"Let's put a game plan together," Gutierrez told the crowd. "This is not an adversarial relationship."












		Calls for immigration reform under Obama By JULIANA BARBASSA Associated Press Writer Posted: 01/21/2009 04:29:18 PM PST on Mercury News SAN FRANCISCO—Taking to heart an inauguration speech that honored those who "traveled across oceans in search of a new life," thousands embarked on a campaign Wednesday to make immigration reform a priority for the new president. Immigrants who lent President Barack Obama their support at the ballot box joined those who cannot vote in marches and prayers, writing letters and raising banners from Miami to Los Angeles to push the issue to the top of Obama's long to-do list. In spite of the president's promise to tackle the thorny issue within his first year in office, even advocates recognized that with two wars and a floundering economy on the table, immigration reform was a tough sell. But seeing the son of an immigrant in the White House makes anything seem possible, said Altagracia Garcia, 25, who waits tables to help pay for her political science degree. "He was the one who told us that you can dream big," said Garcia, who lit candles and called for the end of immigration enforcement raids during a pre-dawn vigil in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Los Angeles. Hispanic voters, a group for whom immigration reform ranks high, supported the Democratic ticket by a margin of more than two-to-one and helped carry battleground states such as New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada for Obama, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Seizing on the momentum of Obama's success, the moment to make demands is now, said Juan Carlos Ruiz de Dios, of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice in New York, before a rally at Manhattan's Federal Plaza. "Power does not concede anything without a demand," he said. But even in the best of times, immigration is one of the most divisive issues facing elected officials. In 2007, deep-seated differences between supporters of legalization and advocates of tougher immigration controls ultimately scuttled a reform package that had won substantial bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when Americans are struggling to keep their jobs, measures that would allow more immigrants into the country by creating a path to legalization for undocumented workers or by setting aside more visas will not go over well, said George Grayson, a professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. "Go down to the unemployment office and ask what people lined up think of immigration reform—you'll get an earful," said Grayson. "It's the wrong time, at the wrong place, and the wrong issue to invest your political capital now." But the promise of change by the new administration touched immigrants, who gathered around the country Wednesday. Sara Mijares, of the Mundo Maya Foundation in Los Angeles, took part in a campaign to get 10,000 letters to the new president on his first day in office. They asked for measures the president can implement immediately, including an end to raids in which ICE officers question immigrants not named in their warrants, and a stop to an ICE program that allows local and state police officers to perform immigration checks. "He can do this right now—we don't have to wait a year, two years, for immigration reform," Mijares said. The immigrants and advocates who packed the Westminster Presbyterian Church in southwest Washington put forth similar demands. They also heard from Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who said the caucus sent a letter to Obama on Wednesday requesting a meeting to discuss the issue. "Let's put a game plan together," Gutierrez told the crowd. "This is not an adversarial relationship."