Explore our content

All types | All dates | All authors
Immigration
Quick Hit
by Angela Caputo
12:01pm
Mon Mar 22, 2010
1 comment

"Tired And Disgusted"

After confirming that he would vote "Yes" on health care reform, Illinois' own Rep. Luis Gutierrez hit the airwaves late last week to explain why he decided to use his vote to play hardball with the White House on immigration reform. Here's an impassioned excerpt from his appearance on MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan show:

GUTIERREZ : I go to sweat shops in L.A. and in New York. I go to fields in California. I've been in Nebraska and I've been in Iowa to go to meatpacking plants. And I am tired and disgusted that I have to continue to have conversations with women so vulnerable [and] so exploited every day by their employers and their supervisors. Exploited sexually because they know they can call the immigration [authorities] -- we need to end that kind of exploitation. So if I go to the White House to demand a little fairness and a little justice and a little refocus on this administration's attention to the plight of undocumented immigrants -- and to the plight of immigrants in all -- you know, I'm proud to have done that.

Go watch the entire interview here.

Quick Hit
by Angela Caputo
11:04am
Fri Mar 19, 2010

"A Step In The Right Direction"

Yesterday, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) unveiled a long-awaited comprehensive immigration reform proposal that they dubbed a "tough but fair plath to legalization." Not all immigrant rights activists are thrilled with the plan, noting that it does little to address family reunification or reform the quota system that determines how work visas are handed out. But as far as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) is concerned, the framework of the bill is "a step in the right direction." Now, the bargaining process can begin. More from a statement:

We thank Senators Schumer and Graham and President Obama for committing to address immigration reform -- but we are past the time when nice words are enough, and we expect actual legislation to move quickly in Congress.

That's a message that lawmakers can count on hearing at the "March for America" in D.C. on Sunday.

Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
12:41pm
Fri Mar 12, 2010
7 comments

Gutierrez A "No" On Health Care Reform? (UPDATED)

Pro-life U.S. House members might not be the only Illinois Democrats to oppose the final health care bill. Rep. Luis Gutierrez says that, as currently written, he cannot support the restrictions placed on undocumented immigrants in the Senate version of the reform package.

It's possible Gutierrez is using his vote on health care to strike some sort of agreement with the White House on comprehensive immigration reform. But Gutierrez made a similar warning all the way back in November. And unlike the Stupak crowd, his beef is legitimate; while the House bill bars undocumented immigrants from receiving public subsidies, the Senate bill prohibits immigrants from purchasing regulated insurance on the exchanges with their own money.   Here at home, over 32 percent of 4th Congressional District residents lack insurance, the 15th highest rate for non-elderly people in the nation. A lot of those uninsured constituents are immigrants, many of whom are likely undocumented. The current bill won't help them much at all.

UPDATE (12:07 pm): A few 4th district residents called into Gutierrez' office demanding some clarification. TPM has posted the responses.

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
12:39pm
Thu Mar 11, 2010
1 comment

Immigrant Youth To Durbin: "Take The Lead" (VIDEO)

Immigration Reform

Illinois' immigrant rights activists are keeping the pressure on Congress and the White House to quickly take up comprehensive reforms, and it appears that they're making inroads.

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
10:00am
Fri Mar 5, 2010

Hoyt On Obama's "Tin Ear"

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) executive director Josh Hoyt has an op-ed in today' Washington Post on Barack Obama's failure -- as both a U.S. senator and president -- to address the concerns of the Latino community.  Hoyt writes that Obama has a "tin ear for Latino passion" and, as immigrant rights activists have been doing locally for months, he warns that Latino disillusionment could have serious electoral implications this November:

As president, Obama has followed the cerebral strategy that increased enforcement will win support for immigration reform. But if there is no serious progress on the issue, many disillusioned Latinos will stay home in November. Others will decide that because Democrats can't deliver on immigration reform, they might as well vote Republican on the values issues. Depressed Latino turnout in Illinois may well cost the Democrats the Senate seat that Obama once held.

ICIRR is currently organizing to send 10,000 Illinoisans to the immigration reform march in D.C. later this month.