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Home > Press Room > 2006 > Statement
Statement
Statement by LULAC President Hector M. Flores: Senate Immigration Bill is a Solid Move in the Right Direction.
LULAC will continue to press for immigration reform that is comprehensive, fair and effective.
June 1, 2006
Contact: Lizette Jenness Olmos
202-833-6130 ext. 14
The League
of United Latin American Citizens
applauds the Senate leadership for their
efforts to pass comprehensive
immigration reform that strengthens our
borders while providing an earned
legalization program for immigrants to
work in the United States. The Senate
bill S. 2611 contains key elements of
comprehensive immigration reform
including stronger enforcement of our
nation’s immigration laws, an earned
adjustment for immigrants currently
working in the United States, a legal
channel for future flows of immigrant
workers, and a reduction in the vast
backlogs of family-sponsored immigration
applications. In addition, the Senate
bill includes the Ag Jobs bill for
agricultural workers and the DREAM Act
for students—two bills that LULAC has
long supported.
Nevertheless, we still have serious
concerns over several of the amendments
added during the Senate debate on the
immigration bill that when combined with
existing provisions of the Hagel/Martinez
compromise make the legislation problematic.
LULAC strongly opposes the amendments that would
make English the “national language,” lower the
number of temporary workers authorized for
essential jobs to 200,000, and build 370 miles
of border fence on our southern border.
In addition, the
Senate bill as it stands creates a complicated
three tiered system that will make
implementation difficult and result in far fewer
immigrants being able to adjust their status
than the Senate supporters intended. Local and
state law enforcement will be empowered to
enforce federal civil immigration law
discouraging immigrant victims and witnesses
from cooperating with police. The 370 miles of
additional fencing along the U.S.- Mexico border
authorized by the bill will cost U.S. taxpayers
billions, result in an increase in border
deaths, while doing little to discourage illegal
entry. Senator Inhofe’s amendment declaring
English a “national language” does nothing to
help immigrants learn English but will handicap
federal agency efforts to communicate with
immigrant communities.
The LULAC
National Executive Committee stressed
that unless President Bush is able to
convince House leaders to take a fair
and just approach to immigration, it is
unlikely that the House/Senate
conference committee will be able to
craft a bill that can be supported by
the immigrant community.
As we move
forward, we expect Congress to live up
to the highest ideals of our American
democracy by providing hard working
immigrants with the same opportunities
that our nation provided to their
ancestors when they came to the United
States. We are a nation founded and
strengthened by immigrants and we must
continue to pursue the enlightened
immigration policies that have made our
nation the leader of the free world.
Hector M. Flores is the National
President of the League of the United
Latin American Citizens, the oldest and
largest Latino civil rights organization
in the United States.
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