Monday, August 22, 2011

300,000 vs one million - a pre-election, Grimms' fairytale?

When I got this email from "Reform Immigration FOR America," my immediate response was the side-eye directed at the Obama administration:
For the past few months, you’ve called and petitioned the White House and the Department of Homeland Security asking for them to show some courage and protect our immigrant communities. Our demands have been heard and the Administration has taken a step in the right direction to fixing our broken immigration system.

Yesterday, senior administration officials announced that all 300,000 cases currently in deportation proceedings will be reviewed by DHS, one-by-one, in an effort to focus purely on “high-priority” cases of criminals and individuals who pose a serious threat to the US. Cases deemed “low-priority” will be completely removed from the case log and, non-criminal immigrants once facing deportation, will have the possibility to obtain work permits.

The announcement is the first pro-immigrant procedural change that will provide some relief to DREAMers, LGBT spouses, victims of domestic abuse, and other non-criminal immigrants currently in deportation proceedings.

While the announcement is complicated, we’ve summarized the procedural changes DHS has announced they’ll make.
This is an important step in the right direction. We urge the Administration to enforce this policy vigorously and follow it through to its full logical and moral conclusion: suspend deportations of all those who work hard every day to create better lives for themselves and their families.

Congrats on this victory, and thanks for all you do
While I am happy for my brown brothers and sisters (nothing wrong with "gettin' while the gettin's good" as my granmother used to say), I think it a little presumptuous to say this move signals that their "demands have been heard" - particularly given the timing of this "procedural change."

If we're honest, "Obama administration works to rekindle excitement among Hispanic voters" is really what the reviews are about. Just sayin'...

5 comments:

nomad said...

I know this is off topic, but thanks again for speaking up for me over at WARN. Like I say, the rampage was impending, but you made it a lot easier. I figure since I have a forum, or at least access to a forum, I ought to do my part for truth, justice and the American way.

DebC said...

Not a problem, Man. Like I said, ""Happy to oblige!

I feel the same way you do and that's why I blog. For those three reasons - and for posterity. I want "my children" - both birth, and not, to know that I stand/stood for something both real and important. I could care less if the blog is "award-winning" or popular. Being able to share my truths and find other "voices, crying in the wilderness" is "1st Place" to me.

Thanks for droppin' in! (Mind if I pinch that MJ video from your "All I Wanna Say is..." post for my "Speaking Truth to Power" sidebar item? I try to change it twice a week and he said exactly what I'm feeling - right now!)

nomad said...

Yeah, I know what you mean. That's exactly what I thought when I ran across it. Be my guest. I'm sure Michael would have wanted it that way.

DebC said...

Thanx! Looks like we both had the same post in mind on the MLK memorial! :-) (As you can see - I do believe in smiley faces!)

nomad said...

Yeah. Smileys is cool after all. :-)

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