Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Will Immigration Reform Be Put On The Back Burner Again?
Ever since President Bush made it clear, pre 9/11, that reform of the dysfunctional immigration process in the U.S. was one of the major goals of his administration, there has been much more talk than any meaningful action. Immigration reform has repeatedly been pushed aside while the Congress and Administration focus on the urgent concerns that keep arising: First 9/11 and the subsequent war on terror, the economic downturn, the War in Irag and now, possibly, the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina. Yes, taking care of the victims of a disaster which has ended the lives of thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands and effectively destroyed, temporarily, a major American city, should take precedence at this time, but what next?
What effect will the pathetic Federal response to Katrina (I know, there is plenty of blame to go around) and his fight to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice and to fill another vacancy on the Supreme Court have on the President’s ability or desire to support effective immigration reform?
My concern is that the focus will be on helping “our own:” the vast number of U.S. citizens and lawful residents who have seen their lives destroyed by Katrina. Once again the undocumented workers and their families, who are suffering just as much as “legal” residents, if not more because of lack of bank accounts, social services and fear of being discovered when applying for aid or trying to escape the disaster, will be excluded from public concern and legalization channels postponed yet again.
What effect will the pathetic Federal response to Katrina (I know, there is plenty of blame to go around) and his fight to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice and to fill another vacancy on the Supreme Court have on the President’s ability or desire to support effective immigration reform?
My concern is that the focus will be on helping “our own:” the vast number of U.S. citizens and lawful residents who have seen their lives destroyed by Katrina. Once again the undocumented workers and their families, who are suffering just as much as “legal” residents, if not more because of lack of bank accounts, social services and fear of being discovered when applying for aid or trying to escape the disaster, will be excluded from public concern and legalization channels postponed yet again.
