America's Voice Blog

Posted 09/30/10 at 06:35pm By Mahwish Khan

LETTER: Defense Secretary Gates Supports DREAM Act for “Military Readiness”

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates sent a letter to Senator Richard Durbin (CC: Sen. Carl Levin and Sen John McCain), laying out his support for the DREAM Act. Secretary Gates says, in part:

"There is a rich precedent supporting the service of non-citizens in the U.S. military. Since the Revolutionary War, non-citizens have enlisted in the armed forces for service during periods of national emergency. Today, about 35,000 non-citizens serve, and about 8,000 permanent resident aliens enllist every year. The DREAM Act represents an opportunity to expand this pool, to the advantage of military recruitment and readiness."

View the letter:

Full text of the letter is below, for easy copying:

Click here to read more.
Posted 09/30/10 at 05:56pm By Frank Sharry

Meg Whitman’s Lack of Truthiness on Immigration

Many are having a difficult time believing Meg Whitman now that she’s embroiled in a “nanny scandal.”  Given her blatant hypocrisy and deception as a candidate on where she stands on the issue of illegal immigration, is it any wonder? 

As for the scandal, Whitman says she followed the law in hiring nanny Nicky Diaz Santillan, didn’t know she was here illegally and had to fire her when she found out. Diaz Santillan says Whitman employed her for nine years, knew she was here illegally since 2003, then threw her to the curb when Whitman was gearing up for the California governor’s race. 

However the facts shake out in this drama, the facts are already in on Whitman’s truthiness regarding the larger issue at play here.   Take a look this new America’s Voice fact sheet entitled “Whitman vs. Whitman on Immigration.”  We report, you decide:

MEG WHITMAN ON A PATH TO LEGALIZATION

  • October 2009: At a campaign stop in San Diego, near the U.S./Mexico border, Whitman calls for a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, asking her audience: “Can we get a fair program where people stand at the back of the line, they pay a fine, they do some things that would ultimately allow a path to legalization?”   (Sign On San Diego)

  • September 2010: During her first debate against Democratic opponent Jerry Brown, Whitman announces her opposition to “a path to legalization” for undocumented immigrants. (Sacramento Bee)
Click here to read more.
Posted 09/30/10 at 01:46pm By Guest Blogger

One Nation Rally this Saturday for Immigration Reform, Jobs, Justice, Education

According to march organizers, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) will join leaders from a broad coalition of organizations working for immigration reform, justice, jobs, and quality education at the One Nation Rally this Saturday, October 2, in Washington DC.

Endorsed by a coalition of over 400 progressive groups, the rally is expected to bring together tens of thousands of activists representing faith, labor, environmental, human rights, immigration groups, and other justice advocates.

A special immigration and Latino-focused pre-rally will start at 10 AM on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Other leaders expected to attend include SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina, DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray, Maryland State Delegates Victor Ramirez and Ana Sol Gutierrez, Arlington Virginia County Board Member J. Walter Tejada, Rev. Simon Bautista, New York Immigrant Coalition Board Member SJ Jung, and Arizona DREAM Act Coalition student Erika Andiola.

A march from the Capitol to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial will take place at 11 AM, with a program at the Lincoln Memorial beginning at noon.

The rally is meant to build momentum and enthusiasm around civic participation, uniting people around a common message "to help Put America Back to Work and to Pull America Back Together" - and to make their voices heard on November 2nd.

Here's Janet Murguia, President of National Council of La Raza, speaking about the rally:

 

You can also watch her statement in Spanish.

By Guest Blogger Grace Cunningham.

Posted 09/29/10 at 01:01pm By Jackie Mahendra

GOP Candidates Stuck Between Rock and Hard Place on Immigration: Angle, Rubio, Whitman in Conflict

Recent developments in three high-profile 2010 races highlight the dynamics at play for Republican candidates on immigration, who play to an anti-immigrant faction of the base during the primaries and struggle to change gears to compete for Latino voters in the general election.

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice:

After vicious primary battles on immigration, there’s really no place to go for GOP candidates when it comes to immigration and Latino outreach. In high-profile California, Nevada, and Florida races, Republican candidates who tack hard right during the primaries are struggling to compete for Latino votes in the general election.  We’re seeing a lot of muddled messages, outright hypocrisy, and appeals that differ depending on the audience and the language.  But Latino voters will not view this kindly.  Until Republican politicians find a way to be for Latino voters during the primary and the general election, the GOP will struggle to compete in a growing number of races where Latino voters matter.

Here's a breakdown:

  • Meg Whitman on Comprehensive Immigration Reform – What a Difference a Year Makes: Last October, standing near the U.S./Mexico border in San Diego, Meg Whitman voiced her support for comprehensive immigration reform, saying, “Can we get a fair program where people stand at the back of the line, they pay a fine, they do some things that would ultimately allow a path to legalization?”  Then, during a bruising primary campaign against Steve Poizner, she pivoted to the right on immigration to appeal to the Republican base.  Heading into the general election, Whitman appeared to be making a play for Latino voters – and making progress with them – by sponsoring a series of Spanish-language ads and billboards highlighting her opposition to Arizona’s ‘papers please’ SB1070 law and California’s notorious 1994 anti-immigrant ballot initiative Proposition 187.  New Los Angeles Times polling found that Latinos favor Democratic nominee Jerry Brown by a 19-point margin over Whitman, a much tighter margin than the Carly Fiorina-Barbara Boxer Senate race (in which Fiorina has done much less to moderate her tone).  But Whitman is unable to shed the ghosts of her primary past, and stayed right during last night’s high-stakes debate by reiterating her opposition to offering a “path to legalization” for the undocumented.  So much for being a different kind of Republican. Now, media is buzzing with breaking allegations by Whitman's former housekeeper that she "suffered" as an undocumented immigrant employee of the candidate. This ought to be interesting.
Click here to read more.
Posted 09/29/10 at 10:30am By Maribel Hastings

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: Radio Ad Campaign; Has Whitman “Lost” Latinos?; Obama Talks Up CIR

Various outlets report on a $300,000 radio ad campaign launched yesterday to mobilize the Latino vote heading toward the November 2nd elections. In California, Meg Whitman takes a stand against immigration reform in her first debate in the governor's race, and in New Mexico President Obama makes the case once again for comprehensive immigration reform.

Radio ad campaign. The campaign, which will air ads in nine cities in six states, is sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign, and America’s Voice.

The 60-second ads highlight Republican obstruction on comprehensive immigration reform, as well as their vote to block the DREAM Act last week. They will air in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Miami and Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Houston and McAllen, Texas. All of these cities are in regions where Latino voters will play a decisive role in close races in November’s midterm elections, and in the general election in 2012.

EFE, Notimex, Univisión.com, AOL Latino, La Raza (Chicago), La Voz de Arizona (Phoenix), Al Día (Philadelphia) and El Diario La Estrella (Fort Worth/Dallas) have more on the story.

Whitman vs. Brown in California. La Opinión covers the first of four debates being held in the California gubernatorial race between Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown. La Opinión writes:

“Brown said that he supports immigration reform for the almost 2 million undocumented immigrants in California, but proposed that those who have committed crimes or been detained should be deported. Meanwhile, Republican candidate Meg Whitman rejected any path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, but said she was in favor of a temporary guest worker program.” 

The article continues:

“Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, a Democrat and Brown supporter, commented that Whitman lost the Latino vote yesterday by pronouncing herself an opponent of immigration reform.”

Click here to read more.
Posted 09/28/10 at 12:55pm By Frank Sharry

Immigration Insider: 5 Weeks to Election… CA, FL, and DREAM Politics Take Center Stage

Check out America's Voice new weekly resource, "Immigration Insider," which takes an in-depth look at immigration politics, leading up to the November election. SUBSCRIBE to receive Immigration Insider in your inbox every Tuesday-- absolutely gratis.

Immigration Insider | Election 2010

A vote on the DREAM Act is delayed, but the debate itself could boost Dems' chances this fall. CA candidates attempt extreme makeovers to woo Latino voters. Rep. Bilbray blasts DREAM supporters as "accomplices to murder." FOX News is furious... with Stephen Colbert. Marco Rubio speaks Spanish. America's Voice teams up on Spanish ad blitz to show who's blocking immigration reform.

Welcome to Immigration Insider | 5 Weeks to Election 2010

California’s GOP Gov. and Sen. candidates attempt extreme makeovers to woo Latino voters: CA is providing the template for flipping from harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric in the GOP primary to a kinder, “Hispanic-friendly” tone in the general election. Like gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman, Senate candidate Carly Fiorina has apparently figured out that, in fact, Latino voters do matter. Fiorina was an anti-reform crusader in the CA Senate primary who proudly supported Arizona's "Papers, Please" SB 1070. Now, she supports the DREAM Act (but asserts her opposition to "amnesty" -- which sounds like a "wink, wink" to the anti-immigration forces that she's still really one of them). Fiorina has started a "Vota Tus Valores" (Vote Your Values) bus tour aimed at Latino voters.  Unfortunately for Fiorina, most Latino voters don't value immigrant bashing -- in fact, nearly 30% view immigration as their top issue, according to a 9/23/10 Latino Decisions tracking poll. Not to mention, the legacy of Pete Wilson still haunts the California GOP.

Markos Moulitsas has more on California: http://bit.ly/cr6xX8

Latest CA polling shows Latinos wary of Whitman, Fiorina. According to the latest tracking poll of Latino likely voters by Latino Decisions in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and University of Southern California , 44% said Boxer would do a better job with the issue of immigration; only 13% said Fiorina. In addition, 54% of likely voters said Boxer shared their values better; only 19% said Fiorina. Likely voters split 66%/26% for Boxer.  Among likely voters not already supporting Fiorina, only 8% said there was “a fair chance” they might support her; 35% said “no chance at all.” According to the LA Times: “Latino voters, who have helped to propel California's leftward political swing over recent years, remain reluctant to embrace Republican candidates as the November general election nears.”

More on the power of the Latino vote: http://bit.ly/LatinoVote2010

FL Senate May Hinge on Latinos: Rubio Touts Cuban Biography over Immigration Policy; Crist Says 'Path to Citizenship' Could Save Social Security: Latino voters make up 13% of the Florida's electorate and could prove decisive in the heated three-candidate race to win FL’s open Senate seat.  Republican Marco Rubio is running his first Spanish-language campaign ad, focusing entirely on his background as a Cuban-American and ignoring thorny policy issues like his opposition to the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill and flip-flopping on the controversial Arizona immigration law, SB 1070.  Both Rubio’s opponents, Democrat Kendrick Meek and Independent Charlie Crist, have consistently opposed bringing SB1070 to FL and supported comprehensive immigration reform.  Via Huffington Post's Amanda Terkel, this week Crist also linked immigration reform to the solvency of Social Security, noting that “11-14 million people can become productive, participating members of the American economy, paying the payroll taxes, helping Social Security going forward, and making America stronger financially."

While one poll shows Rubio well ahead with Latino voters, the Latino vote in FL skews Republican due to the traditional dominance of Cuban American voters – a dominance threatened by the growing diversity of the Latino population in Florida. In addition, the sample size is too small to be valid.  Watch to see if Crist and Meek can effectively use the hard-line immigration stances Rubio took during the primary to paint a clear contrast for Latino voters in the general election.

An unprecedented $300,000 Spanish-language ad spend shows political price of blocking reform. Spanish-language ads are being launched in six states and nine major media markets today by SEIU, Mi Familia Vota and America’s Voice. The spots call out Republican obstruction on the DREAM Act and show that there is a price to pay for blocking popular immigration solutions. Ads are running in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; Denver, CO; Miami and Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Las Vegas, NV; and Houston and McAllen, TX—all areas where Latino voters will play a decisive role in contested races this November and in 2012. Listen to the ads: http://bit.ly/SpanishDREAMAds

Click here to read more.
Posted 09/28/10 at 11:58am By Mahwish Khan

Six-figure Ad Buy Calls Out GOP for Obstructing Immigration Reform

Today, SEIU, Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign, and America's Voice launched Spanish-language radio ads in nine media markets around the country.  Here’s a quick summary from NBC’s First Read:

The immigration wars: In a $300,000 national advertising campaign, SEIU, Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign, and America’s Voice are launching Spanish-language radio ads in nine media markets across the country. “The ads,” a source tells First Read, “take on the Republican Party’s obstructionism on immigration reform, cite the GOP’s successful effort to block a vote on the DREAM Act last week, and encourage voters to support the candidates who ‘support our families, and make our dreams come true.’” The nine markets: Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; Denver, CO; Miami and Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Las Vegas, NV; and Houston and McAllen, TX.

Check out the advertisment (en español) below, or read the script translated into English here:

 

The six-figure ad buy is the largest national ad campaign from pro-immigration reform organizations, and it marks the beginning of a voter mobilization drive across the nation. The move is intended to hold politicians accountable for demonizing immigrants and for blocking progress on common sense immigration reform. Additionally, the ads are new to a voter mobilization strategy encouraging Latino and immigrant voters to make their voices heard at the polls. According to Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign:

“Latino voters must take stock of who is with us and who is against us. This is the moment to vote for leaders who will offer real solutions to our broken immigration system and who will commit to building an economy that works for all working families."

The ad comes after the GOP chose to unanimously thwart the only piece of immigration reform legislation that has come up for a vote during this administration  -- the DREAM Act – which would have provided a path to earned citizenship for undocumented students of strong moral character, who completed at least two years of college or military service. Eric Lach of Talking Points Memo extracts these powerful, pertinent lines from the radio advertisement:

"Who wants to quash our dreams?" a young person says in Spanish in the ad. "Republicans."

"President Obama, the Armed Forces, Chambers of Commerce, universities and a majority of the public are on our side," another speaker says. "And they need our help."

This ad is sure to generate plenty of reactions... stay tuned.

Posted 09/27/10 at 04:46pm By Maribel Hastings

The Comedian Gets Serious

Click here to read this article in Spanish.

During the only moment at which he “broke character” from his ultraconservative-commentator persona during a Congressional hearing on undocumented farm workers, comedian Stephen Colbert couldn’t have been more serious:

I like talking about people who don’t have any power.

When a member of Congress asked Colbert why he had gotten involved with this issue, Colbert replied:

it seems like one of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work but don’t have any rights as a result. But yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave. Migrant workers suffer and have no rights.

Some members of Congress, supposedly sent to Washington to be the voice of their constituents and of the weakest in society had complained that Colbert’s presence testifying at the hearing of the Immigration Subcommittee of the House of Representatives showed a “lack of respect” for the institution and made a “joke” of the process. Then again, these people manage to turn their jobs into a joke on a daily basis.

Click here to read more.
Posted 09/27/10 at 04:34pm By Jackie Mahendra

Colbert Storms Congress, Ezra Klein and Charlie Crist on Immigration’s Economic Boost

For your skimming pleasure, here's your Monday Midday Immigration Fix...

  • Arguing for immigration reform, Colbert's testimony continues to throw Congress and many members of the media for a loop (coverage by AP, CNN, NYT, The Hill, WaPo, Vivir Latino, and more). We covered the testimony here.

  • Via Huffington Post's Amanda Terkel, Florida's Independent Senate candidate Charlie Crist says immigration reform is key to keeping social security solvent: "Studies show that 11-14 million people are in the country as non-citizens, and if we are willing to have a thoughtful, reasonable pathway to citizenship -- earning citizenship -- then those 11-14 million people can become productive, participating members of the American economy, paying the payroll taxes, helping Social Security going forward, and making America stronger financially..."

  • Ezra Klein, writing for the Washington Post, reminds us that even with immigration and immigration reform's "mega" economic benefits --  to "raise wages, lower prices, increase the nation's stock of scientists and engineers, and maybe even create the next Google," without costing the government a dime and actually saving us a lot of money -- few politicians are willing to go there. Ezra argues that we need: "More immigration. A pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants. And a recognition that immigration policy is economic policy and needs to be thought of as such."

Click here to read more.
Posted 09/24/10 at 01:01pm By Jackie Mahendra

HYPOCRISY WATCH: Scott Brown, Brian Bilbray Attack DREAM

Updated 3:50 pm EST.

Several politicians are already making outrageous claims about the DREAM Act, trying to defend their votes against taking up the common-sense measure as part of the annual Defense Re-authorization Bill.

Via Culture Kitchen's Liza Sabater, Massachussetts Senator Scott Brown has come out with an ugly attack on the DREAM Act, attempting to smear Harvard University's President for her support of the measure. Of course, the irony is thick: according to a Harvard alum, the reason that ROTC was banned from Harvard's campus was that the program is not open to all students -- specifically, LGBT students are not able to participate.

I received this email from Harvard alum Jeff Hauser, which refers to Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT), the repeal of which had also been attached to Tuesday's procedural motion:

I helped end Harvard funding of ROTC as an undergrad because ROTC is discriminatory (DADT) and not all students had equal access.

Scott Brown voted against ending discrimination in the military (DADT).

Senator Scott Brown was one of several self-proclaimed "moderates" who voted to keep Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal and the DREAM Act from even being taken up with the Defense bill this week.

Liza argues:

This is the allegedly moderate but Tea Party backed Republican US Senator from Massachussetts showing his true colors: From Brown: Harvard Has Its Priorities Upside Down - News - Scott Brown:

I am extremely disappointed to learn of Harvard University's decision to continue to ban ROTC from its campus. It is incomprehensible to me that Harvard does not allow ROTC to use its facilities, but welcomes students who are in this country illegally. Harvard President Faust has been lobbying on Capitol Hill in support of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants attending college. Harvard has its priorities upside down. They should embrace young people who want to serve their country at a time of war, rather than promoting a plan that provides amnesty to students who are in this country illegally.

Sounds pretty slick. Except Brown just voted to keep more patriotic Americans OUT of the military. The DREAM Act would allow American-raised immigrant youth to serve their country, part of the reason it is in the DOD strategic plan for 2010-12:

According to the Department of Defense’s FY2010-12 Strategic Plan, the DREAM Act is recommended by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to help the military “shape and maintain a mission-ready All Volunteer Force.”  [See page 8 in the plan.]  

Margaret Stock, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve (retired), former professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, has argued:

“Potential DREAM Act beneficiaries are also likely to be a military recruiter’s dream candidates for enlistment …  In a time when qualified recruits—particularly ones with foreign language skills and foreign cultural awareness – are in short supply, enforcing deportation laws against these young people makes no sense. Americans who care about our national security should encourage Congress to pass the DREAM Act.” 

As sad as it is to see, Senator Brown is not alone in his hypocritical attacks.

Click here to read more.

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