Farmworker Justice Immigration Update 4/4/14

Many people and organizations celebrated Monday, March 31st, Cesar Chavez’s birthday, which is a state holiday in California and Texas. Special events were held throughout the past week for his birthday and the March 28th release of the film, “Cesar Chavez.”

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) offered a resolution in the Senate, to honor Cesar Chavez for his successful work to improve farmworkers’ wages, working conditions, and housing. A vote on the resolution was blocked by Senate Republicans. Menendez has unsuccessfully tried to pass a resolution honoring Chavez for eight consecutive years. Rep. Cárdenas (D-CA) re-filed a similar resolution in the House, but no vote is expected on it.

Wednesday, during the House Budget Committee markup, Rep. Cárdenas offered an amendment to Rep. Ryan’s budget that would have added the fiscal framework of the comprehensive immigration reform bill, HR 15, to the budget. Rep. Cardenas and several other Democrats spoke in favor of the amendment, describing the predicted economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform, such as job creation and reduction of the deficit by $900 billion over the next two decades. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) also spoke about the “heart wrenching stories” she hears about families being torn apart and separated.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the Budget Committee, opposed the amendment but agreed that we have a broken system that needs to be reformed and that if immigration reform is done right, the country will benefit from economic growth as a result. He said that he does not support the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, but he said that there is a plan in the House to move forward with a series of bills. Ryan gave no time frame for action. The amendment failed by a partisan vote with Democrats voting in favor of the measure and Republicans opposing it.

News coverage this week included several pieces on growers threatening to withdraw support from Republican candidates due to the House’s inaction on immigration reform. There is still time for the House to act on immigration reform, but that window is closing. Congress is out of session in August and Members will be in full election campaign mode.

In Arizona on Wednesday, a large group of immigrant rights advocates organized by Puente Arizona began a 70-mile walk to a detention center in Arizona, to call attention to the 1,100 deportations daily (300 from Arizona-alone).

The Fast for Families Across America bus tour continues into its sixth week. The group has stopped in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s district in Virginia. Fasters are urging Cantor to bring commonsense immigration reform to a vote this year. When the tour was in Miami on March 22nd, Eliseo Medina was arrested in front of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s office when he tried to deliver a letter on immigration reform addressed to the Congressman. He was released the same night and continues on the tour. Eliseo Medina was a farmworker and labor organizer in the fields and later became Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.

This month marks the 2 millionth person that the Obama Administration has deported. The #Not1More Deportation campaign is organizing the Two Million Too Many: March and Rally! in Washington, DC on Saturday. President Obama has deported more people than any other president. Still, many House Republicans incredibly claim that they cannot support immigration reform because they cannot trust Obama to enforce immigration laws.

The Women’s Fast for Families, organized by We Belong Together, SEIU and FIRM, have held events around the country for the last month. Next week, they will hold a 48-hour fast on the National Mall as a culmination of the month’s events. At the end of the fast on Wednesday, organizers will hold the America Deserves a Vote on Immigration Reform Rally.  

Many people and organizations celebrated Monday, March 31st, Cesar Chavez’s birthday, which is a state holiday in California and Texas. Special events were held throughout the past week for his birthday and the March 28th release of the film, “Cesar Chavez.”

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) offered a resolution in the Senate, to honor Cesar Chavez for his successful work to improve farmworkers’ wages, working conditions, and housing. A vote on the resolution was blocked by Senate Republicans. Menendez has unsuccessfully tried to pass a resolution honoring Chavez for eight consecutive years. Rep. Cárdenas (D-CA) re-filed a similar resolution in the House, but no vote is expected on it.

Wednesday, during the House Budget Committee markup, Rep. Cárdenas offered an amendment to Rep. Ryan’s budget that would have added the fiscal framework of the comprehensive immigration reform bill, HR 15, to the budget. Rep. Cardenas and several other Democrats spoke in favor of the amendment, describing the predicted economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform, such as job creation and reduction of the deficit by $900 billion over the next two decades. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) also spoke about the “heart wrenching stories” she hears about families being torn apart and separated.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the Budget Committee, opposed the amendment but agreed that we have a broken system that needs to be reformed and that if immigration reform is done right, the country will benefit from economic growth as a result. He said that he does not support the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, but he said that there is a plan in the House to move forward with a series of bills. Ryan gave no time frame for action. The amendment failed by a partisan vote with Democrats voting in favor of the measure and Republicans opposing it.

News coverage this week included several pieces on growers threatening to withdraw support from Republican candidates due to the House’s inaction on immigration reform. There is still time for the House to act on immigration reform, but that window is closing. Congress is out of session in August and Members will be in full election campaign mode.

In Arizona on Wednesday, a large group of immigrant rights advocates organized by Puente Arizona began a 70-mile walk to a detention center in Arizona, to call attention to the 1,100 deportations daily (300 from Arizona-alone).

The Fast for Families Across America bus tour continues into its sixth week. The group has stopped in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s district in Virginia. Fasters are urging Cantor to bring commonsense immigration reform to a vote this year. When the tour was in Miami on March 22nd, Eliseo Medina was arrested in front of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s office when he tried to deliver a letter on immigration reform addressed to the Congressman. He was released the same night and continues on the tour. Eliseo Medina was a farmworker and labor organizer in the fields and later became Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.

This month marks the 2 millionth person that the Obama Administration has deported. The #Not1More Deportation campaign is organizing the Two Million Too Many: March and Rally! in Washington, DC on Saturday. President Obama has deported more people than any other president. Still, many House Republicans incredibly claim that they cannot support immigration reform because they cannot trust Obama to enforce immigration laws.

The Women’s Fast for Families, organized by We Belong Together, SEIU and FIRM, have held events around the country for the last month. Next week, they will hold a 48-hour fast on the National Mall as a culmination of the month’s events. At the end of the fast on Wednesday, organizers will hold the America Deserves a Vote on Immigration Reform Rally.