October 9: Democratic Reps. Joe Crowley and Charlie Rangel of New York, Luis Gutierrez-Illinois, Raul Grijalva-Arizona, Jan Schakowsky-Illinois, Keith Ellison-Minnesota and Al Green-Texas and John Lewis-Georgia were arrested in blocking the streets near the National Mall to bring attention to their efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration reform yesterday.
More than a dozen Congressional Democrats and four House Republicans came before the crowd to urge the house to take up the immigration reform bill for a vote.
Thousands of activists waved and cheered displaying the signs that said “No Human is Illegal”. Children too were a part of this rally called “Camino Americano” and wore T shirts that read “Don’t Deport My Dad”.
According to an event spokeswoman, the National Park Service allowed the event to proceed because it fell under a First Amendment category which was closed due to the federal government shutdown.
“Camino Americano” followed events in more than 100 cities in 36 states across the nation on Saturday to make a similar push for comprehensive immigration reform.
The event was designed to pressure Congress and the House GOP to act on immigration reform this year.
Other efforts included key faith leaders gathering on Capitol Hill to speak out for immigration reform and to try and meet with House offices to engage in prayer for immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s more than 11 million undocumented immigrants.
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October 8: Setting a precedent for the nation, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Saturday that will allow undocumented immigrants practice law in the state of California. This law forms a part of a series of 8 bills that expand the rights of immigrants in the Democrat majority state.
The California Supreme Court is now authorized to approve the requests of undocumented immigrants who desire to practice law in the state just like it approves the requests of other applicants who qualify to practice law.
There are other new laws in the state including the ending of the Secure Communities Partnership, which lets law enforcement detain immigrants for the immigration authorities, if they have committed crimes, for 48 hours past their release date so the immigration authorities can make arrangements for their deportation.
The series of bills also expands the rights of immigrant workers and makes it illegal for employers to retaliate against workers based on their citizenship status. In addition, unlike conservative states such as Arizona and Nebraska, California has also passed a law that will let nearly 38 percent of its total undocumented immigrant population apply for drivers’ licenses in the state. This will make the state a part of at least 9 states where the law will be implemented in 2015.
As Reuters reported, the California law “allows illegal immigrants to practice law grew out of a case of an undocumented Mexican immigrant, Sergio Garcia, who was brought to the United States as a baby and later graduated from a California law school. He has received the support of the State Bar of California and the state attorney general”.
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a brief in the Supreme Court last year to oppose Garcia’s bid to gain admission in the California Department. Although, Garcia can now be admitted to the California bar, other immigrants in Florida and New York are trying their hands at the same
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October 4: House Democrats came up with a new immigration unveiled on Wednesday that includes a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants. These immigrants need to satisfy strict criteria to secure legal status. The bill also includes the provision for tighter border security along the US Mexico border to get Republican support.
It is uncertain whether the bill will be taken up for debate or not since the Congress is held up due to the budget standoff. Democrats are still not giving up hope that Republicans would come together to discuss the new immigration bill.
The Immigration Bill cleared in the Senate could not clear in the house since Republicans had objections for the pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants and border security.
The current bill omits the provision of 700 miles of fencing and 20,000 agents’ employment along the US Mexico border. However, another provision approved by the House Homeland Security Committee was added which requires the department of homeland security to establish a strategy where 90 percent of those who attempt to illegally cross the border can be arrested.
Critics feel that the diversity visa program and the sibling category from family reunification petitions should not have been excluded from the bill. However, many immigration reform advocates feel the bill will build momentum for advancing the efforts toward immigration reform in the House. Most republicans are said to prefer a piecemeal approach toward immigration reform as opposed to one bill dealing with all aspects.
The release of the bill is timed to be Oct. 5, National Day of Action, when immigrant rights, faith and labor groups plan to hold more than 100 rallies, vigils and other actions to press Congress to work on immigration legislation.
Analysts believe that the new bill is only symbolic and is not likely to pass in the House since there are only a few legislative days left this year and the GOP is not ready to budge. However, that does not prevent immigration reform advocates from building pressure on the Congress to act on the issue.
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October 3: Governor Jerry Brown will sign a bill on Thursday that lets undocumented immigrants in California get driver’s licenses. Undocumented immigrants had a fear of being pulled over and get a ticket, which could lead to their deportation in the past. After hard lobbying for nearly two decades to push for restoration of licenses in California, immigrant advocates are now happy with the change.
In the recent years, immigrants without driver’s licenses who were pulled over for a ticket began to be screened by federal immigration authorities for deportation. However, with this encouraging move, undocumented immigrants can stay with their family in the US.
Many states are providing driver’s licenses to anyone who clears the tests irrespective of their immigration status. In California, the license would have a distinction marked that the document may be used for driving and not for federal identification purposes.
According to estimates, more than 1 million drivers will apply for the licenses, which will begin to be issued from January 2015. There have been similar bills passed in California earlier that granted driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants; however, the previous Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did not favor them.
The bill is an addition in the immigrant friendly moves California has recently adopted especially ending the partnership with federal immigration officials and the police and sheriff departments to detain undocumented individuals up to 48 hours after their release. In addition, another measure that includes overtime pay for domestic workers has also been introduced.
