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Time to Fight Back
Against Political Bullies Blocking Immigration Reform
By Juan Williams
Published May 17, 2011
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) has it right on immigration reform.
President Obama has it only half right.
They agree it is time to flip the script on congressional opponents of
legislation to modernize the nation’s failed immigration system. The
current system amounts to a mindless set of laws that makes it next to
impossible to get the world’s brightest and most talented people into
the country, and punishes employers and hardworking people who fill the
nation’s need for low-wage workers.
But so far only Gutierrez has a plan for how to stand up and call the
bluff of the political bullies blocking immigration reform.
Gutierrez is urging Obama to sign an executive order halting the
deportation of all illegal immigrants who are college age. With that
one step the president can shift the political dynamics and force the
loudmouths to stop their fear-mongering and get serious about reform.
For years, right-wing extremists and bellicose talk show hosts have
made it impossible to deal rationally with immigration. The central
fact is that there are about 12 million illegal immigrants in the
country who are not going anywhere. The U.S. government does not have
the manpower, handcuffs or buses to send these illegals back to Mexico,
Ireland and China.
The most crucial fact of all is that the American people want
immigration reform, according to poll after poll. A March Pew poll
found 72 percent want a law that sets terms for illegal immigrants to
get citizenship. They want the people now living in the limbo of
illegal immigration to have the chance to become tax-paying,
law-abiding citizens. In a nation of immigrants, the American people
want border security but most of all they want to end the waste of time
and money that comes with treating hardworking people seeking the
American dream as criminals.
But the small number of intensely vocal Americans who want to kick out
every illegal immigrant have distorted the political marketplace and
drowned out the will of the people. They are still scaring every
conservative on Capitol Hill with a tired but paralyzing argument.
They repeat over and over again, while holding fingers in their ears,
that any immigration reform law will reward people who committed a
crime to get here or stay here by giving them “amnesty.” They ignore
the reality that by not reforming the law we allow a culture of mass
lawbreaking to stay in place.
Lately, these opponents of reform are saying Republicans have to oppose
any bill because Obama just wants to shore up his political base with
Hispanic voters. If that is the problem, why did the same angry crowd
stop President Bush’s efforts at immigration reform?
And why did they stop a bipartisan effort last year to offer a chance
at citizenship to young people who were brought to the United States
before they were 16, provided they either enroll in college or enlist
in the military?
Last week, the president traveled to El Paso to point out that he has
put more agents and more technology — and built a fence — on the
border. He didn’t mention it, but he has also increased the rate of
deportation of illegal immigrants beyond the level of the Bush
administration.
He made the case that the borders are more secure than ever. But he was
still left to politely ask the anti-immigration-reform bullies to
please play fair.
Enter Gutierrez, proposing the use of the executive order to end
deportation of people under 16. This one step would have the same
effect as the DREAM Act, which would have applied to college students
or military enlistees but was defeated in December. It would also put
the focus on politicians who delight in Congress’ inability to deal
with this major issue.
“The president’s diagnosis of the policy and the political problem is
perfect but his proposed remedy — waiting for Congress to pass a bill —
misses the urgency of the problem,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
A mandatory employment-verification plan is ready to go as part of any
reform. But “still Republicans will not come forward to discuss how we
move forward.” He concluded that Obama “has the power to make things
better right now without Congress having to pass any new laws and I
will continue to encourage him to do so.” He is talking about the
executive order ending deportation of people under 16.
The congressman is totally right. It is time to fight back against the
bullies with hardball tactics. The President can create a coalition of
business, military, unions, educators and religious leaders right now
by taking Gutierrez’ advice.
An executive order in the name of saving the lives of children who call
the U.S.A. home and are working to make our country better is a first
step forward.
Watch the bullies back up.
Juan Williams is an author and political analyst for Fox News Channel.
This column originally in The Hill.
Read it at Foxnews
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