New York Congressman Urges President Obama to Go Forward with Immigration Reform
By Diego Graglia &bull 10/26/09 • Categorized as Immigration News 
New York Rep. Joseph Crowley. (Photo: Official website.)
Almost two months after the deadline Sen. Charles Schumer had set for himself to introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill on behalf of the Obama Administration, a congressman from New York called on the president to go forward with that initiative.
During a conference call Friday with immigration reform advocates, Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley, who represents parts of Queens and The Bronx, “stressed the urgency for action on a comprehensive solution to our dysfunctional immigration system,” according to a press release from the New York Immigration Coalition.
“We need to maintain the momentum for comprehensive immigration reform, and I’m glad that we have advocates for reform who are willing to fight for what is best for our nation,” Crowley said, according to the statement.
While Schumer missed his own deadline for introducing a reform bill in the Senate, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) has announced he will soon introduce his own initiative in the House. The bills differ greatly, since the senator’s focuses on a slew of enforcement measures and “a crackdown on illegal immigration,” while Gutierrez’s stresses legalization for undocumented immigrants, family unity and humane enforcement.
Crowley led a group of 111 Democrats who in September sent a letter to Obama (click for pdf) to express their willingness to work with him in pushing reform through Congress, a task that appears daunting.
“The other options — maintaining the status quo or trying to force 12 million undocumented immigrants to leave the country — are neither viable nor desirable,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We know you agree that action must be taken and we applaud you for starting the discussion on immigration reform by hosting a bicameral and bipartisan meeting on June 25th. Your leadership on this issue is invaluable, but please know we stand ready to help you.”
The truth is the White House’s famously full plate has meant nothing much has happened since that June meeting. The administration handed the responsibility for drafting the proposal to Schumer and he has yet to announce a date for introducing his bill.
On Friday, Crowley said the letter was “a clear message” to Obama that Democrats and the pro-immigration reform camp “need his leadership” to advance this issue.
“(We) stand ready to support comprehensive reform that balances our nation’s security needs with a realistic and humane solution for the estimated 12 million undocumented people already living in the United States,” he said.
“A lot of good work is being done in Congress now, and I am looking forward to working with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Make the Road New York, and the New York Immigration Coalition, as well as advocates from across the nation, to keep the issue at the center of our work in Congress. This is a moral imperative – the time is now.”
Immigration advocates joined Crowley in the conference call.
“Every day that passes without immigration reform is one more day in which our friends, neighbors, and loved ones have to live in deep worry and fear,” said Javier Valdes of MTRNY, according to the press release. “Our community members are paying the price for our collective failure to fix this dysfunctional immigration system.”
“Latino and immigrant voters made their voices loud and clear during the last election: they are demanding just and humane immigration reform for their communities,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of NYIC. “These voters are growing impatient; they have high expectations for change.”
Bravo Congressman Crowley!
The White House’s Plate is full because of the origional E-verify Law’s passing which should have never occurred before deaqling RESPONSIBLY with the millions of good HUMAN BEINGS that had been here for nearly thirty years, were allowed to legally own homes and have legal children!
Lets be Honest this Law was written in Hate and Racism to intentionally Starve these good people into leaving America! (The U.S. Census Bureau has allready claimed in the News that the take over of minority to majority due to this law has been “Stalled for at least ten more years.” (This is an admission of
Ethnic Cleasing!)
The E-verify Law combined with the Hitler like I.C.E. Program have CRASHED AMERICA!
They match this the worst RE-cession in U.S. History Month for month!
And have caused a Re-surgence of Racism far worse than that of the 1960′s! (Look at all of the Nasty comments toward these defenseless good HUMAN BEINGS both citizen and not!
Only TRUE COWARDS kick defenseless people!
* [ Comment edited by Feet in 2 Worlds for defamatory content. ]
God shed his GRACE on us and Crowned our GOOD with Brotherhood from sea to shining sea! Right ?
America was built on FAR BETTER principles than this!
The Immigration issue is the SOLE cause and Trigger of our Crashed E-conomy! All of the silly Bail-outs and Stimulus Packages that are only Treating the Symtoms, and Devaluing our Great Country!
These Immigrants HARD LABOR is what is missing from our E-conomy!
Sincerely:
David Nichols
Gilbert Az.
thats is true!!!!!!!pleas inmigration reform now!!!!!!
legalization for who work hard for this country!!!!!!!
Atlast, a BRAVE FACE! Seems like good people are rising, which is badly needed in this dire time of our history of civilization.
To all the HATE-MONGERS, NEO-NAZIS, ANTI IMMIGRANTS IDIOTS; remember, there are no powers nor are hates can supresse millions and millions of people and their voices for-ever.
Enogh talking been done.
Pass ” comprehensive immigration reform ” NOW!!!
I am only surprised that it took the left the better part of a year before they began to play the race game in earnest. The new left suffers from schizophrenia as it pertains to race. They claim to want to move past race in this country, but are reluctant to do so. Race provides them with a sense of security; they believe that through race they are able to keep their emotional and moral equilibrium. And because the left is emotionally tied to race it is a potent political weapon the use of which power seekers and power keepers will not soon relinquish.
Amnesty was a failed program in the Reagan era 1986, it is not smart to do this dog and pony show again. I think that an illegal alien should always be an illegal alien until such a time as they fhey return to their country of origin and apply to enter legally. Give the illegal aliens a card which states they are guest workers. You do not come into my home uninvited and expect me to care for you.
Reagan did it, and now we have 5 times as many illegal aliens in this country. Granting a pathway to citizenship will encourage more to sneak into this country. We need to adopt a guest worker program, adopt e verify, and come down hard on those who employ illegal aliens. If we use enforcement, millions will self deport. The propaganda says they do jobs Americans don’t want. That’s crap. They just do the jobs Americans want for less pay. Just ask anyone who worked in construction before illegal aliens came in and took their jobs. They are already an economic drain. Think about how much it costs to educate their children. If legalized, you can add food stamps, medicaid, tanf, ESL, etc, etc, to the financial toll. They are illiterate in their own language. They have no regard for our laws. There is no benefit to me, a middle class, tax paying, law abiding citizen to have them here. There will be no amnesty, trust me on that. We’ll make sure it never happens.
—A people who shun history
are full of misery
they burn self with hate
yet wait for fire brigade.
Ancestors on the mayflower
for which we make turkey pie,
Columbus, his busy unhindered boat
his day we celebrate and loaf.
Look at the poor Indians
did we pay them in kind?
On the principles divine
did our fathers dedicate the land.
Care for the stranger
prepare a manger, not a ranger.
Hope and pray for immigration reform. The way things look we shouldn’t worry so much about illegal immigration anymore because if you haven’t noticed the American economy is not doing to great and people are not going to be rushing to come in anytime soon. The 12 million illegals have been here for many years. They have established jobs and are not the ones that put this country in the state it is in. It is greedy people, like those on wall street that just want more and more and more for themselves.
This post from above sounds pretty selfish to me, and it sounds like you are lucky for what you have and believe me if things got really bad here you would be fleeing and doing whatever to put food on the table and live with your family. And Susanne all it is is luck that you are in this country. Your family generations ago could have stayed wherever they are from and all it is is luck. Think hard before you make whatever you make happen
“think about how much it costs to educate their children. If legalized, you can add food stamps, medicaid, tanf, ESL, etc, etc, to the financial toll. They are illiterate in their own language. They have no regard for our laws. There is no benefit to me, a middle class, tax paying, law abiding citizen to have them here”.
Although the 1986 amnesty resulted in 2.7 million illegal’s being legalized, over 10 million were actually legalized after they brought their extended families over.
The 1986 Act was not enforced, illegal immigration exploded out of control. So here we are again with plans to pass another giant amnesty for 12-20 million illegal aliens and their extended families, another 48-80 million.
Why would Obama and Congress want to makes things even worse on America’s 14.5 million unemployed?
The administration could easily create 7.5 million jobs in manufacturing, construction and service industries simply by enforcing the existing immigration laws.
A side benefit would be to return the 7.5 million SSN’s being used fraudulently by illegal aliens to their rightful owners.
Those who come here illegally, steal our IDs and ignore our laws have already demonstrated they lack the honesty and decency to ever become American citizens.
a.) Enforce the existing immigration laws.
b.) Secure the border.
c.) Don’t hire illegal aliens.
d.) No anchor babies.
e.) Deportation through attrition.
I think we need a new Immigration Reform that protects the family unit. For example, I am a US citizen with two sons with different status in order of US citizenship. That’s because the first borned in 1979 and second in 1998, after the work of Clinton about immigration law. So now I place my hopes in Obama administration.
if americans invaded mexico,guatamala,san salvador with the number like the one we see in the usa of ILLIGAL ALIANS today and started SUCKING the life out of it’s hardworking tax paying citizens commited crimes used all services for free and destroyed their country as well as ignored all the laws tell me what would happen to Americans we would be killed that’s what would happen no one would be asking for us to gain amnesty no one would be marching in parades protesting freely with no questions asked no one would be giving us radio & tv and newspapers pertaining only to our culturer Oh end lets not forget special school programs for anchor babies the list goes on. why the HEll should hardworking americans give anything to these evil law braking people who take borrow and steal kill and laugh at america while doing it.I say shame on america for letting it continue to go on.How stupied they all are that they like to be used by obama and his pupetiers he will throw them under the bus too in no time at all. america is turning into a third world nation with all this crap in our country GOD HELP US AMERICA.WAKE UP!Revolt
What would you see yourself as if you were looking thru the Eyes of Almighty GOD ?
BECAUSE,
How you Treat others is how God TREATS You.
How you Forgive others is how God FORGIVES You.
How you See others is how God SEEs You.
When you show Empathy for the plight of another HUMAN BEING, God takes empathy in YOUR PLIGHT.
When others slight you and you ignore the call to Vengeance that burns inside, God erases all memory of your failures towards him.
When you SEE THE IMAGE OF GOD in ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, Then the IMAGE of GOD Becomes REVEALED WITHIN YOU.
The way You Judge other HUMANS is HOW GOD Judges You.
All Humans are EQUAL, ALL Humans are created and are the same in Almighty GODS VISION.
What You wish for the other is what GOD Gives YOU.
Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Life keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing ,
But Only God keeps You Going.
The Undocumented Immigrants pay the exact same amount of taxes like you and me when they buy Things, rent a house, fill up gas, drink a beer or wine, buy appliances, play the states lottery and mega millions . Below are the links to just a few sites that will show you exactly how much tax you or the Undocumented Immigrant pays , so you see they are NOT FREELOADERS, THEY PAY TAXES AND TOLLS Exactly the same as you, Now if you take out 10% from your states /city Budget what will your city/state look like financially ?
Stop your folly thinking , you are wise USE YOUR WISDOM to see the reality. They pay more taxes than you think, Including FEDERAL INCOME TAX using a ITN Number that is given to them by the IRS, Social Security Taxes and State taxes that are withheld form their paychecks automatically.
Taxes, paid by You & the Undocumented are the same in each state check your state : http://www.taxadmin(DOT)org/fta/rate/sales.html
GAS Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same. Go to and check out your states tax; http://www.gaspricewatch(DOT)com/usgastaxes.asp
Cigarette Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same, check this out in : http://www.taxadmin(DOT)org/fta/rate/cigarett.html
Clothing Sales Taxes, are the same paid by you & the Undocumented Immigrant; http://en.wikipedia(DOT)org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States
City Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented, since he pays rent and the LANDLORD pays the city : http://www.town-usa(DOTcom/statetax/statetaxlist.html
Beer Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented: http://www.taxadmin(DOT)org/fta/rate/beer.html
TAX DATA : http://www.taxfoundation(DOT)org/taxdata/show/245.html