Immigrant advocates say immigration enforcement worse under Obama
Prominent immigrant advocates launched their most sharply worded public critique yet of the Obama administration’s immigration policy.
Advocates who spoke at today’s press conference in Washington, D.C. angrily pointed to statistics that showed a significant acceleration in immigration enforcement over President Bush’s last year, with over 387,000 immigrants deported since Obama’s inauguration.
As a result, livelihoods were lost, local economies affected, and families split apart, the advocates said.
“These are the same enforcement practices that we marched against during the Bush administration,” said Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
On any given day, Salas added, over 32,000 immigrants are under detention in jails and prisons around the country awaiting deportation.
The advocates said they felt betrayed by an Obama administration that promised to take their concerns into account and then became more aggressive than its predecessor in cracking down on immigrants.
Brent Wilkes, executive national director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, a Latino civil rights group, recalled candidate Barack Obama’s promise at a LULAC event to reform the country’s immigration laws in his first year in office. Wilkes said many LULAC members believed this promise, which hasn’t yet been fulfilled.
“But one thing they never believed in their wildest dreams is that President Obama would have a record like this, where he surpassed the Bush administration in deportations,” Wilkes said. “It is unconscionable to have over 387,000 deported in the first year of an Obama presidency, and our community is angry.”
A video of the event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. is available for streaming at C-Span 2. The advocates called on President Obama and Congress to halt deportations until the system gets an overhaul. According to the statistics presented, there were about 120,000 less deportations in the final year of President Bush’s presidency than in Obama’s inaugural 365 days.
The press conference came on the same day President Obama was scheduled to meet with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in an effort to nudge immigration legislation forward.
One of the presenters today was a schoolgirl named Beatriz whose family was targeted by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement inquiry. She tearfully described how federal agents trailed her in order to investigate her parents.
Wilkes said roughly 5.5 million U.S. citizen children nationwide have at least one parent who is an unauthorized immigrant and that deportations inevitably lead to broken households.
“This administration seems proud to out-enforce the Bush administration,” added Pramila Jayapal, executive director of the Seattle-based OneAmerica group.
The advocates also contended that the immigration audits or “paper raids” that have replaced workplace raids under Obama are just as damaging to immigrant communities and the businesses that depend on them.
The advocates, part of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement coalition, plan to join other advocacy coalitions as well as labor and faith groups in a pro-immigration march on Washington, D.C. March 21.
Note: This is a cross-post from New America Media.
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Politicians have a habit of bypassing the law that is firmly in place, if its not beneficial to those who insure their large campaign contributions or some other method of secret payment. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford (D-AZ) is obviously trying to uproot E-Verify with yet another program called NEVA. We must not get distracted by some other illegal alien enforcement, as in the future it to will be impaired by another program and another. Then–NOTHING–gets done. Homeland Security and ICE should work with what has progressed and that is E-verify. Critics are brought and paid for, by the opponents of any enforcement project. Likewise an example will be pharmaceutical companies who pay specialists to offer astounding testament of some wonderful drug, only to find later its has terrible side effects. Everything has its price specially in this capitalist society, where the ordinary working man and womens interests come last. That’s why states like California that refuses to immunize itself against the invasion and need budgetary stewards like Steve Poizner, as a new governor who promises to fight back against supporting illegal alien families public entitlements
You only have to look at the wilting Health Care reform? Bombarded as we are by negative advertising. France, a socialist republic has a wonderful health care system and relatives of mine who live there will heartily agree of it great benefits. In America GIANT INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND WALL STREET ARE KING. Anybody can be brought in many cases, just as companies who have been intimidated or the psychological approach of imprinting regular people with some form of indoctrinations. Far as many bloggers are concerned, hundreds of rural and independent newspapers acknowledge E-Verify works? WE THE PATRIOTIC AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST NOT LET THE CRITICS OR THE WIDE OPEN BORDER ORGANIZATIONS, TRY TO ADJUST YOUR OPINION OF E-VERIFY. SOON DOCUMENT FRAUD WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT E-VERIFY IS GOING TO REMAIN IN STASIS? MANY NEW TOOLS ARE GOING TO BE ADDED AND ILLEGAL WORKERS WILL BE REMOVED BY ATTRITION.
A comment from a business human resources states:
Comment:
“I have used E-Verify for several years, and only once have I encountered this event, and it was quickly resolved due to the person whose identity was stolen stepping forward to correct earnings report errors. E-Verify works better than any other mechanism available. Opponents are still striving to discredit its value and accuracy. For identity theft to get past E-Verify, it has to involve a complete theft. (Name, DOB and SSN) Just getting a name and SSN will not suffice. I would gladly welcome a requirement for photo match,(which is being introduced shortly) which already happens for non-citizens using an immigration card or passport as their submitted documents. As an employer, if E-Verify has no other value, it provides the presumption of not “knowingly” employing an illegal, which is a priceless protection for employers.”
Illegal immigration is–EVERY AMERICAN WORKERS–responsibility and we should keep up a repetitious bombardment on every state and federal Senator and Representative at 202-224-3121 to enforce every law. IT IS OUR DUTY TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AT YOUR WORK PLACE OR ANYTHING YOU SEE AND HEAR. 15 million US citizens and legal residents are jobless, with low income workers mainly at risk. The Internet is convinced their are 8 million illegal workers who have taken the the jobs of the legitimate workforce. EVEN SO THESE PEOPLE BROKE THE LAW AND ITS OUR OBLIGATION AND RIGHT TO REMOVE THEM.Other statistics indicate Washington is still importing a million plus semi-skilled workers yearly.
In addition Border patrol has chillingly estimated that only 1 in 10 illegal entrants gets caught at the border. THIS CONCLUSION OF 20 TO 30 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FAMILIES HAVE SETTLED HERE AND IT IS AN ONGOING RISK TO OUR WELFARE ENTITLEMENT SYSTEM. We cannot afford to regress on E-Verify or any other enforcement program such as 287 (g) local police alien detainment, ICE raids and the REAL ID and SAVE ACT. We must also impose restrictions on this demented Birthright citizen law?
Don’t be sidetracked by Sen.Harry Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen LINDSEY GRAHAM or Sen. John mcCain and other equally insistent on another Comprehensive Immigration reform. ITS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF UNDERHANDINGLY SANITIZING ANOTHER AMNESTY, WHERE AMERICANS WILL BE EVEN MORE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT UNCOUNTABLE NUMBERS OF NEWLY LEGITIMIZED IMMIGRANTS. It’s almost unobtainable now with all states, but border states like Sanctuary California and even Texas and Arizona in a wretched financial positions pandering to illegal immigrants in hundreds of billions of dollars in welfare. E-Verify must be guaranteed to be improved, permanent and completely funded. Years of neglect by politicians has caused this terrible situation, with a poorly built border fence, easy movement of people who have overstayed US entry visas.
Our nation is being invaded and colonized. As is our duty, We the People will resist.
The cost to the American people WOULD BUY A COUNTRY, just as the Overpopulation growth we will inherit in 2040.. Read the truth about corruption and the illegal immigration occupation of our country at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH, IMMIGRATIONBUZZ, RIGHTSIDENEWS & DIRECTORBLUE. THEAMERICANRESISTANCE Copy and Paste No Copyright. Get the truth to THE PEOPLE! ONE FLAG, ONE LANGUAGE. LEARN WHO YOUR ENEMY IS IN WASHINGTON?
[...] Originally Posted by nononsenseguy What is the "real problem of employers"? Conservatives and the GOP always like to talk a good game re: "illegal immigration", but the reality is they seldom do much about it, to avoid upsetting their corporate handlers (who benefit the most, thru cheap wages). The Bush Administration became notorious for this: "The claims of this administration and its commitment to interior enforcement of immigration laws are laughable," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, an advocacy group that favors tougher workplace enforcement, among other measures. "The administration only discovered immigration enforcement over the past few months, five years into its existence, and only then because they realized that a pro-enforcement pose was necessary to get their amnesty plan approved." "the Bush Administration focused its resources on undocumented workers rather than high value targets like unscrupulous employers and dangerous criminals." Illegal Hiring Is Rarely Penalized – washingtonpost.com Ironically, Obama and co. have been much more "aggressive": DHS Shifts Focus to Employers Immigrant advocates say immigration enforcement worse under Obama [...]
[...] Originally Posted by nononsenseguy What is the "real problem of employers"? Conservatives and the GOP always like to talk a good game re: "illegal immigration", but the reality is they seldom do much about it, to avoid upsetting their corporate handlers (who benefit the most, thru cheap wages). The Bush Administration became notorious for this: "The claims of this administration and its commitment to interior enforcement of immigration laws are laughable," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, an advocacy group that favors tougher workplace enforcement, among other measures. "The administration only discovered immigration enforcement over the past few months, five years into its existence, and only then because they realized that a pro-enforcement pose was necessary to get their amnesty plan approved." "the Bush Administration focused its resources on undocumented workers rather than high value targets like unscrupulous employers and dangerous criminals." Illegal Hiring Is Rarely Penalized – washingtonpost.com Ironically, Obama and co. have been much more aggressive about workplace enforcement: DHS Shifts Focus to Employers Immigrant advocates say immigration enforcement worse under Obama [...]