President Obama’s recent speech on immigration reform seems to have begun its transition from words to action with the recent news that the Justice Department intends to challenge Arizona’s now infamous immigration bill.  Since being signed into law in April, Arizona SB 1070 has met with international controversy, and has also been called the toughest immigration bill in the United States in decades.

A response to the executive branch’s move by Arizona’s representatives on the federal level was to be expected — but Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl (R) seem intent on broadcasting their opposition to the decision as soon as possible, regardless of the implications.

In their joint statement, McCain and Kyl argued that “It is far too premature for the Obama Administration to challenge the legality of this new law since it has not yet been enforced.”

This statement comes on the heels of Senators McCain and Kyl advocating for the repeal of the new health care law despite the fact that it, too, has not yet been fully enforced.

From a more rational standpoint, the idea that a law must be enforced before it can be challenged seems misguided at best, given that the purpose of most laws is to create enforceable statutes.  Arizona SB 1070 is not some antique, unenforced law that can be safely laughed over from the comfort of snopes.com, and neither is it a theoretical experiment in immigration policy. The Justice Department is investigating Arizona SB 1070 on the basis that it will inevitably be enforced and to imply that its existence on the books alone makes the law impossible to challenge seems absurd.

McCain and Kyl’s statement also puts forth another choice gem, proclaiming that

“Attorney General Holder speaks of the ‘federal government’s responsibility’ to enforce immigration laws; but what are the people of Arizona left to do when the federal government fails in its responsibility?”

“The Obama Administration has not done everything it can do to protect the people of Arizona from the violence and crime illegal immigration brings to our state.   Until it does, the federal government should not be suing Arizona on the grounds that immigration enforcement is solely a federal responsibility.”

Given that much of Senator McCain’s 2007-08 Presidential campaign was founded on the basis of creating comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level before he caved to the complaints of anti-immigration activists, McCain’s stance ultimately seems to be more of a case of sour grapes at a missed opportunity than a meaningful response to his state’s border woes and the legality of SB 1070.   And given McCain’s narrow range of support in his Republican primary, it seems clear that appealing to pro-1070 voters would be just the ticket for McCain to make the mid-term ballot.

The reform movement carries on, with or without McCain, but it looks like real reform is better left to those who value a long-term resolution to America’s immigration woes over the momentary panic of reelection.

“There are moments in which you say, ‘We will escalate this struggle.’ Today they will put handcuffs on us. But one day we will be free at last in the country we love.”

-      Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), May 1^st, 2010, Washington, DC

Saturday’s events – the largest single nation-wide mobilization since Obama was elected – rival the historic 2006 marches for immigrant rights that swept the country and demonstrated the growing strength of the contemporary immigrant rights movement.

Representative Gutierrez was arrested in front of the White House with over 35 others who engaged in civil disobedience, including Deepak Bhargava of the Center for Community Change, Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum, and a number of undocumented students who marched 1500 miles from Florida on a “Trail of Dreams.”

The largest demonstrations included:

• Los Angeles, where 250,000 people took to the streets to protest family separation

• Milwaukee, where 70,000 immigration reformers rallied for reforms that would benefit all workers – immigrant and native-born

• Chicago, where 110,000 activists stood together in Daley plaza to demand a path to citizenship

One of the most remarkable aspects of the immigrant rights movement is the courage of its constituents.  As Deepak Bhargava has pointed out:

“Some of the most vulnerable, exploited segments of our society with the most to lose from engaging in public life have the greatest level of capacity for mobilization and movement.”

The courage of immigrants and their allies is even more inspiring given the following:

·         There have been more deportations in 2009 than in 2008, despite a pro-reform administration

·         Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds people suspected of being undocumented in 186 secret immigrant detention centers throughout America, which are not subject to ICE detention standards because they are designed to be temporary, a situation one attorney said were “akin to extraordinary renditions within the United States”

·         The conservative movement, with strong nativist strains, is so resurgent that it nearly derailed health care reform and is changing the Republican Party and the national political climate

·         Contrary to the markedly bi-partisan 2006 immigration reform effort, embarrassingly there is not a single Republican willing to support the comprehensive immigration reform proposals in Congress, which have nevertheless begun a slide to the right – in part because of the resurgent right-wing

·         The anti-immigrant climate is apparently so strong, that Lou Dobbs, anti-immigrant champion, thinks he might be able to run for president.

·         And of course, the Arizona law that mandates police to stop people who they think might be undocumented, ask for their papers, and detain people without papers.

The list goes on.  Perhaps political engagement doesn’t seem so risky because some of the people standing up for their rights went to such incredible lengths to get to the U.S. in the first place.  Or, they are so fed-up with living in a lawless condition ruled by vulnerability to workplace exploitation, arbitrary detention and removal, discrimination, and family separation, that they can’t endure much longer without change.  Perhaps they have found affirmation through the politics of this “courageous, imaginative, and soulful” movement.

If you also feel inspired, you can click here to get involved.

You can read more on the Reform Immigration for America blog, or check out photos from demonstrations across the country on their Flickr page.

Hundreds of May Day rallies have been organized across the country and USAction partners and affiliates are leading or participating in several of them.  Reform Immigration for America has an interactive map and a full list of rallies so you can get involved on Saturday to express your disgust with Arizona’s onerous, new law or simply support human and worker’s rights in your community.

USAction affiliate Washington Community Action Network has organized a March for Immigration Reform Now (flyer to the right) asking community members to come out and support immigrant rights and justice for all.  WCAN was recently targeted by a hate crime for their work on health care, immigration reform or both.  You can stand in solidarity with WCAN and take a stand against racism by virtually adding your name to a banner to be carried during Saturday’s march.

In Rhode Island, USAction affiliate Ocean State Action and other community organizations and leaders spoke out earlier this week against Arizona’s new law and stood with the people of Arizona.  “A diverse coalition of workers rights advocates, community based organizations, immigrants rights groups, progressive allies, and community members of all backgrounds stood together to stop the spread of terror.”  On Saturday, they are rallying again at the State House to continue the fight against injustice.

In Maine, USAction affiliate Maine People’s Alliance sent the following call to action to members and allies for their march in Portland on Saturday:

In America, people of color shouldn’t have to carry papers proving their citizenship. It’s just plain wrong and puts our nation in unseemly company with some of history’s worst violators of human rights.

It’s time to stand up for the Constitution and against racial profiling and demand federal action. We need comprehensive federal immigration reform to protect families from being torn apart and provide immigrants with a path to citizenship.

Maine has a long and unique history of immigration, from the French and Irish to East Africans and Latinos. On Saturday, let’s stand together as one state and fight back against discrimination and hate.

Shakira and Linda Ronstadt are in Arizona today to voice their opposition to the state’s tough new immigration law.

Grammy Award-winning Colombian singer Shakira will meet with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon at City Hall in the evening. Gordon has called the law unconstitutional and has said he may sue on behalf of the city to stop the law from taking effect.

Legendary singer-songwriter Linda Ronstadt will attend a rally that organizers say will draw thousands. Ronstadt grew up in a Mexican-American family in Tucson.

The law, S.B. 1070, is the nation’s harshest profiling law, which could turn Arizona into a police state — forcing cops to interrogate, fine, or even jail anyone who “looks” undocumented and leaves their wallet at home.

The law is not yet active, but will the police ask Shakira and Linda Ronstadt for their papers?

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Joe Heller - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

(See bottom of post for update on how to stand with Washington Community Action Network.)

USAction affiliate Washington Community Action Network was the target of hate-based vandalism this weekend.

KIRO TV covered the incident, with video at the link:

Members of the Washington Community Action Network who arrived at their offices Sunday morning to plan a May 1 march found the tires of a Honda Civic slashed and the words “Rahowa 88″ written on the car’s window.

The Anti-Defamation League said Rahowa means “racial holy war” and that 88 means “Heil Hitler.”

The vandals wrote the same message on a van in the parking lot, sprayed foam in the van’s tailpipe and broke the front window with a steel ball.

The perpetrators could have been targeting the community organization based upon their organizing around economic justice or immigrant rights, which Arizona forcefully placed on the national stage with their draconian, new immigration law.

Or perhaps WCAN’s national profile during the final months of the health care debate animated the vandals; WCAN was in the national spotlight when 11-year-old, WCAN member Marcelas Owens stood beside President Obama as he signed the historic health care bill into law.

Marcelas, had the following observations:

“I was kind of shocked that people would do things like this,” said Owens, who lobbied for health care reform after he said his mother died because she had no health insurance.

“I know we’re on the right track because they wouldn’t do things like this if we weren’t as powerful as we are,” he said.

The Seattle police department’s “bias crime” division are investigating and we may soon have answers, but one thing is for certain: intimidation will not stop WCAN or the rest of the USAction family from working to create a more just society.

Will Pitz, Executive Director of WCAN:

“We don’t know exactly what motivates these people. What we do know is it’s not going to stop us from doing what we’re doing”

UPDATE: (4/28/2010, 4:00 PM)

You can stand in solidarity with WCAN by signing here and joining others in sending a giant banner made up of the names of all USAction / TrueMajority members who stand together against this racist violence. WCAN staff and volunteers will carry the banner this Saturday as a sign of solidarity against hate.

Sign now to support WCAN’s march for immigrant rights and the fight to stop the racism before it spreads further. If you’ve got a Facebook account, after you sign on to show support click the “Like” button and we’ll proudly add your profile picture to the banner too.  And if you are on Twitter, Tweet your solidarity after signing.

Arizona’s Governor, Jan Brewer signed S.B. 1070 into law last week.

It’s the nation’s harshest profiling law, which could turn Arizona into a police state — forcing cops to interrogate, fine, or even jail anyone who “looks” undocumented and leaves their wallet at home. Watch Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) on Chris Mathews, arguing that you can tell someone’s an “illegal immigrant” by their… shoes??!

Sign your name to tell President Obama: “Stop S.B. 1070 and pass real immigration reform, not racial profiling!”

USAction endorses the March for America.  From their website:

March For Democracy: Our democracy is betrayed by having 12 million people who work, pay taxes, and are part of our communities, but are excluded from the full American family. Immigration reform must include a path to earned citizenship for the undocumented that helps new Americans learn English, become naturalized, and contribute fully to our economic renewal.

March for Families: Immigration policy that keeps families together is good for the country: families help their relatives get jobs, get housing, and get started. Anti-family policies have put more than 5 million Americans who have applied to bring family members here into a never-ending bureaucratic line. Thousands of American families have been thrown into poverty because the breadwinners have been deported. We’ve created a new group of high tech indentured servants, captives of corporate sponsors and living without their families. All workers deserve to be with their families.

March For American Workers: Decades without immigration reform have created a second class of workers who are exploited by unscrupulous employers. Immigration reform must slam shut this trap door on the wage floor that drags all workers down. Reform is a crucial component of restoring fairness to the labor markets and will help our economy recover.

March For Justice: The United States has always lifted up justice, ensuring everyone is afforded due process and fairness. Anti-immigrant conservatives have been whittling away at our great justice system, putting important court decisions in the hands of low-level clerks. It’s time to restore justice by ensuring immigrants have full due process protections and by re-prioritizing judicial discretion over capricious bureaucracy.

It’s time to take back the American story and American values by enacting true immigration reform.

March For America!

This is your call. We need you in DC to show our collective power and energy. Join the March For America. Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 21st.

Sign up to march or participate online!

Date: March 21, 2010
Place: National Mall – between 7th and 14th streets in Washington, DC
Time: Interfaith service starting at 1:00 pm, Rally begins at 2:00 pm