The Manhattan Times

The future of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)

by Raquel Batista

A couple of weeks ago, Rep. Luis Guiterrez and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus joined by several allies, presented its proposal for comprehensive immigration reform entitled Comprehensive Immigration Reform As Soon As Possible (no that's not the real name but I appreciate the pun). On these serious matters we always need a bit of humor. I was very excited to see that our very own Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano included the Child Citizen Protection Act language within the provisions of CIR which if it survives will be a much needed alivio for our community here in Northern Manhattan, the Bronx and the United States.

This means 2010 will be a year fraught with love and hate. Immigrants will continue on their message of love-family, compassion and forgiveness. Hate groups will retaliate on their message of hate, division and fear.

So is there a middle ground? Is there a negotiating point where both parties will walk away feeling like they won the battle or are at least satisfied with the end result? Is there a place of rest between these two tensions? 

As I am writing this, I don’t think so.

Both groups are extremely charged and are fighting for their lives as they see it. One side wants to share in the American Dream. The other just wants to limit as much as possible who gets to share in that Dream. Screaming at the top of their lungs, this incessant war of the future look of America makes it very hard to really listen to what is at the core of this debate.

The other day I was watching Parang Khanna on TED - my new favorite Web site: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/parag_khanna_maps_the_future_of_countries.html Here he discusses how the borders of the world are constantly changing because of the way people move to live and work. There was no discussion on the United States and its relationship with Mexico and the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. However, while he was discussing the relationship between Russia and China I could not stop thinking about how much this situation was similar to the United States and Mexico. Parts of Russia were once a part of China – much like the Louisiana Purchase was a part of what is now Mexico – and the Chinese are now leasing and working much of this land once again in Russia. Many groups such as the Minute Men and the Manhattan Institute fear what is known as the Reconquista - the takeover of lands once part of Mexico.

Recently, The New York Times wrote an article that discusses how the white population in American will be the minority in 2050 - scary for those KKK folks and white supremacists groups and unorganized racist folks. It is like the end of the world for them: well, it is as they know it.

What’s happening is that the United States can no longer resist the idea of change, and (r)evolution. As suggested by Khanna, the United States must surrender to this real fact of its imagined changing borders in a non-violent way, which is comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).

Further criminalization of immigrants cannot be part of this package. The continued and increased deportation of undocumented and legal permanent residents is not the answer. This just creates more despair, anger and rage in immigrant communities. I hope that as the debate moves forward the negotiators of CIR do not sell out – legalization in exchange for more deportation. This cannot be our negotiating point. To do so is unjust, inhumane and plain wrong.

In conjunction with this, the United States will have to reconsider its foreign policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (like the Dominican Republic) to create sustainable and livable countries so that people won't have to leave their homeland. Where individuals and families will be able to find work, get an education and progress. Most importantly, all this work must occur with a human rights lens to ensure that the basic rights of people are preserved.

As our country is pulling itself in multiple directions and literally pulling out its hairs to figure out the best possible solutions to many issues, including immigration reform, I wish President Obama and all of our leadership would ignore the tension and listen to the quiet at the core: there they will find the answer for the future of America and the immigrants of the world. There they will find the balance that we need to ensure a just and humane comprehensive immigration reform.

Raquel Batista served as executive director of Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights until 2009.