Reconquistas upset about loss of illegal alien rewards
Florida Sun-Sentinel - 12/21/2000
New immigration law doesn't help Haitians, Central Americans in U.S. illegally
"We believe
the anti-immigrant forces in the Republican Party saw
the election outcome as a message that they were in control,"
said Jean Robert LaFortune, who heads the Haitian Grassroots
Coalition in Miami. Congressional conservatives overcame moderates
within the Republican Party who had favored some of the reforms,
he said. "They are picking and choosing which immigrants
they want," LaFortune said. "They are giving most of
us Latino immigrants and Caribbean immigrants a hard time."
"The helpful
things they did for some groups are good news, but so many others
were left out," said Cheryl Little of the Florida Immigrant
Advocacy Center. "Clearly those decisions are going to have
an impact in South Florida. It's so disappointing."
"One result
of this will be the separation of immigrant families," said
Steve Forester, an attorney who had lobbied
unsuccessfully for the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act. "The
effects are going to be felt one by one in the cases of individuals
deported in the coming months."
George W. Bush: "Family
values do not stop at the border," the president-elect,
said during the election campaign. "There are a lot of folks
in Mexico concerned about feeding their children. ... There are
some in my party, and a lot in the other party, who want to build
a wall between Mexico and the United States. Fearful people build
walls; confident people tear them down." Bush,
however, remained noncommittal about legislation to provide legal
status to Haitians and Central Americans, whereas Al Gore, the
Democratic candidate, pointedly endorsed it. That may be
partly why almost two-thirds of Hispanic voters chose Gore. [See Glenn Spencer's
statement on the election of Bush - 12/22/00]
On L.I.F.E.:
"Democrats had been pushing for an amnesty for up to a million
people. This will be a far more limited measure, although the
number of people who would benefit might still be half a million,"
said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center
for Immigration Studies, a research and advocacy group for
restricting immigration. "It helps Republicans appear to
be responding to Hispanic concerns -- by saying they were dealing
with the most salient part of the problem, the separation of
families -- without accepting a bill that was larded up with
Democratic provisions."
Broken Promises to Latinos - Miguel Perez
"We've been
to Washington, D.C., three times during this year alone, with
hundreds and hundreds of people from Central America who are
trying to get parity and justice," said Denis Johnston,
director of the immigration rights program at the American Friends
Service Committee in Newark.
In a stern statement,
Rep. Robert Menendez, D-Union City, charged that "despite
the Republican Party's newfound philosophy of compassionate conservatism,"
the final, Republican-proposed bill does not bring the illegal
immigrants' registry date up to 1986 and fails to include parity
for Central American refugees.
Menendez said Republicans
"have again missed a golden opportunity" to help Hispanic
families. "From their actions, they seem to be saying that
hard-working Latino families don't count." He is right.
But by caving in, so are Democrats.
"The Republicans
used a strategy with which we are now all too familiar,"
Menendez said, "sitting by and letting the clock run out
on the budget process without producing meaningful legislation,
even though they tried so hard this fall to court Latino voters."
The Star Ledger (NJ) - 12/20/2000
Supporters of immigrant rights handed huge loss in Congress
"What is frustrating
about this one is we shouldn't have lost," said Cecilia
Muñoz of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's
largest Hispanic advocacy group. "We had the momentum, the
bipartisan support and the clear public support. It's inexplicable."
"We have clearly
helped thousands of families, but not the hundreds of thousands
I think we could have," said Rep. Robert Menendez (D-13th
Dist.), who was a key supporter of the immigrant provisions.
"There are a
lot of tough choices ahead," said Angela Kelley, deputy
director of the National Immigration Forum. "Is President-
elect Bush going to be moderate and strike deals, or is he going
to listen to the right wing of the party?"
Legislation opens door for people seeking amnesty - Scripps-McClatchy Western Service December 19, 2000
"(This) resolves
most of the ultimate issues, but the courts still have to protect
class members from deportation and joblessness pending the start-up
of the (late amnesty) application process," Carlos Holguín,
an attorney with the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional
Law, said Monday. (Holguín
works for Peter
Schey - a one man nation wrecking crew who is funded
by the Ford
Foundation. He is mentioned in Bonds of Our Union, Part II)
Minneapolis Star Tribune - 12/15/00 (Link expired)
Hispanic caucus comes up short on legislative priority
"I say very
sincerely that the cowardice of Republican congressional leaders
presents an opportunity for George W. Bush to be courageous,"
said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill, in English and in Spanish.
Hispanic Caucus chairman
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, R-El Paso: "I would ask President-elect
Bush that you will have an opportunity to step up to the plate,"
he said. "You will have an opportunity to be courageous
and do the right thing in the next four years."
Newsday - 12/16/00
Immigrant Advocates Critical of Agreement Say deal to ease restrictions falls too short
"We are very
disappointed that the package does not go far enough," said
Kevin Appleby, the director of policy with the United States
Catholic Conference in Washington.
"We are deeply
disappointed and outraged," said Oscar Chacón, president
of the Salvadoran-American National Network. "We will remain
vigilant the next year."
Orange County Register - 12/16/00
Immigration reforms draw mixed reactions
"I refuse to
give up until we win a no-compromise victory on fairness for
immigrants," said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill., a Congressional
Hispanic Caucus member during a press conference in Washington,
D.C. on Friday.
Newsday - 12/16/00
Congress Agrees To Immigrants Stay
(About 300,000 to 500,000 spouses and children of green card holders will be allowed to come to the United States or stay here as their own green-card applications are processed. Another 200,000 people awaiting green cards signifying permanent residence could pay fines rather than be forced to return to their homelands.)
''It is not enough,''
said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. ''It represents a small amount
of help to very select people.''
Hispanic and immigration
advocates said the claimed gains are misleading. Many of the
people affected by the visa and fine programs are already eligible
for green cards, said Jeanne Butterfield, executive director
of American Immigration Lawyers Association.
L.A. Times - 12/15/00
Immigration Reform Effort Comes Up Short
"There's been
a huge opportunity to enact good immigration policy that's been
lost," said Rick Swartz, an advisor to groups seeking to
ease immigration laws. "They got beat by the anti-immigration
forces outside and inside the Congress."
Peter
Schey--a Los Angeles-based attorney who represents many
of the 1980s-era amnesty applicants, many of them living in Southern
California--hailed the legislation. "This will bring an
end to a 12-year nightmare for up to 400,000 immigrant families,
most of whom have been forced to live in constant fear of deportation,"
he said. Exactly how many immigrants ultimately would benefit,
though, is unclear. Schey said that a major challenge will be
contacting the applicants, some of whom have died or left the
country or perhaps gained legal status another way. "Hopefully
we can locate a couple of hundred thousand," he said.
Stein Report/Congress Daily - 12/14/00
Hispanic caucus fuming over immigration deal
Representative Luis
Gutierrez (D-IL), leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus,
sent a "scathing" letter to President Clinton today
accusing White House officials of "capitulating" to
Republicans on immigration matters. The letter arrived after
an immigration deal had been struck between the White House and
the Republican leadership on an immigration package both sides
have been negotiating for weeks. Clinton threatened to veto the
Commerce, Justice and State (CJS) Appropriations bill earlier
this year unless it included the blanket amnesty the Hispanic
Caucus frantically pushed for. Gutierrez groused, "some
of our allies are now resigned to accepting the premise that
the trust we placed in you regarding immigration issues was unwarranted
and ill-advised." See
this link.
