Note the June 1, 2007 press release announcing the invitation to the White House to express gtatitude for their "support" of immigration reform.
http://www.wga.com/PressRoom/PressReleases/tabid/200/Default.aspx
Posted on 06/08/2007 2:51:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Along the Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas, Esmeralda Gavino echoed the disappointment of many illegal immigrants like her when she said that the immigration reform bill torpedoed on Capitol Hill was not perfect, but it was at least something.
"It's sad that the senators can say, `OK, let's just roll up the carpet. We have more important things,'" said the 35-year-old woman, who cleans houses for a living and was with her two young daughters at a parish community center. "They don't have enough time for discussions, but they have time to build a wall. It wasn't a very good reform in my opinion, but it was something. It was a light."
The measure that failed a crucial test vote in the Senate on Thursday would have tightened the borders while also giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status - provided they are willing to pay thousands of dollars in fees and penalties and return to their homelands to apply.
Now illegal immigrants and businesses that employ them are left wondering what the future holds.
"We're just in limbo," said illegal immigrant Mario Zapata, 34, who has spent half his life living in Tucson, Ariz. "I don't know. Are they going to pass it? Are they not going to pass it? I can't be at peace. I'm anxious."
Zapata, a day laborer, spent a year and a half in prison after he was caught by the Border Patrol, but said his three children are American citizens, and he intends to stay in Tucson forever. "If they catch me again, I'll come back. It doesn't matter," he said.
Advocacy groups in Chicago plan a meeting on Monday to decide their next step.
Jorge Mujica, a spokesman for Chicago's March 10th movement, said one possibility is a boycott by illegal immigrants and their supporters against certain companies - perhaps national restaurants - to demonstrate the community's economic might.
"It's not that we want to radicalize the movement," he said. "But we have marched and lobbied and made phone calls and written letters, and nothing has come out of those strategies."
Tom Nassif, president and chief executive of the Western Growers Association, which represents about 3,000 fruit and vegetable farmers in California and other states, said he expects some growers worried about a worker shortage to reduce plantings.
The agriculture industry has pushed for a guest worker program that would let laborers work here legally but require them to return to their home countries.
"We're constantly losing our market share to foreign competition because it is getting increasingly more expensive to grow fruits and vegetables in this country," Nassif said.
Porfirio Quintano, who arrived from Honduras in 1996 as a political refugee and is now an American citizen living in San Francisco, said he does not believe the bill's setback will have any effect on immigrants' decisions to come here.
"The roots of immigration are at home- there is no work, no way to move forward," he said. "Nothing is changing that - nothing is affecting the reasons people leave."
---
Associated Press writers Adrian Sainz in Miami, Giovanna Dell'Orto in Atlanta, Arthur H. Rotstein in Tucson, Juliana Barbassa in San Francisco, Olivia Munoz in Fresno, Calif., Verena Dobnik in New York City, Lynn Brezosky in Brownsville, Texas and Carla K. Johnson in Chicago also contributed to this report.
bump
Wrong title. Illegal should be the first word.
>> “It’s sad that the senators can say, `OK, let’s just roll up the carpet. We have more important things,’” said the 35-year-old woman, who cleans houses for a living and was with her two young daughters at a parish community center. “They don’t have enough time for discussions, but they have time to build a wall. It wasn’t a very good reform in my opinion, but it was something. It was a light.”
Hmmm... “Esmeralda” speaks pretty articulate English.
Jayson Blair... is that you? Come out from behind that word processor!
I was thinking the same thing....
We should add “illegal” in front of a number of US Senators names as well if they get their way.
Unless I missed something, they are ILLEGALS not immigrants. Immigrants come to the US the LEGAL way.
Well... it's quite simple.. the law requires the illegals be deported and that their employers be prosecuted.
She may speak “pretty good” English, but she’s missing something here. The Congress won’t be building the fence—(probablly some illegals will, though as they’ll just be doing the work Americans won’t do.)
“It wasn’t a very good reform in my opinion, but it was something. It was a light.””
Absolutely a fraud.
That person doesn’t exist.
Or if she did, she’s a plant presented to the reporter.
I really truly hope they start protesting.
>> That person doesn’t exist.
I think we’re going to be hearing a LOT from journalists’ “imaginary playmates”...
That person doesn’t exist.
Yeah, she's going to be President Bush's guest at the meeting he is having with on Tuesday with GOP senators.
Note the June 1, 2007 press release announcing the invitation to the White House to express gtatitude for their "support" of immigration reform.
http://www.wga.com/PressRoom/PressReleases/tabid/200/Default.aspx
Shall I stop celebrating the defeat of the monster bill for a moment so that I may cry for these illegal alien criminals who are not at peace?
As we have seen, it will be much easier for them to reform ours.
First order of business for the American people is to vote all these schmucks OUT of office. The only positive part of the “Shamnesty” bill is that we saw just how “in your face” arrogant these traitorous politicians are. This issue crosses party lines. None of the arrogant power-hungry traitors should come out of this unscathed. Send them back to the real world; they’ve been living in la la land long enough. They think they’re “Royalty” and we’re the peons. They’re delusional at best. Time to clean house.
Go back to Mexico. You will be at peace and you will not be anxious. And where are all the religious leaders that always support the illegals? Doesn't the bible say "Be anxious for nothing"? Why don't you so called preachers and priests teach THAT. Losers.
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