Thursday, June 27, 2013

Senate passes immigration bill in historic vote

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. embraces Astrid Silva, of Las Vegas, a DREAM Act supporter whose family came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally and whose story has been an inspiration for Reid during work on the immigration reform bill. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)


In a historic bipartisan vote, the Senate voted 68-32 to pass comprehensive immigration reform. It was the first attempt to tackle such a sweeping reform in six years.

Fourteen Republicans joined with all Democrats to back the legislation. The bill revamps the nation’s legal immigration system, sends resources to the nation’s southern border, and offers a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.

“We’ve taken a giant step forward to solving our immigration problem today,” Gang of Eight member Senator Schumer (D-NY) said at a press conference. “America has always been a nation of immigrants and every time someone says turn your back on the immigrant- they lose.”

Marking the momentous occasion, senators on Thursday voted from their desks- a practice typically reserved for historic votes. Vice President Joe Biden presided over the vote, adding to the pageantry of it all. The last time Biden presided over a Senate vote was in April when the Senate voted on expanded background checks for gun purchases.

President Obama praised the Senate for passing the bill.
“The bipartisan bill that passed today was a compromise.  By definition, nobody got everything they wanted.  Not Democrats.  Not Republicans.  Not me.  But the Senate bill is consistent with the key principles for commonsense reform that I – and many others – have repeatedly laid out,” he said in a statement.

The drafters of the legislation made deeply personal pleas for passage of the bill on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon. Florida conservative Marco Rubio described the bill as a compassionate and economically sound measure. The Cuban-American’s support was key to gaining Republican support for the measure.

“Even with all our challenges, we remain the shining City on the Hill. We are still the hope of the world,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida conservative and Cuban-American whose support of the legislation was key to wooing Republican support. “Go to our factories and fields. Go to our kitchens and construction sites. Go to the cafeteria of this very Capitol. There, you will find that the miracle of America still lives.”

Immigration activists and undocumented immigrants packed the Senate gallery and erupted into cheers when Biden announced the vote tally. Chants of “yes we did” filled the chamber even as Biden asked those attending to refrain from reacting. Evelyn Rivera, United We Dream National Coordinating Committee Member, was one of the 100 Dreamers gathered in the Senate  to watch the vote on the bill. She said that
she partly credits the work of young activists to the bill’s success in the Senate.

RELATED: Menendez talks of Senate bill’s path to success, warns against House “intimidation”

“The momentum on immigration reform is the direct result of organizing muscle across the country by immigrant youth leaders and our allies and the result of power wielded by Latino and immigrant community voters at the ballot box,” Rivera said.

Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Tx) said he was pleased to see the bill pass and looked forward to working on immigration reform in the House.

“Our nation was built and continues to grow on the shoulders of immigrants. In America, from generation to generation, we witness the many contributions immigrants have made to help make our nation what it is today. As a proud product of San Antonio, Texas, I am encouraged to see my colleagues in the Senate acknowledge the core role immigrants play in our nation,” he said. “As the debate moves to the House of Representatives, I’m proud to join the millions of Americans calling for comprehensive immigration reform to become a reality.”

Despite the great fanfare surrounding the passage of the bill, immigration faces a rocky path in the Republican-controlled House, where there is strong opposition to the path to citizenship provision. Earlier today, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reiterated his stance that the House will not bring up the Senate immigration bill.

“The House is not going to take up and vote on whatever the Senate passes,” Boehner said, “We’re going to do our own bill through regular order, and it will legislation that reflects the will of our majority and the will of the American people.”

Boehner instead pointed to a piecemeal approach to the immigration legislation, focused on border security and enforcement.

On Thursday the Senate passed the Corker-Hoeven amendment, intended to boost border security by adding 20,000 more border agents, increase border fencing to 700 miles, and utilize enhanced surveillance methods to monitor the border between the United States and Mexico. The aim of the amendment’s intent is to ease passage of the immigration reform bill in the Senate and more importantly the House of Representatives. The main sticking point for many Republican legislators was that they did not feel the original bill did enough to secure the border.

Speaking after the bill was passed, Senator McCain called on the House to take up the legislation.
“We stand ready to sit down and negotiate with you,” McCain said. “We should all share the same goal to take 11 million people out of the shadows, secure our borders and make sure this it the nation of opportunity and freedom that we’ve envisioned it to be since it was founded.”

Senator Menendez also pressed the House to pass the legislation.
“I urge my colleagues in the House of Republicans that this is an opportunity to affect the lives of millions, create a more robust economy, and reduce the deficit,” he said.

Advocacy groups Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and Voto Latino similarly expressed their hopes that comprehensive reform would not stop at the Senate.

“Today, we won a historic battle in the Senate, but the war wages on. Until we pass humane, just and comprehensive immigration reform we will continue to fight to improve the bill even as we are working to move it forward,” said FIRM’s Kica Matos. “Immigration reform is first and foremost about families and the moral crisis that our broken immigration system visits on our nation’s communities every day. We will not forget or forgive those who stand for policies that delay immediate action to end the destruction of our families.”

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Marco Rubio Follows in Charlie Crist’s Immigration Footsteps





By Javier Manjarres

Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it.

Before...

Marco Rubio - "No, no - never have been. In fact, I'm strongly against amnesty...So I am not and I will never support - never have and never support - any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty who have entered or stayed in this country illegally." Shark Tank video


Charlie Crist - "It's certainly worth a very good debate and research," Crist said. "If there are people here that aren't paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that's in essence a form of fraud on the system," Crist said he doesn't support amnesty." - (circa 1998)


Now....

Charlie Crist - Talking to reporters afterwards, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans  opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure.

"I like Sen. Martinez' and Sen. McCain's approach," Crist said. "I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up here would help it get it done." -(May 19, 2009 - AP)

Marco Rubio - "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill (2013)
By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank
By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank



Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank
By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank
By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank
By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Univision's Jorge Ramos A Powerful Voice On Immigration




Los Angeles Times - By Meg James
Jorge Ramos' march for immigrants began 30 years ago when, clutching his guitar and a student visa, he took a nervous walk through Los Angeles International Airport.
He had just quit his first reporting job after his bosses at a Mexico City TV station demanded he soften a segment critical of Mexico's government. Ramos had refused.
He sold his Volkswagen Beetle and used the money to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles and enroll in UCLA Extension journalism classes. Within months, the 25-year-old had landed an on-air job with Los Angeles' Spanish-language station KMEX-TV, then a shoestring operation in a run-down house on Melrose Avenue.
"To me it was a palace," he recalled. "The United States gave me opportunities that my country of origin could not: freedom of the press and complete freedom of expression."
Today Ramos anchors the evening news with Maria Elena Salinas at Univision, the fifth-largest TV network in the U.S. More than 2 million viewers tune in to "Noticiero Univision," Spanish-language TV's No. 1-ranked newscast.
That's three times the audience of CNN's "The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer."
On Sunday mornings Ramos interviews newsmakers on his political affairs show, "Al Punto," which recently grabbed headlines after New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said the Senate lacked the votes to pass a bipartisan immigration reform bill.
A fixture behind Univision's anchor desk for 26 years, the silver-haired, blue-eyed Ramos has been called the Spanish-language Walter Cronkite, a trusted source of news. But he is more than that for his viewers, including some of the 11 million immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally or overstayed their visas."
"Spanish-language news has almost the same pull as the priest in the pulpit," said Congressman Xavier Becerra, a Democrat from Los Angeles. "And Jorge Ramos is the pope, he's the big kahuna."
President Barack Obama talks with Univision's Jorge Ramos in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
He is also an unapologetic proponent for immigration reform.
Long before the current debate over immigration policy in Washington, Ramos was on a crusade to demand changes in the law by chronicling stories of broken dreams and broken families.
Last fall, when no Latinos were chosen to moderate any of the presidential debates, Ramos complained that the debate commission was "stuck in the 1950s" and then made news when Univision held its own candidate forums with Mitt Romney and President Obama. Ramos didn't go easy on either one.
He sparred with Romney over the Republican candidate's proposed "self-deportation" policy, which Ramos considered an insult to Latinos. Later, he confronted Obama for the deportation of more than 1.4 million people, and for reneging on his promise to tackle immigration during his first term.
"A promise is a promise. And, in all due respect, you didn't keep that promise," Ramos told an uncomfortable-looking Obama.
English-language networks played the clip on their own programs; Ramos made sure of that. He switched to English from Spanish when confronting the president.
Our position is clearly pro-Latino or pro-immigrant ... We are simply being the voice of those who don't have a voice."
— Jorge Ramos
"I didn't want the words to be lost in translation," Ramos said during a recent interview at Univision's Miami headquarters. "I wanted him to know how important immigration was for us."
A year ago Washington Monthly magazine called Ramos the broadcaster who would most determine the 2012 election. His increased stature has led some to question Ramos' advocacy approach.
"We do have this antique notion that a newsman will be disinterested and stay above the fray but Ramos reports like he is a lobbyist for the National Council of La Raza or a Democratic pundit," said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative watchdog group, Media Research Center.
Ramos makes no apologies for his or Univision's forceful stance.
"Our position is clearly pro-Latino or pro-immigrant," he said. "We are simply being the voice of those who don't have a voice."
Supporters say Ramos is continuing a long tradition in ethnic media of fighting to correct social unfairness.
Federico Subervi, a communications professor at Texas State University, pointed out that Univision's coverage is in sharp contrast with that of other networks and cable channels.
"Immigration is the top story on almost every newscast," Subervi said. "Most of the news on English-language television depicts Latinos as causing problems or the ones having problems. Spanish-language TV tells the stories of people trying to change policy: It is solution-oriented."
Ramos insists that journalism is his first priority. He complained to Obama's election team when his likeness was used in a campaign ad. He told his TV audience, "We have always defended our journalistic integrity." Still, he concedes that he is closer to the immigration story than most.
"I am emotionally linked to this issue," Ramos said. "Because once you are an immigrant, you never forget that you are one."
Jorge Ramos reports for KMEX in Los Angeles in 1984. (Univision) More photos
In Los Angeles during the mid-1980s, City Hall officials didn't take him and his KMEX cameraman seriously.
"No one would speak Spanish to us," Ramos recalled. "Some politicians dismissively would say: 'Well, my gardener speaks Spanish' or 'My driver speaks Spanish, but I don't.'"
He was shy and ill-prepared when he was tapped, at age 28, to be Univision's news anchor. He struggled to use the teleprompter, which often went on the fritz.
Things have changed. Days after the Los Angeles election, Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti granted his first national TV interview -- in Spanish -- to Ramos on "Al Punto."
Ramos now provides a steely cool presence on the air, and is known around Univision for his discipline.
A pull-up bar is mounted in the doorway to his sparsely furnished office. Younger colleagues groused when the trim, 55-year-old Ramos bested them by performing 17 pull-ups in an impromptu competition.
Spanish-language gossip sites were intrigued when the twice-divorced father of two began dating Venezuelan Chiquinquira "Chiqui" Delgado, host of Univision's dancing competition, "Mira Quien Baila." The couple is still together.
In addition to the two Univision news shows, and a third one being planned for an English-language cable news channel that Univision intends to launch with ABC News, Ramos writes a weekly column and is the author of 10 books -- the most recent is "A Country for All: An Immigrant Manifesto." A voracious reader, Ramos quotes Alexis de Tocqueville and the Declaration of Independence.
"What I find most interesting about the U.S. is this idea of equality," Ramos said one evening as he prepared to deliver the news, applying his own makeup by glancing at his reflection in a window. "That's what I'm trying to do with immigration. If what the founding fathers said is true, that we are all equal, then let's fight for that."
For Ramos, conflict is a central theme. He approaches his interviews with world leaders in the context of warfare. "My only weapon is the question," he said.
The cover of Jorge Ramos' book "La Ola Latina." (Handout) More photos
He also has demographics on his side. Latinos are a growing constituency -- 50 million strong in the U.S. -- with increasing political clout. Obama was reelected with 71% of the Latino vote.
Ramos is not discouraged that many in Washington seem unwilling to change immigration policy. "This is our best chance since 1986," he said, referring to that year's big immigration overhaul. "Politicians know there are consequences, and that Hispanics will always remember who voted for it and who voted against it."
Ramos said his most difficult decision was leaving behind his family and homeland "to come completely alone to the U.S." His father, who envisioned a career for his first-born as doctor, architect or engineer, did not support his son's decision to become a journalist.
"He said, 'What are you going to do with that?'" Ramos recalled. "I told him, 'You'll see.'"
In his father's final years in Mexico City, a satellite dish allowed him to watch his son's broadcasts from Miami. The two would talk on the phone each night. Now Ramos has thoughtful conversations with his own son. Nicolas, who turns 15 this month, was born in Miami, is fluent in English and doesn't watch much Spanish-language TV. He frequently corrects his father's English pronunciations.
Not long ago, Nicolas asked whether it was difficult to pose tough questions to leaders such as President Obama.
"I told him, 'Yes, it is,'" Ramos said. "But what is so great about this country is that you can do it and nothing happens to you. If I had stayed in Mexico, it would be a completely different story."
Yet it took many years for Ramos to become a U.S. citizen. Deeply conflicted, he had long considered himself just another "Mexican with a green card."
But five years ago, to mark his 50th birthday, Ramos took that step. He had lived in Mexico 25 years and 25 years in the U.S.
"You have to go through a mental and emotional process to recognize who you really are," Ramos said. "I finally recognized that I cannot be defined by one country. I am from both countries. It took me many years to make peace with that thought, and that I was never going back to Mexico."