NNIRR on Pres. Bush's Speech May 15th

May 15 Update from the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)

Bush's speech on immigration came after months of massive demonstrations and the start of the Senate consideration of its immigration bill. Bush threw out proposals and phrases to appease various quarters, of course leading with tough talk on the border. He covered a lot of ground -- saying that the U.S. is a welcoming and a lawful society, that everyone has value and dignity regardless of citizenship, that America has lost control of its border, that we need more detention facilities, and that we should embrace our "common identity" as Americans. A little something for everyone. He also called for "comprehensive" immigration reform and a way for undocumented already here to get legal status (but don't call it amnesty.) The Democrat's sad response to the Bush speech was made by Sen. Durbin of Illinois. His main point seemed to be that instead of now just saying that he would send the National Guard to the border, Bush should have already been doing more to shore up the Border Patrol and workplace enforcement.

Neither Bush nor the Democrats included any reference to legal immigration reform, addressing the backlogs and increasing opportunities for family reunification. Of course, there were no references to addressing the "roots" of migration.

The emphasis on border enforcement once again spotlights the problem nationally that the lives and safety of border communities and migrants have become trade offs in the push for "comprehensive" immigration reform. Many of the beltway advocates do not speak about the concerns of increased border militarization, or they themselves have advocated for "smart border enforcement" strategies that continue to emphasize the view migration across the border as a national security problem.

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Sending the National Guard to the border "to provide support" for the Border Patrol further jeopardizes the safety and security of border communities in the name of "national security."

The Bush proposal to put some 6,000 National Guard troops on the border violates the Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878. This law prohibits the U.S. military from operating within U.S. borders. The presence of the military in border communities heightens the perception that migrants or people who are suspected of being migrants, are "the enemy" and a military threat.

Immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border has already cost over $30 billion in the past 12 years. It has not deterred unauthorized border crossings and instead has caused a humanitarian crisis with the deaths of some 4,000 people in the desert. People risk crossing the border without formal immigration documents because they are seeking safety and relief from poverty and unemployment.

Current border enforcement has resulted in the detention and criminalization of tens of thousands of people at a significant daily cost to taxpayers. In his speech, President Bush proposed an expansion of detention facilities, another major cost for taxpayers and a boondoggle for the prison construction industry -- an investment that will have little impact on migration patterns.

President Bush proposed an expansion of the employer verification program -- an extension of the employer sanctions program enacted 20 years ago to penalize employers of undocumented workers and act as a deterrent to undocumented immigration. The program has been selectively enforced against employers, and has resulted in increased discrimination and abuse of immigrant workers. Employers have had greater leverage to threaten and intimidate immigrant workers, break organizing efforts, carry out unjust firings, and lower wages and work conditions for all working people. These abuses have affected the entire American workforce, particularly the most vulnerable workers toiling in low-wage jobs such as farmworkers, day laborers and domestic workers.

Guest worker programs, cited by Pres. Bush as another way to secure the border and serve the U.S. economy, have been condemned by labor and immigrant communities for their long record of violations of labor rights and standards, including blacklists and deportations of workers who protest. Ernesto Galarza, Cesar Chavez and other defenders of workplace rights won the abolition of the old Bracero guest worker program in 1964. They claimed the program created a vulnerable workforce in order to drive down wages and break union organizing efforts among immigrants and non-immigrants alike. Temporary, contract workers are prevented the option of putting down roots and becoming full and equal members of our communities.

In its 2003 report, "Human Rights and Human Security at Risk," the National Network recommended that:

Policymakers should cease promoting more border enforcement as an "alternative" to other immigration enforcement initiatives, and end all enforcement policies, practices, measures, strategies and laws that criminalize migrants and force them into dangerous crossing areas.
DHS should enhance border safety and protect migrants by demilitarizing the borders, including tearing down the walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and establishing accountability mechanisms for independent civilian and community-based monitoring and oversight.
DHS should firmly oppose and stop vigilante actions against migrants.
Congress should reduce the numbers of personnel patrolling and policing the borders and reallocate substantial resources towards benefits and services, particularly to provide access to regular immigration, legalization and naturalization.

The transcript of the Bush speech can be found here.