04/30/09 The room is filling up over here, and witnesses are taking their seats. Check back soon for live updates, photos, and video from today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration reform. Frank Sharry has predicted that today's hearing will butcher a good bit of the conventional wisdom on immigration. Stay tuned.
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04/30/09 This week's wire, by Nezua, TMC MediaWire Blogger, begins: "It’s no shock that those long-opposed to All Things Immigrant are using the Swine Flu outbreak�which has mostly affected Mexicans at this point�to ratchet anti-immigrant rhetoric up to an irresponsible level. It’s disappointing though, especially because the last few weeks saw more rational dialogue emerging in media coverage. This week’s Wire examines the voices talking about immigration both in the media and on the ground, from those recycling age-old “eliminationist” rhetoric to those who put their own bodies on the line to fight for inclusive justice."
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04/30/09 At last night's White House press conference, President Obama again re-affirmed his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform, citing the need to fix our very broken immigration system. As CNN reports, in "Obama pushes for immigration reform:" "President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he wants to work with members of Congress, including former Republican presidential rival Sen. John McCain, to revive efforts at immigration reform."
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04/29/09 Tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration reform will likely throw a wrench in Fox News’ latest proclamation on immigration � and butcher a good bit of the conventional wisdom floating around here in Washington to boot. Last week, FOX News’ Trish Turner said of the upcoming hearing: "This radioactive topic always lights the Republican fires as well, a dangerous political weapon against Democrats." But, let’s not forget that since those fires were lit, the GOP lost control of the House, the Senate, and the White House. Even GOP stalwarts like Mitt Romney have changed their tune on immigration reform. See, they know the fire is actually burning up the GOP.
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04/28/09 Chuck Todd: "The GOP better come up with a story about how they can be considered a national party when they can't keep a moderate Republican like Specter in the party. This was a survival decision by Specter because he has been chased out of the party by rank and file Republicans." What could the GOP's national survival strategy look like? Oh I don't know, let's try a sane immigration policy, for starters.
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04/27/09 As usual, right-wing media is off blaming immigrants for everything wrong with the world. To recap: yes, swine flu is wreaking havoc in Mexico and has taken over a hundred lives there. Yes, it is a major disaster that needs to be tracked, treated, and contained - and our government is working to do that. But no, Michelle Malkin, this dreaded flu is not the fault of immigrants living in our nation.
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04/27/09 As we look ahead to Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on common sense immigration reform, with a star lineup that includes former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Dr. Joel Hunter of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and SEIU's Eliseo Medina, it's time once again to take stock of the emerging new politics of immigration. Moderate Democrats appear ready to tackle common sense reform, while Republican extremists stand poised to drive the GOP further into the political wilderness by continuing to demagogue on immigration.
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04/24/09 Guest blogger Yvette Schock: "Over the past several weeks people of faith around the country and the world marked the holy feasts of Passover and Easter. They gathered to hear again sacred stories that tell of slavery and the struggle for freedom, of sojourners traveling in strange lands, of suffering and death, and of the hope and promise for new life. Hearing the call to care for their neighbors and seek justice, many marked their holy feasts this year by meeting with their representatives express concern for immigrant neighbors - to ask what they will do to work for humane, compassionate, and comprehensive immigration reform."
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04/23/09 Weekly feature by Nezua, TMC MediaWire Blogger: As the U.S. moves closer and closer to enacting immigration reform, the situation on the ground is evolving as well. Nothing is static for an issue that touches so many people across so many communities. This week’s wire follows up on trends observed last week: holding mainstream media accountable, enforcement tactics, and immigration’s positive effect on the economy.
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04/23/09 A call by some Latino pastors this month to boycott the 2010 Census, unless immigration reform passes, could have dramatic and undesired consequences. That is why the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and a range of national Latino advocacy organizations are speaking out in support of full Latino participation in the Census.
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04/23/09 The New York Times has a poignant piece about family separation today, separation that is occurring across our nation as a result of our broken immigration system. It details the story of Encarnaci�n Bail Romero, a mother who was locked up after an immigration raid in Carthage, Missouri, and her two year old son, Carlos. An immigration lawyer, Christopher Huck, argued: "In many cases, what state courts want to do �conflicts with what federal immigration agencies are supposed to do... then things spiral out of control, and it ends up in these real unfortunate situations."
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04/21/09 A newspaper series exposing Sheriff Joe Arpaio's costly abuse of power in Arizona just won the Pulitzer prize: "Sheriff Joe Arapaio is a national disgrace. Among the Pulitzer prizes awarded today was one to Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona) for its coverage of Arpaio's immigration enforcement policies."
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04/17/09 While in Mexico City today, President Obama reiterated the need for a new immigration debate focused on solutions, rather than more divisive “politics as usual.” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (pictured here) echoed the President’s comments, also saying that any immigration reform legislation will need to have supporters from both parties and that the President is committed to addressing immigration, despite the inherent difficulties.
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04/16/09 Note: This is a new weekly feature by Nezua, TMC MediaWire Blogger. The dialogue on immigration has, historically, been contentious and cyclical. There are times when hysteria peaks, and rational thought struggles to enter the national dialogue. There are also moments of truth. This week, independent media debunked many myths about the undocumented and made the case for the positive impact of immigrants in the US, including the positive effect of legalizing the undocumented on the economy and how citizens are holding elected representatives accountable for votes against pro-immigrant measures.
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04/15/09 Well, yesterday was a new day. Yesterday's news that organized labor has joined forces to push for comprehensive reform highlights the important link between comprehensive immigration reform, the economy, and worker protection. As the New York Times argued so succinctly yesterday: Even in a bad economy - especially in a bad economy - getting undocumented immigrants on the right side of the law only makes sense.
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04/14/09 Our immigration system is broken, and if you think that because you are a citizen this doesn't affect you, then you should read today's Associated Press piece. In it, Suzanne Gamboa describes how the rights of citizens and non-citizens alike are being violated: "The American judicial system deems everyone innocent until proven guilty and guarantees a fair hearing with a lawyer - but not when it comes to immigration. Then there are far fewer rights. And as the system comes under pressure from a flood of new cases, the strain is showing."
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04/13/09 Today the Immigration Policy Center brought together key economic experts to dispel the most stubborn myths surrounding immigrants and the economy. Immigration Impact's Andrea Nill explains why real immigration reform would benefit all Americans: "Moving forward with comprehensive immigration reform will ensure that all workers are here legally, will punish unscrupulous employers who undercut their honest competitors, and will restore integrity to the labor market. It will lift wages for workers, ensure all workers are paying taxes, and restore fairness to our immigration system." Sound to good to be true?
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04/13/09 Just when you thought the immigrant blame game couldn't get more absurd, this, from Media Matters: "Limbaugh: Somali pirates have "entitlement mentality. I could have sworn they were originally Americans"; speculates 'maybe they were illegal immigrants.'" Sounds like Rush needs to deal with his own entitlement issues before picking the speck out of his neighbor's eye. That is, his feelings of entitlement to warp every major world news story into a "pin the tail on the immigrants" bash-fest.
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04/10/09 Ever since yesterday's front page New York Time article, the debate has been raging in the blogosphere and network news over whether or not the signs are pointing to immigration reform moving forward this year. Frank Sharry: "Our polling suggests that swing voters who want a new path and less partisanship see immigration as the sort of hard issue Washington is afraid of and they very much want someone to take control of it. And Republicans are in a tough situation. If they block reform they lose the fastest growing bloc of voters."
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04/09/09 President Obama is rising to the occasion and demonstrating leadership on this issue that vexes the American public. It will be up to Congress to follow his lead and make it happen. We stand ready to work with all of our elected leaders to enact this long overdue reform this year. The time is most certainly now.
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