“When communities are terrorized by ICE immigration raids, when nursing mothers are torn from their babies, when children come home from school to find their parents missing, when people are detained without access to legal counsel, when all that is happening, the system just isn't working, and we need to change it…" candidate Barack Obama to NCLR in 2008.
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The dust has settled after the President’s State of the Union Address and we are left with one question: What now? To some the mention of immigration reform, even if only in 36 words, showed a commitment by the Administration to reform our nation’s ineffective immigration system. To others, the mere 36 words devoted to immigration reform hammered the death nail on any comprehensive legislation passing this year. Either way, what now?
The day came swiftly. The vast number of individuals inside the state fair grounds waited about thirty minutes to exit because an already multitudinous crowd of white t-shirts was formed outside the complex. I could not sleep that night, the excitement was too overpowering.
Soon, the streets of Phoenix were filled with a sea of bodies that snaked around the streets heading to the Capitol, joined with thousands more across America creating the traffic that would momentarily paralyze the nation. Step by step, these protesters inched their way to Congress, stamping their feet along the staff lines of the sidewalk and the streets—hoping to sound a better key in national immigration policy. “Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote” was their slogan; all fused into one hope—that power in numbers would prove true at the polls. Fast-forward: two years later, historic Presidential election. Obama, son of an immigrant, promised to address America’s ineffective immigration policy and 67% of Hispanic voters turned out for him. What now?
“But remember this -- I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I could do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is.” President Barack Obama during State of the Union Address.
Immigration Reform must be the top priority of the Latino population. According to the Pew Research Center, only 31% of Latinos viewed Immigration Reform as “extremely important to deal with.” Like the general population, Economy topped the list.
Immigration Reform is not separate and apart from the Economy. Reforming our immigration system will strengthen our economy, it will yield at least $1.5 trillion in cumulative U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years and raise the wages of all American workers. But how many people know this and why is our base on fully on board?
What do we do now? We work hard. We make noise. We get messy and we tackle a complicated challenge. We unite and we move forward.
We must inform Americans across the country, and remind our President, that communities are still being terrorized; that immigrants are still dying in detention centers; that mothers are still giving birth in chains; that students are still suddenly disappearing from our classrooms.
We must keep drumming the beat for reform. The day will come, and it will come swiftly, when our President will need our full support. So we must organize and be ready. We must keep united in action AND demand.
We must work hard and we must hold our President accountable. Hold him accountable for what he once promised us: “I will be a president who stands with you, and fights for you, and walks with you every single step of the way.”
So we will stand, and we will fight, and we will walk. But I will say this, if immigration reform is not addressed this year, the Obama Administration will have to deal with a community standing up to a government that did not stand up for them, and Congress will have to face an America that worked for a better tomorrow but did not see it because of the political rancor of today.
We must move America forward, and we must do it TODAY!
Act Now:
1) www.azdreamactcoalition.org
2) http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/
3) Call Senator McCain and ask him to be a leader in making Immigration Reform happen this year. DC Office (202) 228-2862 Phoenix Office (602) 952-8702
4) Remember that by sharing your stories and support with friends and family is very important. Talk about it with everyone you know, put it on your facebook, myspace, tweeter statuses, and join a group! It will be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have. For more info on joining a group in Arizona, contact the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition at the link above.
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