Advocates Split as Bush Prepares to Tackle Immigration
Sonia Meléndez     [Photo]

Following his State of the Union address to open his second term, President George W. Bush received mixed reviews by Latino leaders on the agendas he outlined on immigration reform and privatization of Social Security.

"It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists," Bush affirmed in his speech to a joint session of Congress Feb. 2.

Immigration reform was among the first issues the president chose to give priority in public discourse since his inauguration last month.

Angela Kelley, deputy director at the National Immigration Forum, concedes that the fact that the president talked about reform shows his commitment to take on the issue.

However, she cautions, "It is a long way to go from the rhetoric of the speech to the reality of a new immigration system."

Bush is certain to face strong opposition to his immigration proposal from both sides of the aisle. Nonetheless, he promises to tackle an issue he chose to leave unaddressed in his first term.

To be successful, his plan must "strike the right balance between security and trying to maintain an immigration policy that's welcoming of new immigrants who are coming here to work and make a better life for themselves," says Mario López, executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, a caucus that includes the half-dozen GOP voting members in the House of Representatives who are of Cuban, Mexican or Portuguese heritage.. .

U.S. Rep. Hilda Solís (D-Calif.) questions why the president did not outline a more comprehensive immigration plan for the eight to 10 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in this country.

"Why aren't we legalizing people who are already here, people who have paid their way, paid taxes, have no criminal background and want to be a part of our society?" she asks.

The Immigration Forum’s Kelley predicts one of Bush's obstacles will be "trying to knit together the alliance that will be needed to pass a bill through both chambers of Congress."

The issue of Social Security dominated more than half of the portion of Bush’s speech that dealt with his domestic agenda. Its reform is another controversial issue that splits along party lines.

Bush proposed, as expected, a privatization of the nation's Social Security system that would allow younger workers to invest a portion of their retirement fund in private accounts.

"The system has serious problems that will grow worse with time," he said.

Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, sees privatization as a huge blow for all seniors. "This will disproportionately affect Latino seniors because over 33% of them would fall under the poverty level as result of the privatization scheme," he claims

The CHC’s López cautions that before jumping to any conclusions more research on the Social Security reform has to be done. "The rate of return for Hispanics as a demographic group is significantly lower than the rate for whites," he maintains. "Anything that is going to allow people to build a nest that the government can't take away and that they can pass on to their children is going to be a good for all Americans."

To gain support on his plan to overhaul Social Security, Bush launched a tour this month where he will visit several states.

(Sonia Meléndez is editor of the newsweekly Hispanic Link Weekly Report in Washington, D.C. She may be reached by e-mail at soniam@hispaniclink.org)

© 2005, Hispanic Link News Service
02/13/05
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