America's Voice Blog

Posted 08/22/08 at 06:42am By Frank Sharry

Introducing Immigration08.com

As the 2008 election nears, immigration will no doubt play a major role in deciding the winners and losers. America's Voice is leading the charge by sponsoring a project that will track the impact of immigration as an issue in these elections. We want comprehensive immigration reform to be a top priority for the elected officials who prevail in November. In fact, it is our view that road to common sense reform cuts right through the November election.

Immigration, although not on a par with the economy as a top tier concern of voters, has now risen to an established second tier issue. And it is our prediction that the issue will be used in elections at all levels like never before, especially by Republicans who believe the issue is an effective wedge that will make them look tough and Democrats look soft. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 some Republicans tried it out, hoping that illegal immigration would turn out base voters angry about illegal immigration and win over culturally conservative swing voters in much the same way that crime, welfare, affirmative action, and gay marriage have in the past. Despite the fact that the issue just didn't seem to work in these three election cycles, many operatives and candidates believe that the storm of opposition to last year's comprehensive immigration bill presages a bigger reaction from voters this cycle.

Meanwhile, Democrats are beginning to understand that if you are for a common sense solution, and you lean into the issue, you can appeal both to swing voters and the growing Latino population, the largest immigrant voting population. Still, some Democrats are spooked by the issue and still not convinced.

Hence this project. Immigration08.com will track key races in which immigration may prove to be a critical, even decisive issue. We will evaluate quantitatively how this issue plays out in the Presidential, key Congressional, and close gubernatorial campaigns and on Election Day. We will track the ads being broadcast, the press coverage of immigration issues, and commentary on the elections. Key constituencies and voter blocs will be targeted with pre- and post-November 4th polling to get underneath what is happening and how immigration impacted close elections.

Our prediction? We believe we will learn, as we did in the last three cycles, that illegal immigration works well for Democrats who lean into it, rather than for Republicans who demagogue it. But the facts will be the facts, and the chips will fall where they fall.

And who are we? America's Voice is part of our reinvigorated effort to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform. We ourselves are a new organization that is focusing primarily on communications, but we are working very closely with other components of our campaign, in particular the We are America Alliance, which is gearing up to mobilize a million new voters in 13 states running in the lead up to November 4th. We believe that the combination of an historic turnout of immigrant voters for whom immigration reform is a defining issue and the failure of illegal immigration as a wedge issue will help create more political space for reform. In addition, we are going to be working towards a revamped policy effort and a more effective grass roots effort so that in the first term of the next President we are able to actually enact common sense reform that works. Stay tuned.

Posted 08/20/08 at 04:43am By Celinda Lake

Advice on talking to voters about immigration

As we all know, the immigration issue is here to stay. Candidates can no longer duck and hide from the debate and election results will be largely affected by what was and was not said about the issue during the campaign.

For far too long, politicians have avoided the conversation, believing that no comment was the low risk strategy. But that strategy is failing Democrats, and polling has clearly shown that attacking the issue of immigration head-on with voters is the most effective tactic. Whether you are campaigning in immigrant-rich Arizona or union-based Michigan, candidates are successful when they discuss immigration directly.

Despite Republican attacks and smear campaigns, candidates who are outspoken about immigration continue to succeed. Governor Janet Napolitano, even after being attacked repeatedly, holds a very high favorability in a strongly Republican state. The Governor has been firm, both by talking about the needs for securing the border and the fact that it is simply unrealistic to deport everyone. Such success is telling, especially given the strong feelings in what is commonly referred to as Ground Zero for immigration.

Gerry Connelly, a Fairfax County Executive and current candidate for Congress, has been aggressive by dialoging with voters about enforcement policies and cracking down on employers. Furthermore, he has balanced his argument by stressing the important of providing services while also creating an effective path to citizenship. As a result, he was reelected with record numbers and is ahead in the general election for a Congressional District that is historically Republican.

Our research and polling has shown that candidates have spoken up about immigration can win. To be successful, you need to dialogue with your voters, lean into this issue and talked about the system being broken. Talking about what kinds of reforms, including legalization as well as enforcement, is the most powerful and effective tactic with voters. We know this is a ground breaking approach, but it is time to shake up the conventional wisdom of immigration strategy. To win, Democrats need to get aggressive and speak out about immigration.

Posted 08/19/08 at 10:43pm By Web Team

Some things never change

No matter the season, no matter the year, you can expect the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) to put out a report chock-full of pseudo-research that concludes with calls for fewer immigrants in the U.S.

For example, see their recent report blaming immigrants for climate change (I wish I was kidding). Almost unbelievably, CIS tried to claim that immigration to the United States is a driver of climate change and global warming. Yet the study is little more than a thinly-veiled attempt try to advance an anti-immigration agenda by appealing to Americans' concerns over other issues.

Or, take their other recent report, which tries to assert that the Bush Administration’s enforcement efforts were driving a reduction in the undocumented population. Of course, this conveniently ignores our nation’s precipitous economic downturn. Earlier this year, Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California-San Diego, issued a report that found that illegal immigration "clearly corresponds to changing U.S. economic conditions.” And, as many have reported, the Bush Administration’s recent immigration raids are designed to garner headlines and do little to address the underlying dynamics of our broken system. As the Washington Post recently editorialized, “the administration's strategy of emphasizing punishment rather than prevention underscores the need for a more durable solution.”

Despite their tortured math and creative logic, there’s nothing funny about CIS’s goals. CIS and other members of the restrictionist fringe would rather peddle extremist policies than work towards lasting, common sense reforms that will fix the broken immigration system.

Posted 08/17/08 at 10:34pm By Web Team

Report to Deport:  The ICE meltdown is complete

Although polar bears are in danger, the ICE we are referring to here is the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In early August, Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary of ICE let slip during an Univision interview that her agency was going to unveil a new program that would allow undocumented immigrants to "self-deport". As one of the most ridiculous proposals to "fix" our broken immigration system (even worse than "the wall") nears its final week, we decided to take serious look at the ICE's pilot program, unfortunately named "Scheduled Departure." The plan, which seems to have been conceived after one too many shots of tequila at the ICE staff happy hour is being tested in five cities across the country for 3 weeks. Undocumented migrants who have final deportation orders are asked to come into ICE offices and "report to deport". By reporting to ICE, these individuals will be given a "grace period" of 90 days, and a lo-jack tracking device, so they can get their affairs in order and leave the country in an orderly fashion. As expected, the results are in, and only 6...yes, 6 people of what ICE estimates to be close to 450,000 eligible for the program, have actually showed up to their offices.

Our own Executive Director, Frank Sharry, predicted that this program would not be successful. Even Ira Mehlman, spokesperson of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) an anti-immigrant group associated with hate groups and classified as one by the Southern Poverty Law Center agrees with Frank.

ICE, and by extension, the Bush Administration have completely lost the plot when it comes to common sense solutions to our broken immigration system. Did they really think this would work? It sounds like the plot of a Saturday Night Live! skit, and not a serious proposal to solve the problem. We are comforted, all be it slightly, that the Bush Administration and Julie Myers are really scheduled for departure in January.