Latinos Caravan to Congress to Push for Illegals' Citizenship (Today's 'Surround the White House')

Associated Press ^ | May 16, 2006 | GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO

[Kimberly GG]

"ATLANTA - Vowing to turn street power into political action, immigration rights groups across the country have been organizing caravans of buses from as far as Los Angeles to bring legal immigrants to Washington for a day of lobbying Wednesday."........

"I believe marches were good ideas, but now we need TO MEET the senators to express to them that not everybody is illegal who feels like this," said Sandra Lacayo, a 27-year-old immigrant from Nicaragua."........................

"They are a huge voice that, if motivated, could make the difference. They're trying to claim what they hope to be the collective future of the country," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who met with Hispanic advocates in Atlanta on Monday and is one of three Hispanic members of the U.S. Senate.

Contrary to the street marches, where many fearlessly proclaimed their illegal status, naturalized U.S. citizens and legal residents are in the front lines of this event, and not only because only those with valid IDs can enter the Capitol.

Immigrant supporters are banding together nationwide for a massive naturalization and voter registration drive, hoping to turn immigrants into a million new citizens and get their supporters to vote in this year's elections. Their message mixes fear with confidence - fear that the proposed immigration reform might threaten the status even of those who are here legally, and confidence that immigrants can cast many a deciding vote once they become citizens.

One of the fundamental messages they'll bring to Congress is that it's disingenuous to draw a line between legal and illegal immigrants, Herrera said.".............

[King of Florida]

YOU are the racist.

I also notice you run away and hide rather than apologise or explain why you so easily denigrate a fellow freeper.

I haven't run away. And believe me, I've really had to restrain myself lately with the anti-Hispanic bile being spewed by some -- certainly not all -- of my fellow FReepers engaged in the immigration debate here.

My wife is an Hispanic immigrant (legal, thank you very much) and my children are half-Hispanic, and some of the comments I find downright disgusting.

As I indicated, rather than "easily denigrat[ing] a fellow freeper," I believe I have exercised remarkable restraint, considering.

BTW, "open immigration" is a basic libertarian tenet, in case you weren't aware. And thanks for the baseless slurs against me.

[Balding_Eagle]

Not baseless.

Other Freepers have challanged you on your baseless accusation of racism, and you haven't respondeded. Call it what you will, to readers of FR, who can only judge you by what you post, or don't post, it's running away.

[Dante3]

You are the one playing the race card. You just sound silly.

[Let's Roll]

Just to show unassimilated they are - if there are two things Americans hate it's "line-jumpers" and those who "don't play by the rules".

[King of Florida]

Other Freepers have challanged you on your baseless accusation of racism, and you haven't respondeded. Call it what you will, to readers of FR, who can only judge you by what you post, or don't post, it's running away.

I responded to the first post I saw -- yours. Unfortunately, I can't spend all morning responding to everybody. And I call it as I see it. I really am tired of the anti-Hispanic bashing here on FR under the guise (or in furtherance) of expressing anti-immigration opinions. Many, if not most people have valid arguments here, but you can't deny there is a fringe that unnecessarily bashes Hispanics.

[Balding_Eagle]

Of course there's a fringe that needlessly bashes hispanics.

However, to accuse someone who uses the word "siesta" as a racist is simply unfounded.

Even endlessly bashing hispanics isn't necessarily racist.

[Centurion2000]

Just to show unassimilated they are - if there are two things Americans hate it's "line-jumpers" and those who "don't play by the rules".

Amen to that.

[robowombat]

There are times when events seem to be spinning completely out of control. Some of that perception comes from the pile on effect that comes from every one who wants to be a player jumps in the process. However, it certainly seems that the illegal positioned themselves to ratchet up the debate as soon as the President spoke. Now there are demands, demands mind you, to provide direct citizenship for all illegal resident aliens. Toward the people demanding this boon, apparently both illegals and naturalized aliens will flock to Capitol Hill to press their demands on Congress.

At the same time Congress is contemplating (leaning towards it seems) revising the legal immigration quotas to radically increase the number of mostly third world persons to be permitted entry over the next 20 years. Simultaneous is a loud mouthed campaign by the Mexican government in coordination with American's (if you can call them that) in the ACLU to challenge in US law courts any use of US military forces to assist in any way the police activities of the Border Patrol.

Who, other than rank and file Americans, are going to pay the hugely increased costs for education, health care, law enforcement and other local services as well as related national costs for both the mass amnestying of illegals and the vastly increased numbers of low skill third world immigrants is never stated. Just as any problems of basic public order that the increased balkanization of the nation that these things will greatly augment are relentlessly stonewalled.

Members of Congress will not, repeat will not, confront US citizens deep seated fear and opposition to virtually having their country stolen out from under them. Attempts to do this get, if anything, a brush off with Senators and Congressmen (with some notable exceptions) mumbling irrelevant platitudes about 'doing jobs Americans won't', 'demographic realities', 'necessary for the economy to grow', 'we are a welcoming nation of immigrants'.

This is not going to be an epiphenomenon. People are going to remember the combination of cowardice and complicity by Congress on this. They are also going to remember that their government betrayed the most basic interests of American citizens and pandered to a combination of ethnic racketeers and corporate political donors. I don't know where this will eventually lead but there is something the White House and Congress should ponder. The very states and areas that are absolutely the most emphatically opposed to weak border controls, amnestying illegals and drastic increases in third world immigration numbers are the same areas that both provide a disproportionate number of the men and woman who fight at the foot soldier level the 'Global War on Terrorism'. These areas are also the literal electoral base of the Republican Party and it is the people that live there whose votes are vital to the electoral survival of the Republicans. What is being done is to disrespect the most basic and fundamental beliefs and values of these people in a manner that is so egregious that the only conclusion to be made is that the Repub leadership is as contemptuous of the heartland of the party and Dems are of the black rank and file Democrat voter.

The President and his ad visors have are executing a complex and demanding national strategy to crush Islamic terrorism around the world. They also are taking steps to defend the national interest by trying to simultaneously isolate Russia, contain China and set up the conditions for a nuclear disarmament of Iran by peaceful or military means.
The accomplishment of this strategy is dependent upon continued Republican control of Congress and the White House.
By being unwilling to get in control of the immigration problem and in so many ways demonstrating a lack of pressing interest in anything but half measures and cosmetic actions they have sowed the whirlwind and now with the Dems conniving to turn the immigration debate into a general crisis the Administration is in real peril of being overwhelmed electorally by an enraged party base in combination with an energized dem party determined to vote every illegal they can.

This is a real crisis both for the nation and the GOP. I don't think the GOP sees it as anything but a big aggravation and distraction from business as usual and they mostly blame the party base for daring to really get upset with leaders who expect deference as a right. The GOP stands in peril of a electoral debacle and the nation in loosing the 'war on terrorism' due to the inside the beltway mindset that we who are the party base are just a lot of stupid Joe Sixpacks who should sit down and shut up and vote as they are told.

[Kimberly GG]

Excellent post! I absolutely hate the feeling of 'things spinning out of control' and will usually become obsessed with regaining that control, even if only in a small way. Nothing about this has made sense to me since day #1. And with each passing day, things seem to grow more bizaare. So, maybe you'd be good enough to opine on this as well. I'm curious to know if it's way off base or if others have things to add. TIA


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1606975/posts?page=78#78

[Petruchio]

Anyone have the number for the ICE Tipline?

[listenhillary]

I agree with you.That quote caught my eye.

But

So now we're picking and choosing which laws to follow.

Speed limits

I'm not equating driving over the speed limit with invading our country, but MANY legal citizens are "choosing which laws to follow."

If we are going to chastise those who are breaking the law, those without sin may cast the first stone. I'm NOT trying to be argumentative or anything here. Just a "Hmmmm"

I like the idea of using that defense. Our government is picking and choosing which laws to enforce, so how can one be fairly prosecuted for breaking any law?

[robowombat]

Since big multi-faceted issues in Congress always bring out a host of lobbyists it is probably true that the linkage between border security and guest workers has something to do with putting statute language in place to protect certain industries from proseccution for hiring of illegals.

A controlled guest worker program is not a bad thing per se. The Bracero program begun in 1942 to provide a controlled source of farm labor worked well until the dems got a big enough majority in Congress to end it. There is now such skepticism that any guest worker program as seen as just a sham that will quickly degenerate into a way to skirt the law and issue paper work to the endless waves of illegals making them ;guest workers'.

The current administration has been pushing large numbers of illegals out of the country. Apparently the Clinton Administration only wanted to deport one immigrant, Elain Gonzalez. However, the situation has reached such a pass that if we are deporting a million plus illegals a years how many million are getting in. The perception is between border crossers and visa jumpers (of whom account for maybe half of all illegals) several million illegals are pushing in each year. And the rank and file in Red heartland country feels that their country is about to be stolen from them and the government is not particularly interested.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Wonder what kind of reception THEY will find in McCain's office?

[hosepipe]

20 to 30 or million people with ANY agenda is a Mob not to be ignored.. Congress is presently searching to find a way to INCREASE THAT NUMBER... and not be burned at the stake..

Did I say the Republican Congress.. oh! well, you know the Democrats are FOR increasing the scale of propective democrats.. you know MORE aliens.. soon to be democrats..

Hard to fault them(democrats).. its the republicans that is bogarding this is the mystery..
How can the republican party gain by increasing the rollcall of the democrat party be supported?... Especially here on Free Republic (the website).. BUT; there are some that can't put the dominos together.. More aliens, more democrats.. its really that simple.. Aliens?, you know, people that THINK a democracy is a good thing.. and have not a wit of a clue of what the unique American Republic is all about.. And will be told (and will believe) the republicans are for the rich, and the democrats are for the poor.. By the MsM, Hollywood, every democrats they know, RINO pundits..

The odds of an alien becomeing a republican is very small.. if they do they will be RINOs.. If you are a republican prepare to become the minority.. maybe republicans ARE stupider than democrats..

[David Allen]

Right.

Anyone who uses the term "racist" to describe an opponent to illegal immigration is the person likely to be the racist.

I wouldn't like illegal immigration if they were Norwegians.

[antceecee]

Free tacos and coronas for everyone!

[hispanarepublicana]

One of the fundamental messages they'll bring to Congress is that it's disingenuous to draw a line between legal and illegal immigrants, Herrera said

[hispanarepublicana]

Can you blame any American for turning to be a racist after the display of Mexicans

It's okay to be mad at illegal Mexicans and even to be mad at the fifth-column, pro-illegal, Aztlaners among Americans. It's not okay and yes, racist, to be mad at ALL hispanics and treat hispanics as a monolith.

[hispanarepublicana]

Yes he's a racist, everyone knows siestas are an Irish thing.

If it's induced by Guiness or Jameson's, it's not a siesta...it's passing out.

[RodgerD]

I wouldn't like illegal immigration if they were Norwegians.

I would be much less concerned about migration with or without papers from an assimilating first world society, than from a non-assimilating third world source.

People are not concerned about illegal immigration because they have some fetish about paperwork and visas, it is because they don't want wretched societies like Mexico's and Pakistan's and Nigeria's recreated here in the USA.

Let's be honest about this. It's the migrant source (and the quantity) that matters more than the paperwork.

Because if all that matters is the illegal entry or visa overstay, then a "make-it-all-legal" solution then becomes acceptable. And that's just what the Administration is handing us, a "solution" in which the illegal arrival of too many poor Mexican nationals is "fixed" by the legal arrival of even more poor Mexican (and other) nationals.