…and the the dangling carrot to get the Latino Vote, to get the NPP vote, and to get the vote of others who appreciate the contributions of immigrants, is anything related to changing our current immigration system.
The more I learn about the “break” announced by President Obama to some qualifying DREAM ACT students, often referred to as DREAMers, the more I question it. And I am not the only one. Other Latino-friendly, and many others are talking about it. Also, a very prestigious pro-immigrant rights organization based in San Francisco, the IMMIGRANT LEGAL RIGHTS CENTER (ILRC) is implying something along the same lines.
Although Mark SIlverman, Director of Immigration Policy for ILRC, through a media release received today first says that “This is a very positive step taken today by the administration,” he then warns qualifying DREAMers to wait until the November Election is over to apply for what is being called the “DEFERRED ACTION PROGRAM” which will be implemented by the Department of Homeland Security.
IN OTHER WORDS, DREAMers, make sure you understand everything before you go and say your current status in this country is “Illegal.”
Here is what ILRC, the Immigrant Legal Rights Center in San Francisco, says:
“Our advice as of now to DREAMers who are not in deportation proceedings or ICE detention or do not have an outstanding removal order:
1. Dreamers who are described above should not apply until after the November elections for deferred action pursuant to this policy until they have obtained advice from an experienced immigration attorney or accredited representative. The reason is that if Romney is elected president, there is a significant chance that his administration will reverse this policy and might place DREAMer applicants for deferred action in removal proceedings.
- Dreamers should all gather their documentation to be able to establish their eligibility – in case they are apprehended by ICE or they decide after obtaining legal advice that they do wish to apply.”
This “break” to DREAMers, preceded by a well deserved Medal of Freedom to Dolores Huerta, the highest honor that can be given to a civilian, (some thought it should have been given to Lech Walesa, but that is for another post and conversation), in my opinion marks the kick off to a dirty and expected convoluted Presidential Election feisty campaign. Okay, that is fair game. But, is it fair game to use again a vulnerable, stereotyped, misunderstood and often mistreated segment of our population: the undocumented?
In response to a Facebook post earlier where I said in Spanish “What we really need is Immigration Reform and in California, particularly, we need driver’s licenses for all,” two of my Facebook friends said:
- “Cuando menos es un paso, muy pequeñito pero es un paso. Lo que sigue es seguir luchando por mas leyes que beneficien a los inmigrantes, así que no nos quedemos dormidos. ¡A seguir luchando!” TRANSLATION: “At least it is a step, very small para nonetheless a step. What comes next is to keep up the fight for more laws to benefit immigrants. Lets not stay asleep. ¡Keep up the Fight!.”
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“Es un paso en un momente muy interesante….cerca a la eleccion, cuando nada concreto se puede hacer….Si fuera algo realmente importante para esta administracion, se deberia haber echo algo cuando realmente podia…Que desilucion que creee que puede vernos la cara a todos los Latinos y tratar de comprar nuestro voto con promesas vacias….”
TRANSLATION: “It is a step interestingly timed…close to the election, when nothing concrete can be done right away…if this [“break”] were as important as the current administration said it is, they could have done something about it in the many opportunities they have had…what a disillusion that [he] thinks that all of us Latinos can be so naive…and [for him] to try to buy our vote with empty promises…”
My optimistic, positive self says: enjoy this break that will benefit some of the many great students and human beings, applaud it, join the party, smile!
But this time, the realistic, no non-sense, anti-naive self wins (el mismo que no tiene la cara de pendejo y a quien por el contrario le sobran colmillos de sabueso): This is a dangling carrot.
And so to change the fable, the comparison, and truly relevant to change the story and rewrite history: WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? – WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO DO?
Lupitanews.com 