Why Latinos Are Frustrated: It’s Called Leadership

America's Voice Blog

Posted 08/13/10 at 02:20pm

As Politico reported last week, Spanish-language media, just like Latino voters, are growing increasingly frustrated with Washington's inaction on comprehensive immigration reform -- and with the Obama Administration's policy of continuing Bush-era immigration enforcement policies that deport the undocumented immigrant moms and dads who were supposed to be legal taxpayers and citizens by now.

Seems like pretty justified anger, but over at ThinkProgress, Matt Yglesias states that the President shouldn't get too much blame, because showing leadership would somehow make the near-hysterical immigration debate “partisan” and “polarized:”

"…when Presidents insert themselves into legislative debates, that induces partisan polarization. Immigration has always been an issue that scrambles both parties coalitions, and I don’t think that’s changed today. A more polarized dynamic is only going to make reform harder to achieve. Of course the president would have a role in pushing a bill over the finish line, but success requires a starting baseline of genuine cooperation on the Hill."

Here’s the thing. The immigration debate in Congress is already partisan and polarized. When it comes to the issue of immigration, Republicans are lock step behind a partisan political strategy instead of a responsible legislative strategy. In a year when John McCain's immigration platform is "complete the danged fence," Lindsey Graham wants to scrap the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution because of the imaginary threat of what he calls "drop and leave" births, and GOP candidates propose everything from tent cities to 1940’s-style internment camps for the undocumented, it's clear that Republicans don't feel pressure to offer a pragmatic solution to illegal immigration.

Perhaps the only thing that could break the polarization in Washington and start the long process back toward bipartisanship on the issue is if the Democrats—including the President—spoke up loudly, confidently, and consistently about dangers of the Republican approach and the need for real comprehensive immigration reform. Sure, the President can’t be the only voice of reason in order to break the logjam, but he can guide the way. He has given some good speeches, but he has not spoken about the issue nearly as much as he needs to. Doing so would draw clear lines for American voters and raise the stakes for the GOP: will Republican politicians stick with their fantasy-land proposals, or will they be dragged to table to craft a real solution that Americans of all political persuasions actually want?

Instead, the Administration and Democratic leaders often act like they are afraid of the issue, choosing to highlight their similarities with Republicans on “securing the border” instead of highlighting the fact that comprehensive immigration reform is the only way to a truly secure border. Just look at the rush to bring the Senate back from recess to pass an “emergency” bill that sends another $600 million in troops and unmanned drones to the border, but does nothing to deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants in our country today.

As Lynn Tramonte, Deputy Director of America's Voice, said when the border bill was passed:

"By bringing the border bill forward, Democratic leaders say they are hoping to court Republicans who have refused to negotiate on comprehensive immigration reform until the border is 'secure.' But who decides it’s 'secure,' and when, and how? Already, Republican Members of Congress are saying the bill doesn’t go far enough. The fact is, Republican senators and representatives have made a political decision not to work with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform because they think this is in their electoral interests. They are wrong. Not only are they alienating Latino voters with their anti-immigrant rhetoric, but they are irresponsibly blocking a solution that America desperately needs."

This last point is crucial -- voters' clamor for border security measures doesn't change their steadfast support for lasting, comprehensive reform. They want action, and they want Washington to grow up and fix the problem in a way that will work. Polls of swing districts and states have shown that Democrats win when they talk about their vision for immigration reform, but suffer badly when they play defense with Republican posturing. In fact, a poll Hart Research Associates conducted for America's Voice in four moderate-to-conservative states this spring showed that:

"Confidence in Democrats grows after a tough debate on the issue. In all four states, confidence in the Democrats to handle the immigration issue grows considerably after voters hear the plan and subsequent debate. Democrats start with a 12-percentage point deficit on 'which party do you trust on immigration?' After describing reform proposals and related party positions, Democrats end with a 4-percentage point advantage – a 16-percentage point swing."

For Latinos in particular, the current immigration debate isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous. Every day that passes without Washington fixing our broken immigration system isn't just a day that millions of people remain in the shadows -- it's a day that over a thousand undocumented immigrants get separated from their families and deported to countries they no longer call home. Over 4 million U.S. citizen children risk losing one or both parents. Countless more risk losing a loved one. As easy as the “illegal is illegal” soundbites may sound, families and neighborhoods do not segregate by status: in a poll Bendixen and Amandi conducted for America’s Voice in December 2009, 62% of Latino voters said they had an undocumented friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker. The issue is personal, and the President is in charge.

Latinos are frustrated with Obama for breaking his promise to act on comprehensive reform during his first year in office, but also for what his Administration has achieved. President Obama could have done more to change ICE policies to truly focus on violent criminals and dangerous offenders. Instead, his Administration continues to deport more immigrants -- hundred of thousands of whom have never committed a crime -- than even Republican predecessor.

Furthermore, Obama's DHS is rapidly expanding the scope of controversial enforcement programs like Secure Communities, even as it becomes painfully clear that they're not working as advertised. According to a Cardozo Law School report published this week, while Congress intended Secure Communities to deport dangerous criminals, it's being used as a "dragnet" for undocumented immigrants: 79 percent of immigrants who have been deported thanks to Secure Communities are not serious criminals, and 28 percent of immigrants who have been turned over to ICE under the program have no criminal convictions at all.

This isn’t inaction, it’s bad action.

President Obama has continued many of the worst enforcement policies of President Bush. Both the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats have fallen prey to the border-first mantra of the GOP. In an election year where swing voters are looking for solutions and Latino voters are looking for respect, all parties have some ’splainin to do on immigration.