This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending February 14

Week Ending February 14, 2014

This week in immigration reform: notable conservative voices and editorial boards across the nation push back against House Republican leadership’s excuses for inaction on immigration reform; NCLR and its networks prepare to pressure Congress for action on reform on a nationwide “Day of Action” on Feb. 20; a new, nonpartisan poll finds, once again, that voters strongly support immigration reform proposals that include a road to earned legalization and citizenship; and NCLR Affiliates and partners continue pressuring Congress to get to work on immigration reform legislation.  NCLR kept the community informed as always this week, with staff quoted in Politico, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Huffington Post Voces, EFE, and La Raza.

—Conservatives push back on House Republican leadership’s excuses for inaction on immigration reform.   Last week, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters that he would be ready to get to work on immigration reform if only he could trust President Obama to enforce immigration laws.  Given that enforcement has reached record levels under the Obama Administration – with spending on border security costing taxpayers $18 billion a year (more than the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals and Secret Service combined), interior enforcement programs such as Secure Communities expanded, and the number of deportations under this administration set to hit 2 million in the coming weeks – the Speaker’s arguments are clearly just excuses, and nothing more.

Thankfully, few are falling for such transparently false nonsense.  Prominent conservatives are calling on the GOP to stop dragging its feet and to get working on real solutions to our broken immigration system.  For instance, George Will, in his Feb. 13 Washington Post column, refuted the various excuses offered by Speaker Boehner, noting that immigrant enforcement is at historic highs of effectiveness and spending and that immigration reform will help boost our economy at a time when it could really use a shot in the arm.

It’s not only high-profile conservatives who are criticizing GOP leadership for the weak excuses it’s offering.  Editorial boards across the nation have called out House Republican leadership and demanded that Congress get working on an immigration reform bill.  See a list of several of these editorials here, and share it with your local Representatives.   

—NCLR & Affiliates prepare for Feb. 20, the national “Day of Action for Immigration Reform.”  Next Thursday, Feb. 20, NCLR and its network will launch a nationwide “Day of Action for Immigration Reform” by coming together to call Congress and urge targeted House Republicans to give America immigration reform legislation, rather than excuses and hesitation.

To get your organization involved, contact John Herrick at [email protected] / 202.776.1735 or Laura Vazquez at [email protected].  Together we’ll tell Congress that we’ve had enough of their excuses, and that it’s high time they got to work on a bill.

—New nonpartisan poll confirms, again, that American public wants reform with road to citizenship.  A new, nonpartisan poll commissioned by FWD.us confirms once again that voters overwhelmingly see a need to fix our broken immigration system and that the majority favor reform that includes a road to earned legalization and citizenship for aspiring Americans.

—NCLR to Congress, White House: stop tearing families apart.  This Valentine’s Day, NCLR reminds Congress and the White House that unnecessary deportations are preventing millions of Americans from being with their loved ones.  It’s time for Congress and the Obama administration to stop breaking hearts and families.

Share this graphic on Facebook to spread the word: 

NCLR and Affiliates in action. 

California:  NCLR Affiliates in California organized a Facebook “blitz” targeting Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Gary Miller (R-Calif.) this week by directing a flurry of posts, calling for action on immigration reform, on the Facebook pages of each Congressman this Friday, Feb. 14.

Texas:  NCLR Action Fund partners in Texas organized community and civic leaders to meet with staff of Reps. Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Pete Olson (R-Texas) this week.  The leaders expressed their disappointment with House Republicans’ ongoing inaction on immigration reform.