Immigration Reform

The United States was founded by colonies of English, French, Dutch and German immigrants in the 17th century. Later Italian, Irish and Polish immigrants arrived. Some were fleeing religious persecution; others were looking for a decent place under the sun to work for the well-being of their families, as well as that of the new nation. However, those European immigrants did not run into the penalties that require millions of people with Spanish or indigenous blood to illegally enter the U.S. through the Mexican border in order to receive the advantages of the American dream. Although the last word has yet to be said, the best immigrant reform approved by the Senate opens the door to giving legal status to a Latino population calculated to exceed 11 million two years ago. Ratification by the House of Representatives, which has an ultra-right Republican majority, is still pending. The weight of the wide range of religious and human rights organizations, private businesses, farmers and labor unions that demand ratification of the reform, plus the economic and political gravity of the mass of Latinos, can defeat the obstacle of the Republican representatives. Fourteen Republican senators, including possible [presidential] candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has Cuban origins, voted in favor of the plan written up by four Democrats and four Republicans.

Republican senators conditioned their vote of support upon strengthening the border security system and establishing stricter methods for selecting future scientist and skilled-labor migrants. They demanded an increase in the number of border police in order to block the entrance of drugs and people with police records. Tunnels were discovered that were built by cartels to perforate the border. However, human rights organizations argue that a democratic regime is incompatible with the construction of a border wall similar to that in Berlin, which marked the separation of freedom and totalitarianism during the Cold War. In the debate over national security, factors that emphasize the impact of people who are undocumented on economic development in North America have surfaced. It was calculated that the gross domestic product is getting stronger year after year because of private businesses created by Latino residents and massive consumption by Mexicans and Central Americans in almost every state. They make up a formidable workforce in the agricultural and industrial sectors. This workforce is often cheated by low wages, about which the workers cannot complain because of the threat of being denounced as illegal. Recognizing the substantial economic contribution of Latino workers, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., leader of the Senate Democratic majority, expressed his support for the immigration reform plan, saying the “historic legislation recognizes that today’s immigrants came for the right reason, the same reason as the generations before them … the right to live in a land that’s free.”

Communication analysts claim Republicans in the House of Representatives could weaken the likelihood of future election wins by their party, with Democratic candidates regaining the massive support of the Latino vote, like Obama. Curiously, in the Republican lines, one of the major opponents of immigration reform is Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex. However, it is clear to the group of eight Republican senators who voted for the Democratic plan that it is necessary that the House of Representatives not cut the option of naturalization for Latinos without papers.