Andrew Friedman

Immigration Blues

Over a year has passed since the massive immigrant rights rallies of last spring. Millions took to the streets throughout the country to demand fair treatment for immigrant workers and families. Last fall, the most anti-immigrant candidates were swept out of us. The Republicans lost their majority in both houses of Congress. President Bush really could not be less popular.

Nonetheless, the Democrats sure know how to snatch defeat from the jaws from the jaws of victory. Instead of using their new power and increasing popularity to push for comprehensive immigration reform, the Dems seem content to let the Republicans to determine the parameters of the debate.

What has been the Democrats bold, new move? They have re-introduced the bill that was passed by the Republican Senate last year! The bill was weak and ineffective last year. This year it is simply pathetic. It fails to resolve the problems of immigration - either for immigrants or for the country as a whole. It fails to bring families and workers out of the shadows, and it creates 3 tiers of immigrants, which arbitrarily assigns different rights to each tier.

So much for using their mandate.

In the face of Democratic weakness in Washington, the anti-immigrant crowd has been active. In yesterday's New York Times, there was an article about a Dallas suburb that voted to make renting to undocumented families illegal. Voters decided that concerns about discrimination and national origin discrimination could be set-aside, and people should police each other.

What a disgrace.

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Posted at 8:12 AM, May 14, 2007 in Immigration
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