The pro-amnesty activists at La Raza and Reform Immigration for America are cautiously optimistic that President Obama is on the verge of obliterating current immigration restrictions and caving to the pressure of his left-wing Latino supporters. The leadership of these two radical organizations must be slavering over the chance to catch President Obama at the height of his platform-promoting zeal. Surely they are figuring that if the President can pull off the passage of healthcare “reform,” then there must be nothing he can’t do … including enactment of some equally odious immigration package.
To evince his commitment to the overhaul of America’s immigration policies, President Obama sent invitations to Senators Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to meet with him at the Oval Office to discuss the matter and to try and hammer out an agreement that would satisfy both sides of the debate.
Graham and Schumer were the honored guests of the President because of their collaboration on a plan for the comprehensive overhaul of current immigration laws and policies. This structure would form the skeleton upon which the flesh of immigration legislation would grow.
For his part, Senator Graham was not impressed by the President’s hospitality. Graham accuses the President of “lip service” solely aimed at bolstering his own temporary political agenda. Graham criticized President Obama for “hastily” convening last week’s meeting only to demonstrate his claim of “unwavering commitment” to immigration in advance of next week’s rally.
The aforementioned Reform Immigration for America is sponsoring a massive rally in Washington, D.C., on March 21, 2010. Protestors plan to boisterously (though peacefully) communicate their advocacy of “democracy” and their belief that, “our democracy is betrayed by having 12 million people who work, pay taxes, and are part of our communities, but are excluded from the full American family.” What they fail to mention is that these 12 million people have excluded themselves from the American mainstream by illegally entering the United States. Criminals, by definition, are exempted from benefiting from the privileges enjoyed by the law-abiding.
The roster of co-sponsors of the so-called “March for America,” reads like a “Who’s Who” of leftist groups. Infamous organizations such as the National Council of La Raza and the League of United American Citizens (LULAC) are among the illustrious names of sponsors proud to support the efforts of the march organizers to provide instant legal status to millions of people whose disregard for the law put them in their lamentable predicament.
On the whitehouse.gov website, President Obama praises the efforts of Senators Graham and Schumer and proclaims his alliance with “the growing coalition” of community organizations (such as those listed above) whose “efforts will contribute to a favorable climate toward moving forward.”
That plan sounds audacious enough, but the question remains: moving forward toward what? It isn’t progress unless one is aware of the destination. In this case, the destination seems to be the granting of legal immigration status to the millions of undocumented immigrants currently residing illegally within the porous borders of the United States.
Several key grassroots leaders met with the President last Thursday, as well. To a man, they praised President Obama for his “leadership for comprehensive immigration legislation.” Clarissa Martinez de Castro, director of immigration and national campaigns for La Raza, said she anticipates a legislative blueprint to be ready in time for the rally scheduled for next week in the nation’s capitol.
“Considering he is in the final stretch on health care reform, it’s extremely significant … that he carved out time” to discuss the immigration issue, she remarked.
Ms. de Castro’s hopes may be soon dashed, however, by a Congress that has repeatedly demonstrated a reluctance to spend valuable political capital in furtherance of similar legislation proposed in 2006 and 2007. In the midst of a bitter partisan battle over healthcare and the promise of electoral repercussions for lawmakers who support the President’s plan, legislators may not have the stomach for sticking their necks out for illegal immigrants.
Of all the provisions contained in the bipartisan blueprint being drawn by Graham and Schumer, none is more baneful than the “mandatory biometric identification” which would be issued to all workers so as to “stem the flow of illegal workers” in the future. There is no provision in the senators’ proposal for the exemption of American citizens from this national worker ID mandate.
Besides, is there any such thing as an “illegal worker” when the laws are constantly in flux and he who was once a criminal is instantly pardoned by the stroke of the president’s pen?
Notwithstanding the controversy and the toxic political climate, there are those committed leftists who will live in hope even if they die in despair. Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the ambiguously named Center for Community Change, told reporters after the meeting at the White House, “We walk away from this very productive meeting optimistic that if the White House follows through on its commitments, comprehensive reform can be achieved this year.”
Another attendee added that he expects the President to fulfill his promise to fix the “broken” immigration structure.
The only structure that is broken is the border of the United States. The protections against invasion along our southern border are woeful. The obstacles separating the United States from Mexico are laughably pregnable and such is proven by hundreds of violators on a daily basis.
As The New American has reported, it should be no surprise that President Obama would side with those who ultimate goal is the absolute dismantling of all immigration barriers. The President has nominated members of these radical organizations to important roles in his administration, including ambassador to El Salvador (Maria del Carmen Aponte) and White House adviser (Cecilia Munoz), both of whom are former officials of the National Council of La Raza.
Contrary to the picture painted by Senator Graham, President Obama is not a newcomer to this issue. His genuine commitment to fulfill the promises he has made to these groups has been demonstrated since the beginning of his administration. One of Obama’s earliest acts upon sitting down behind the desk in the Oval Office was the nomination of Ms. Munoz, a former senior vice president at NCLR, to the occupy the post of Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Remarkably, Munoz described those organizations formed to stem the tide of illegal immigrants over America’s southern border as "hate groups" motivated by “bigotry” against the Latin race.
And the most recent award stowed in the President’s trophy case of tyranny, there was his historical nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor has proudly proclaimed her membership in the NCLR.
In light of last week’s confab, it is evident that President Obama’s devotion to the treacherous and potentially treasonous design of Reform Immigration for America, La Raza, and scores of other likeminded groups is neither new nor diminished.
Photo of pro-amnesty march in Los Angeles: AP Images
