President Barack Obama is enlisting activists and labor leaders in a push for comprehensive immigration legislation that will showcase Republican opposition and include a speech by the president.
The strategy was discussed during a meeting Monday by a range of prominent labor leaders and activist groups. Participants said Obama reiterated his support for immigration legislation but noted the political realities that have stalled it in Congress.
Latino leaders say they will work in coming months to pressure Republicans to give way and support an immigration bill — and make opponents pay at the ballot box if they don't.
"We're going to make absolutely crystal clear who's at fault here," said Eliseo Medina, a leader of the Service Employees International Union.
Prospects for passage of comprehensive immigration legislation look bleak this election year, and even many Democrats are wary of wading into the hot-button issue. But Obama, who pledged as a candidate to make immigration reform a top priority during his first year in office, faces pressure from the Hispanic community to act — or at least to try.
That's only intensified in the wake of Arizona's passage of a controversial law that requires police officers to question a person's immigration status if there's reason to suspect the person is in the country illegally. Obama has spoken out against the law and asked the Justice Department to examine its legality. Activists anticipate that the Justice Department will sue to overturn the law, but in Monday's meeting Obama said that decision would be left up to the department, and he didn't give a timeline, participants said.
Also Monday, high-ranking federal officials visited Arizona to brief the governor and others on Obama's recently announced plans to send National Guard troops to the border. The National Guard decision dismayed some activists, who said there were complaints in the meeting with Obama about the administration's emphasis on enforcement. But after talking with administration officials Monday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, denounced the National Guard deployment as inadequate — illustrating the divide facing Obama over immigration.
The White House said Obama would deliver a speech soon on "the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform" but didn't give more details.
Given the difficulties of achieving a comprehensive bill, participants in the White House meeting said there was also discussion of attempting to pass smaller pieces of legislation — such as a bill focused on agricultural workers, or one that would help illegal immigrant youths attend college.
Obama is to meet Tuesday with Hispanic members of Congress.
SunWorshiper posted at 2:40 pm on Mon, Jun 28, 2010.
[wink] Seems to me someone in Obama's position SHOULD be telling these acdtivists that he can't discuss with them an item pending litigation. [sad]
Masterrogue666 posted at 2:50 pm on Mon, Jun 28, 2010.
Mr. President, as a US CITIZEN, I oppose any form of amnesty. It didn't work once, it only made things worse. Time to consider the NEEDS of the AMERICAN CITIZEN and not the WANTS of FOREIGN NATIONALS that ignore our laws.....
samkat posted at 5:50 pm on Mon, Jun 28, 2010.
Express your concerns to the president as well as your congressional representatives at www.congress.org.
forkedlift1 posted at 6:09 pm on Mon, Jun 28, 2010.
SunWorshiper,
That's an interesting view. However, you fail to recognize the distinction between the three branches of government. The judicial btanch (not Obama) is currently faced with examining and ruling on legal issues that have already been presented to that branch for review: the federal court with respect to challenged constitutional issues written into Arizona's SB 1070; and the U.S. Supreme Court with respect to an appeal from the 9th Circuit concerning Arizona's employers sanction law.
At the same time, and perhaps caused by national and international reaction to SB 1070, there has been increasing pressure and a loud outcry from the American public to the legislative branch (Congress) and executive branch (Obama) -- "Do something, do something" -- to enact measures for comprehensive immigration reform. Wasn't it just revealed that 80%+ of people polled felt immigration reform should be a legislative priority?
Certainly Obama can and should meet with people who are very knowledgeable about current immigration matters and problems such as these informed activists he met with today. Just as either he or Mr. Holder met with proponents of SB 1070 recently to learn from them as well.
The president did utter a couple of one-liners expressing his negative opinion about SB 1070. (Remember he taught constitutional law for 12 years.) But that's all it is, an opinion. He has no decision making power to dictate to or over an independent judiciary, the courts that are faced with making those decisions. Those judicial decisions must come from them, the third branch of government.
The complex matter of Immigration reform will not be easy and whatever the president might ultimately advise to Congress for same, if anything,
will at least be a decision that has not been made in a vacuum.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:09 am on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
"We're going to make absolutely crystal clear who's at fault here," -- Me, I blame those that are here ILLEGALLY, and their supporters.
"help illegal immigrant youths attend college" -- Why? Shouldn't that assistance go to LEGAL citizens? President Obama, you are suppose to represent the will of US citizens. I thought you said you would never cater to "special interest" groups....
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:17 am on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
"The president did utter a couple of one-liners expressing his negative opinion about SB 1070. " -- He also admitted that he DIDN'T READ SB 1070! Don't you think the President should read something BEFORE he expresses his "opinion"? It tells me where his loyalties are, and they aren't with the US citizen....
RollerCam posted at 8:49 am on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
"...We'll ...make opponents pay at the ballot box ..."
Sounds like a shake-down, doesn't it? A 'jacking' if you will.
You either change the laws of the USA and let millions of my raza stay here or we'll make sure you lose your governmental positions.
Sounds just like mafia tactics to me... Mexican Mafia.
forkedlift1 posted at 10:22 am on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
MR666, You're getting the president confused with Eric Holder. If Obama ever made such a remark, that he had not read the bill, I'd sure like to hear where and when.
Despite all the other world matters on his plate, Obama demonstrated his knowledge of the bill's contents a week and a half after it was signed. You think he might have a crystal ball to have gained this knowledge?
The bill that Brewer signed on Friday, April 23 (ARS 11051.B) began
"For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of this state or a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists......"
The national negative reaction to Arizona's immigration enforcement law occurred immediately and continued to grow in intensity.
One week later Friday, April 30 Brewer signed an amended bill which changed that initial wording to,
"For any STOP, DETENTION OR ARREST made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of this state IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OTHER LAW OR ORDINANCE OF A COUNTY, CITY OR TOWN OF THE STATE where reasonable suspicion exists......."
Early the next week, Obama made the off-handed example at a gathering in Iowa referencing Arizona's "misguided" new law, the example being walking down the street with your daughter to get an ice cream and being interrogated (by a cop) for your papers.
His example was on target with the bill's original language that the governor signed a week and a half earlier and which was causing an unprecedented nationwide revolt.
Even Arizonans didn't know what was occurring behind closed doors to quickly change that applicable language of the bill which prompted Obama's off-handed example.
The person who did demonstrate a lack of knowledge and understanding of the bill's contents was the governor herself. At the same time Brewer was accusing the world of not having read the bill, she herself misinformed network TV audiences and told them, "You won't be asked for papers unless you've committed a crime."
Do you think by now she's read the bill that she signed?
SunWorshiper posted at 10:22 am on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
[innocent] Forked, I don't disagree with all that you say. However, in my defense, I'm pretty sure the article didn't have all the "filler" as what I commented on. Maybe my comments were for another article(?) but the one I read only had a paragraph or two and one of the statements was that these activist groups were going to discuss SB1070 with him. I felt that out of line since Obama would not specifically discuss that topic specifically with Jan Brewer when she met with him in DC and, as reported yesterday, his Reps meeting in AZ this week were also not going to discuss that with her "at this time." My thought process is that since the AZ Gov signed the bill that woke up America, it is only fitting that she be one of the first included when the "appetite" for discussion arises.
forkedlift1 posted at 4:31 pm on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
MR666,
I just double-checked, and Obama used the example about going out with your kid to get ice cream and getting harassed for papers in an informal address at a town hall meeting to the people of Ottumwa, Iowa on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 -- just FOUR DAYS after Brewer signed the original SB 1070. He knew exactly what was contained in that bill.
That portion of Obama's address in Ottumwa, Iowa is available on YouTube, and is part of his broader outlook to express the dire need for comprehensive immigration reform (using some general ideas he'd been thinking about) and that it has to be a bipartisan effort.
If you're a fan of Karl Rove, you'll love the nasty and patent dishonesty he employs to try and discredit Obama in the June 21, 2010 issue of Newsweek. ("Reasoning Arizona" page 20)
Rove refers to the APRIL 27 town hall meeting in Iowa (remember, the law's wording was changed on April 30) repeats the example Obama used (that the Arizona statute would open them up to being "harassed" when "you took your kid out to get ice cream"), then slams Obama all over the place by smugly repeating the LATER language in the law.
Says Rove, "Even a quick reading of the statute shows that police can question someone about their immigration status only if three conditions are met. First, there has to have been a "lawful stop, detention or arrest" to enforce another law." etc.
"Obama willingly mischaracterizes the Arizona law because doing so benefits his party and himself."
I'm appalled that Rove's flat-out lie, embellished to maliciously malign a person's character and credibility, got by the Newsweek editors.
Recap:
4-23-10 Brewer signs SB 1070
4-27-10 Obama utters kid-out-for-ice-cream
example
4-30-10 SB 1070 language amended to say "stop,
detention or arrest." Brewer signs
amendments.
Slabside posted at 7:56 pm on Tue, Jun 29, 2010.
An open letter from actor Jon Voight to President Obama:
June 22, 2010
President Obama:
You will be the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when you said that you would defend Israel, the only Democratic state in the Middle East, against all their enemies. You have done just the opposite. You have propagandized Israel, until they look like they are everyone's enemy — and it has resonated throughout the world. You are putting Israel in harm's way, and you have promoted anti-Semitism throughout the world.
You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today. The Jewish people have given the world our greatest scientists and philosophers, and the cures for many diseases, and now you play a very dangerous game so you can look like a true martyr to what you see and say are the underdogs. But the underdogs you defend are murderers and criminals who want Israel eradicated.
You have brought to Arizona a civil war, once again defending the criminals and illegals, creating a meltdown for good, loyal, law-abiding citizens. Your destruction of this country may never be remedied, and we may never recover. I pray to God you stop, and I hope the people in this great country realize your agenda is not for the betterment of mankind, but for the betterment of your politics.
With heartfelt and deep concern for America and Israel,
Jon Voight
forkedlift1 posted at 2:29 am on Wed, Jun 30, 2010.
SunWorshiper, I think you may be thinking about the article that appeared in the Republic yesterday, entitled "Activists state case to reform U.S. policy" and sub-titled "Federal government urged to enact comprehensive law."
That news article was of a strictly local event where a woman organized a group of 200 people in the Heard Museum parking lot on Sunday, and where they spelled out "S.O.S. CONGRESS" with their bodies and were photographed from a high-rise apartment balcony.
Both that article about the Phoenix activity and this Tribune article, reporting on those that met with Obama had "activists" in their titles, and since they both had the same goal in mind, but with different venues, it might be easy to mix them up.
In the report of the event at the Heard Museum parking lot, the organizing activist said that the debate over SB 1070 has left the perception nationwide that Arizona is a racist state and has polarized the issue despite a common belief that federal immigration policies need revising. Another woman in attendance said she thought federal officials need to craft an immigration law that includes some type of guest worker program.
(It's hard to live in Arizona and not consider the over-the-top SB 1070 as a motivating factor to argue the need for Congressional immigration reform measures.)
There's no indication from this Tribune article that the meeting of these activists with Obama was anything other than them offering their input and ideas for comprehensive immigration reform. It doesn't say how many he met with nor (except for one) the organizations they were affiliated with. He reportedly discreetly told them the same thing he told Brewer about the prospect of a lawsuit by the Justice Department to overturn SB 1070 -- that it would be left up to that department.
With regard to an "appetite" for discussion, ever since Brewer signed SB 1070, both she and Russell Pearce, as well as the bill's out-of-state author Kris Kobach, have steadfastly maintained to the people of Arizona that SB 1070 will pass Constitutional muster, that it is a "mirror" of federal immigration law; and even as the boycotts and lawsuits representing a quintillion plaintiffs mounted, Brewer dug in her heels further and said that she will fight for that law all the way to the Supreme Court if need be.
Add to that her combative actions, even picking a counter-productive fight with Attorney General Goddard (whose office successfully argued the case for Arizona's employers sanction law before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals), and you've got a person who has NO "appetite for discussion," as most people define the word "discussion."
With the portent of 50 different immigration laws for 50 different states, since some other states have reportedly expressed an interest in doing as Arizona has done, I hope that the Justice Department does take action to overturn Arizona's precedent setting law.....that did wake up America and hopefully woke up Congress.
john smithson posted at 6:12 am on Wed, Jun 30, 2010.
Is this heading a little misleading? I don't really believe that what Mr. Obama wants is reform. Doesn't he want to give amnesty? That's different than reform. http://www.arizonaautoglass.org
Accuracy posted at 11:08 am on Wed, Jun 30, 2010.
"The White House said Obama would deliver a speech soon on "the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform" but didn't give more details."
---------------------------------
Obama, activists to push on immigration reform??
During his 2008 campaign, “Open Border” Obama promised pro-immigration and Hispanic groups that he would make an amnesty program a top priority. Now, President Barack Obama is ready to sign an executive order giving illegal aliens amnesty and uses his pardon power to make 12 millions of illegal aliens citizens.
Bypass Congress and uses his pardon power . . An executive order he will not talk about right now.
allamer posted at 5:32 pm on Wed, Jun 30, 2010.
The President of the United States enlisting the advocates of illegal aliens in a push for legislation to make them legal----not really consistent with his oath of office. He swore to faithfully execute the Office of President. Apparently no one explained to him that his job is to EXECUTE the laws; not change the laws. Also, his oath requires him to preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution which is for the benefit of We The People. That means American citizens; not foreign citizens. Yet, he collaborates with alien advocates, while ignoring the disaster in the Gulf.