by Alex Meneses Miyashita
Luis Gutiérrez
Members of the all-Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus blasted their party for a series of immigration hearings that will take place in the coming weeks which focus on what they say are piecemeal or punitive enforcement-only bills.
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (111.) said the Democratic majority is “no better than the Republican majority we defeated” if it continues focus on “punitive” measures or on certain visas for select immigrants and ignores some 12 million undocumented immigrants.
“If we don’t stand up for all immigrants, then we’re not standing up at all,” Gutierrez said. “Does it matter that the Democratic Party won a majority in Congress?
Rep. Raul Grijalva defended the CHC against claims that the caucus is obstructing action on visa-related legislation and lashed out that its members’ efforts to pass comprehensive reform have been replaced by the “spineless action~ of the Democratic Caucus.
The lawmakers declined to identify names when pressed.
During their April 23 press conference that included CHC chair Joe Baca (Calif.), Ruben Hinojosa (Texas) and Charles Gonzalez (Texas), the CHC members called on the party to take on aggressively the issue of comprehensive immigration solutions.
Baca said the hearings scheduled in the House Judiciary Committee focus on bills that are just a “Band-Aid being used to cover up a gaping wound.”
One of the committee’s hearings will be on the bipartisan enforcement-only bill known as the SAVE Act, by Reps. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), which would strengthen the borders and require use of E-Verify to check on the legal status of workers.
Baca and other CHC members support a bill known as the STRIVE Act, by Gutierrez, which includes a path to legalization for the undocumented as well as enforcement.
Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration at the National Council of La Raza, said the CHC did what was necessary to remind their colleagues of the need for a comprehensive plan.
“We cannot address immigration with half solutions,” she said.
Doug Rivlin, spokesperson for the National Immigration Forum, said the Democratic leadership is trying to “control” the Shuler-Tancredo bill. Jack Martin, special projects director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said it is unlikely the SAVE Act will go very far “so long as the Democratic leadership in Congress remains firmly opposed.”
The office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that maintains she is committed to “balanced, fair and bipartisan immigration legislation.~ She blamed President Bush and the Republican leadership for the lack of progress on it.
But Rivlin agreed with CHC members that the issue cannot be dealt with “piecemeal,” adding that they are doing “the right thing, to say, there are 12 million vulnerable immigrants in this country’ there are (48) million Latinos, and we shouldn’t be ignored.”
Martin said the problem with the position assumed by Gutiérrez is that “he doesn’t accept any distinction among those in the country legally and those here illegally.”
Baca admitted it will be difficult to overhaul the immigration system in a comprehensive way in an election year’ but added it is necessary to keep the issue alive.
“We’re not going to be silent” he said. “We’re going to come out and say let’s get something done.” Hispanic Link.
