Tag Archives: DACA

Politics

Trump Supporter Afraid of ‘Taco Trucks On Every Corner’

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It’s no secret that this year’s Presidential Election, perhaps more so than ever before, is about two drastically different visions of America.  But what we haven’t necessarily considered… Which of those futures is going to have more food options??

Yeah, umm… here’s the story from Sam Sanders of NPR News…

Thursday night in an appearance on MSNBC, Donald Trump surrogate Marco Gutierrez warned of impending taco overlords if immigration continues unchecked.

Gutierrez, who was born in Mexico and is co-founder of Latinos for Trump, said to MSNBC, “My culture is a very dominant culture. It is imposing and it’s causing problems.”

And then, he said the line that started a hashtag. “If you don’t do something about it, you’re going to have taco trucks [on] every corner.”

[…]

He went on to say that Mexicans “have a lot of good things we’re bringing to the United States, but we also have problems.”

In an interview in late July with NPR’s Asma Khalid at the Republican National Convention, Gutierrez said he was born and raised in Mexico, came to the U.S. in 1991, and that his parents, who were farm workers, “came here as braceros. They worked in the fields. So, they got amnesty … in 1986, through the Reagan amnesty.”

Along with Mr. Gutierrez’s meme-ready comment, the other guest on All In With Chris Hayes’ substitute host Joy Reid was Adriano Espaillat, whom if successful this November, would become the first formerly undocumented person elected to Congress.  Contrast that with Marco Gutierrez whom has no problem referring to himself as “illegal” and per Sanders, is the beneficiary of the LAST time a United States President and Congress established a pathway to citizenship for a wave of undocumented immigrants.  WHICH is why he can sit in front of the TV camera and make dumb comments that immediately go viral.  But apparently what was good for him and his family isn’t going to work for undocumented people just trying to find a similar pathway to citizenship today.

*Cough* HYPOCRITE  *Cough*

But anyway, back to #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner…

It may sound like a nightmare to Gutierrez, but as the Washington Post points out, many Americans seem all too ready to embrace a future with more delicious food options.  What’s wrong with the United States embracing a vital part of its heritage, while simultaneously putting more people to work??

The same can be said for the creation of jobs and economic benefit of simply doing the right thing and creating a pathway to citizenship (AGAIN) for our nation’s current undocumented population.  As we’ve seen after four years of the DACA program, the cost of helping the undocumented community to stay not only pays for itself, literally through an application fee, it removes the tremendous strains being put on our law enforcement agencies to conduct expensive deportations.  In fact, the Center For American Progress states that even enacting the current DAPA and Expanded DACA programs proposed by the Obama Administration would cause a significant boost in economic activity.

So sorry Mr. Gutierrez… if a vote for Hillary Clinton and Democrats is going to lead to Taco Trucks on every corner, then by all means, pass me a plate, with extra green sauce!!

all in tacos

 

Which reminds me… I’m late for lunch.

taco truck

Houston Politics

SCOTUS to Hear Case, Hopefully Settle ‘Immigration Action’ Stalemate

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By this point in the Obama Presidency, one thing is clear… the legacy of our nation’s 44th President is not being debated in the halls Congress, but in the halls of our nation’s highest courts.  Such was the case with the President’s landmark legislative achievement– the 2010 Affordable Care Act, and again the case in last year’s historic ruling which brought Marriage Equality of to all 50 states.

And yesterday, it was revealed that one more cornerstone move by the Obama Administration will also get its day at the Supreme Court.  From Amy Howe of SCOTUS blog, here are the details…

In the summer of 2014, efforts to pass new laws to overhaul the country’s immigration system seemed to be on a slow road to nowhere.  In remarks at the White House on June 30 , President Barack Obama announced that then-House Speaker John Boehner had told him that Republicans would “block a vote on immigration reform at least for the remainder of this year.”  Arguing that “Americans can’t wait forever” for Republicans to act on immigration, Obama indicated that he planned to go it alone.

And he did.  In November of that year, Obama announced a new policy that would allow undocumented immigrants who can meet two criteria – they have children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (also known as “Green Card holders”) and they have been in the United States at least since January 2010 – to apply for a program that would allow them to stay in the country for three years and work here legally.

The policy, which could allow as many as four million undocumented immigrants to remain in the country, never went into effect.  Instead, Texas and twenty-five other states went to federal court to try to block it.  So far, they have been successful:  a federal trial judge issued an order to keep the policy from going into effect, and a federal appeals court upheld that ruling.

The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to weigh in, and today the Justices agreed to do so. This means that the Court will almost certainly hear oral arguments in the case in late April, with a decision expected in late June – just as the 2016 presidential campaign, in which immigration has already played a major role, really starts to heat up.

Given how bonkers the race for the White House has been so far, “heat up” doesn’t even begin to describe what could occur with this new drama thrown into the mix.

But even accepting the drama, the court’s decision to hear this case is beyond critical.  Congress has simply refused to take any action towards Comprehensive Immigration Reform, even as American families continue to be torn apart by the deportation of their loved ones.  Instead of doing what is best for the nation, Republicans in particular (though plenty of Democrats share the shame of this issue as well) have chosen to take the “easy way out”– blame President Obama for everything wrong with the system, and avoid the issue as long as possible.

One other essential point, the case states are waging against Obama’s Immigration Action Plan is in itself something of a long, overly politicized farce.  For starters, Texas has been begging the Supreme Court to not weigh in on the matter.  Eventhough they (we??  UGH) are lead plaintiffs in the case, they would rather keep the issue in legal limbo than actually get any answers that would help real Texas families figure out what to do.

Secondly, the states’ argument is is inherently unequal.  They are essentially petitioning for the Executive Branch to do its job less well.  The whole reason that an Immigration Action Plan is needed is because the United States cannot deport all of the undocumented persons within its borders at any given time.  This creates the absolute necessity for prioritization.  The states themselves would never do this.  If Greg Abbott announced today that he was going to fill every pothole that existed in the state of Texas within 24 hours, people would laugh off his words because the task is simply not possible.  Yet in their petition, they are asking the Federal government to sustain a system that is just as senseless.  By rejecting these prioritization policies by the Obama Administration these states are asking for the courts to let our communities be less safe, to continue to orphan more American citizens by tearing their families apart, and to not seek and remove dangerous criminals from our streets.

Third, a central point of the state case again boils down to resources. Admittedly, this is a valid argument in many respects, as it is state and local government that ultimately must implement this Federal policy, and would bear the cost of processing the deferred action requests.  But the question to ask here is whether or not this presents an “undue burden to the state.  For all of the time that it takes to enact a DACA or DAPA request, how much time and money is being saved by not having to enact the expensive and often tragic processes of deportation?  If our communities are ultimately safer and better by bringing people out in the open, do those temporary inconveniences bear better results in the end?  While these questions are still up for debate, many legal scholars consider the Obama Administration’s case for the plan to be very strong.

For all of the above reasons and more, let’s hope that the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the case will lead to a common-sense result.

Scotus Texas

Houston Politics, Politics

Despite Stay, Houston Prepares For Immigration Action

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For recent immigrant communities across the United States, what happened this week is an all-too familiar song and dance:  take two steps forward, and two steps back.  Just hours before President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration were set to take effect, they have encountered a judicial road block.  Here’s more from Michael D. Shear and Julia Preston of the New York Times…

WASHINGTON — One day before hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants were to begin applying for work permits and legal protection, administration officials on Tuesday postponed President Obama’s sweeping executive actions on immigration indefinitely, saying they had no choice but to comply with a federal judge’s last-minute order halting the programs.

[…]

In a decision late Monday, Judge Andrew S. Hanen, of Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Brownsville, ruled in favor of Texas and 25 other states that had challenged Mr. Obama’s immigration actions. The judge said that the administration’s programs would impose major burdens on states, unleashing illegal immigration and straining state budgets, and that the administration had not followed required procedures for changing federal rules.

Upon hearing news of Judge Hanen’s stay, Republican Congressional leaders across the country immediately championed the decision.  You know… those same Republican Congressional leaders that continue to criticize President Obama for trying to do something sensible about Immigration, but won’t lift a finger in Congress to pass comprehensive reform themselves.  If you’re thinking this whole situation screams of ultimate hypocrisy, you’d be correct.

Same goes for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, whom referred to the Obama Administration’s plan as “Executive Amnesty”.  As the Burnt Orange Report points out, it seems that the Governor would rather have Texas families torn apart than do something sensible.

But even with the temporary setback, Houston city leaders are working hard to ensure that the process of helping hundreds of thousands of people come out of the shadows can move forward as soon as possible.  Today after the weekly City Council Meeting, the Mayor unveiled new resources designed to help families stay up to date with the latest Immigration Action developments.  Here’s that information via the City of Houston press release…

Houston Mayor Annise Parker today announced the launch of a new informational website for immigrants who are interested in applying for citizenship or deferred action.  The new website is the product of a partnership between the City’s Department of Neighborhoods Office of International Communities (OIC) and the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC).  The partnership was established last December in response to President Obama’s executive order on immigration.

“We formed this partnership with one simple goal in mind—to make sure that Houston is prepared for the implementation of the President’s executive order,” said Mayor Parker.  “I am certain the recent court order delaying implementation of the President’s order will be temporary.  When it is lifted, Houstonians affected who will be able to take advantage of the President’s order need access to accurate information and a way to connect with reputable organizations that can help them.  With the launch of this new website, I’m pleased to report that Houston is ready.”

The website [www.citizenshipcorner.org] provides access to accurate, up-to-date information about applying for citizenship and new “deferred action” programs that offer the right to stay in the U.S. and work permits to eligible undocumented immigrants.  The site will help people find trusted community organizations for legal guidance and assistance.

“The new immigration policies will have a huge impact on our community,” said Wafa Abdin, Vice President of Immigration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance, a member of HILSC. “We are the largest provider of low-cost legal services for immigrants in Houston. We are working with our colleagues in the Houston region to address the increased demand from immigrants seeking accurate information and legal assistance as pertains to the expanded DACA and the new DAPA program.”

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is of course a program that was initiated by the Obama administration in 2012. Under the new plan, DACA is set to be expanded, so more people will be eligible for protection from deportation and a 3 year work permit.

DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, is a new program that would grant the same work permits and protection from deportation to parents of American Citizens or DACA recipients.

It’s important to note that despite the judges’ claims, the DACA program has been incredibly successful in its first two years.  Over half a million work permits have already been granted, including some 88,000 for undocumented persons residing in Texas.  Free from the looming threat of deportation, DACA has improved the lives of its beneficiaries, whom no longer have to seek illegal routes of doing business within the United States.  The program of bringing more people out of the shadows is actually serving to make everyone safer.

And by the way, the “cost burdens” that everyone talks about from Immigration Action?  That’s false as well.  Each DACA recipient had to pay a $465 fee for the work permit, which brought over $250 million in additional revenue to the U.S. government.  That’s more money that can be used to actually make the country safer… not the other way around.

Thankfully, Houston sees the extreme benefit that these programs can provide to the region.  So visit www.citizenshipcorner.org and to stay up to date on the developments, and help stop the spread of misinformation.

Dos Centavos, Brains and Eggs and Off the Kuff  have more on the judge’s injunction and basically unforgivable reactions from our esteemed GOP leaders.

houston immigration action1

(Houston Mayor Annise Parker surrounded by Council Members and Immigration Advocates.  Photo credit:  HTV video)

Politics

Rep. Steve King Confronted by DREAMers, Caught on Tape

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Tough to even put this one into words, but here’s the story from Talking Points Memo…

Things got dicey Monday night when two immigration activists confronted Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Steve King (R-IA) at a fundraiser in Okobiji, Iowa.

Erika Andiola and Cesar Vargas, both members of the Dream Action Coalition, shook hands with the two lawmakers and introduced themselves as beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program — a program King pushed to end through legislation in the House. Paul was quickly whisked away from the table by an aide and even left his food behind as Andiola handed her DACA card to King and offered to let him rip it up.

The Dream Action Coalition posted video of the confrontation to YouTube.

“Stop a minute,” King said as he grabbed Andiola’s wrist. “You’re very good at English. You know what I’m saying.”

“I was raised in the United States,” Andiola said.

King continued to insist that Andiola was misunderstanding him.

“I spoke of drug smugglers. Now, you’re not going to tell me you’re one of them are you?” he asked.

“Do I look like a drug smuggler to you?” she said.

Don’t worry if you missed Senator Rand Paul, or were waiting for him to weigh in on the conversation… he was only there long enough to take one bite of his sandwich, and the second he heard Andiola say the word “DREAMer” he bolted like he stole something.  Talk about a display of Presidential leadership!!

So he leaves Representative King to represent Congressional Republican opinion on the issue, and boy does he.  And that’s part of the problem with this exchange… King isn’t some Joe Blow protester holding up signs at the Capitol.  He carries the responsibility of KNOWING these issues inside and out for the 700,000 constituents we PAY him to represent.  This guy here, telling Andiola that she “speaks good English” and completely ignoring her when she said her mom left her native country originally to flee violence, is on the taxpayer payrolls making $175,000 dollars per year.  If he can’t have a more informed opinion on these sensitive issues, who can?

As ugly as the Congressman’s comments are, at least we have now heard them.  Kudos to Erika Andiola and Cesar Vargas for having the courage to confront these lawmakers, and to the DREAM Action Coalition for posting the video and exposing Steve King’s views to the world.  Hopefully the outcry over things like this will bolster President Obama’s urgency for an Executive Order.  If the President is waiting for people like King to “come around” on Immigration reform (and ripping families apart in the process just to prove he can enforce current law), it ain’t gonna happen.  Republicans have proven once again that they will not behave responsibly on these (or any other) issues, at least not in 2014. Time to act, Mr. President.