Posted on 06/28/2006 3:41:52 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Immigrant rights groups have a message for unsympathetic politicians around the country: Change your stand or risk getting voted out of office.
A coalition of unions, Hispanic activists and religious groups is trying to convert the massive street protests of recent months into long-term political power by launching nationwide citizenship and voter registration drives Saturday in at least 19 states.
The effort known as "Democracy Summer" aims to register a million new voters and convince many of the 8 million legal residents in this country to apply for citizenship.
Such applications are already up nearly 20 percent over past year - possibly boosted by more interest in political participation and fear that immigration laws will change.
"We want to make sure no politician will dare propose the criminalization of immigrants in the future," said Angela Sembrano, a top organizer in Los Angeles.
The coalition has identified more than a dozen swing states with anywhere from 50,000 to 900,000 legal residents eligible to apply for citizenship - enough to influence future state and congressional elections if they become Americans.
The groups have also commissioned studies estimating that as many as 3 million U.S.-born children of immigrants will be voting age by 2008.
The citizenship push might not have a major impact in the November elections because applications typically take at least eight months to process.
Still, organizers believe greater voter registration by immigrants who have become citizens could sway elections this fall in congressional districts where lawmakers identified as anti-immigrant - mostly Republican - are vulnerable.
One district is in San Diego, where Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray beat Democrat Francine Busby by 5 percentage points earlier this month in a special election to replace former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who has gone to prison for accepting bribes.
Bilbray made a crackdown on illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, calling for construction of a fence along the entire U.S.-Mexican border. His slim victory in a district where Republicans far outnumber Democrats gave immigration activists hope for the November election.
"In the 50th district there is a tremendous Latino community that could make a difference," said Enrique Morones, president of Border Angels, an activist group that is helping organize the drives.
Another congressional race getting attention is in Chicago, where Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean is trying to hold on to her seat against Republican businessman David McSweeney.
Bean has drawn the ire of immigration advocates for voting for a House bill in December that would make illegal immigration a felony and criminalize anyone lending a hand to the undocumented.
McSweeney has also taken a hard line, saying he opposes a bill passed by the Senate in May that would give many of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in this country a chance at citizenship.
"Bean could be giving away Latino votes in her district," said Joshua Hoyt, director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a leading citizenship drive organizer.
"But the Republicans nationally are in danger of alienating the fastest-growing segment of the population," he said.
Immigration issues will dominate many congressional and state races In Arizona, where voters passed a far-reaching ballot measure in 2004 to restrict services for illegal immigrants.
Pro-immigrant groups are responding with plans for 14 citizenship and voter registration drives in Phoenix and other areas throughout the summer.
In one key race, Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth is trying to hold on to his seat against former Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell, a Democrat.
Hayworth has called for a crackdown on illegal immigrants, while Mitchell seeks comprehensive immigration reform that includes a guest worker program.
"Arizona is at the forefront of the anti-immigrant movement," said Ruben Villarreal, an Arizona drive organizer from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change. "We want our communities to be able to respond at the political level."
Waiting for increased political power from new citizens doesn't worry Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat who along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has endorsed the drives.
When he won his seat in 1992, Hispanics made up about 45 percent of registered voters in the district. With the help of citizenship drives, about 40,000 mostly Hispanic immigrants have become naturalized and now about 60 percent of registered voters are Hispanic, he said.
"A naturalized citizen is two to three times more likely to vote than someone born here," said Gutierrez, whose parents immigrated from Puerto Rico. "They understand the implications and what's at stake."
Lots of illrgal aliens will be voting.
Maybe.
The article naturally doesn't contain polling about how Hispanic citizens feel about illegal immigration and amnesty. Mostly here persons on the lobby dole and white liberals implying they know how so and so thinks.
Starnge... not a word about having to be a citizen to vote Democrat (LOL!)
The problem for the Democrats on a national scale is they have several Senate candidates, not to mention House running against the Senate bill and for real enforcement first. Enforcement first, talk about amnesty later, who could argue against that well?
WRONG, it is better called Communism Summer or Red Summer.
Maybe politicians should find out first how legally registered voters will vote if they make the mistake of hispandering away the currency of our citizenship.
I look for them to attempt to nullify the elections in California and Arizona.
I think they will show up in mass and demand to vote, stating that you can't challenge their citizenship, after all they have ID ( drivers licenses). They will effectively close the polls in those areas.
This is when it will truly "hit the fan"
How we respond will determine if we still are the United States.
Because 99 percent of the Mexicans in the U.S. are illegal aliens the drive to sign up Mexican voters is a drive to sign up illegal aliens to vote.
Is this legal? Of course not. But the Clinton legacy is that laws mean nothing.
At bottom is the fact that Democrats' cannot win national elections without massive voter fraud.
And many Democrat locals control and maintain the voting machines. Does that make you feel comfortable?
I predict MANY illegals will be voting. Too bad there is no way to increase voter registration security.
Perhaps we should require people to register to vote every two years.
"I think they will show up in mass and demand to vote, stating that you can't challenge their citizenship, after all they have ID ( drivers licenses). They will effectively close the polls in those areas."
Anyone can register to vote in Calif. and it's illegal to ask for ID when they go to vote.
They can also register by mail, get an absentee ballot by mail, and mail it in to vote.
Busby was right but make the mistake of saying it out loud, you don't have to be legal to vote.
Yep
ping
NY Times | 6/7/2005 | EDUARDO PORTER
Gerardo Luviano is looking for somebody to rent his Social Security number. Mr. Luviano, 39, obtained legal residence in the United States almost 20 years ago. But these days, back in Mexico....he is looking for an illegal immigrant in the United States to use it for him - providing a little cash along the way. "My brother in California has a friend who has crops and has people that need one."
Mr. Luviano's pending transaction is merely a blip in a shadowy yet vibrant underground market....undetected by American authorities, operating below the radar in immigrant communities from coast to coast, a secondary trade in identities has emerged straddling both sides of the Mexico-United States border.
Illegal immigrant workers usually earn so little they are owed an income tax refund...........The illegal immigrant "working the number" will usually pay the real owner by sharing the tax refund. Since legal American residents can lose their green cards if they stay outside the country too long, it is useful to have somebody working under their identity north of the border.
"Sometimes the one who is working doesn't mind giving all the refund, he just wants to work," said Fernando Rosales, who runs a shop preparing income taxes in the immigrant-rich enclave of Huntington Park, Calif.
The income tax "refund" is almost certainly generated by Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) fraud, which as a "legal resident" the number renter would qualify to receive, especially if they have have or claim children. The EITC is a "refundable tax credit, which means the IRS will pay it out even if no taxes have been withheld or paid in. So the IRS gives filers who claim the EITC "refunds," even if they have had no taxes withheld.
These number renters can claim up to $4,400 for the 2005 tax year in EITC "refunds," most of the number renters probably claim this maximum refund. The Additional Child Tax Credit is another "refundable" credit which is no doubt routinely claimed by these renters.
For 2005, if the number renter claimed $14,400 in wage income, and three children, between the EITC and the Additional Child Tax Credit the renter would, without having any taxes withheld from wages, receive a tax "refund" of $4,898, plus have $892 credited to Social Security; in addition to the potential of thousands of dollars in California unemployment compensation.
so, they vote in mexican elections and u.s. elections!
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