Dear Editor,
There may be good news for undocumented Guyanese and other Caribbean immigrants in America. A limited amnesty for illegal immigrants appears possible this year as President Barack Obama and a group of bipartisan (Republicans and Democrats) senators push for an overhaul of immigration laws. President Obama made his own proposal while endorsing the senators’ proposal.
Some four senators of each party came together and worked out an agreement to introduce a bill in the Senate that will grant illegal immigrants in good standing a path to a green card and then citizenship. The bill could be passed this year but may be held up in the House where a majority of Republicans are opposed to it. There are some 11 million illegal immigrants in America including thousands of Guyanese.
Obama said he is willing to accept the Senate’s proposal for immigration reform although he would like to see it go further. He threatened to send his own alternative legislation to Capitol Hill if Congress fails to act to approve the Senate’s version soon.
The President embraced the bipartisan Senate proposal which would strengthen border security and employment verification in exchange for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
He praised the senators saying that for the first time in decades Democrats and Republicans seem ready to tackle this problem together. Obama said their proposal is in line with the principles he proposed and campaigned on for the last few years. He commented: “At this moment, it looks like there’s a genuine desire to get this done soon.”
Obama outlined the principles of his proposal saying, “It rests on four pillars: strengthening border security, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers, streamlining legal immigration and − most importantly − offering undocumented workers an earned path to citizenship.”
The fact that the Senate and Obama are in agreement makes it possible for the bill to be passed. Immigration reform eluded Obama and President George W Bush before him, despite several efforts by Bush to get a bill passed.
Already, some prominent conservatives have expressed their scepticism about the Senate framework for exactly that reason. But it is possible that 220 members of the House could support it. There are already 60 senators backing the Senate bill.
The House wants to expand immigration to those who are qualified in Science, Technology, Maths and Engineering (STEM). The President has vowed to veto any bill that does not grant amnesty to all eligible illegals and does not make room for a guest worker programme to pick fruit and other farm produce which Americans find demeaning.
The President said he is against the restrictive House bill that would grant amnesty to those in the so called STEM category that would benefit mostly Indian and Asian students in America because they dominate the STEM disciplines.
A report on the Senate’s proposed bill notes that thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain. But key individuals are backing the bill, including Senator John McCain who collaborated with the late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W Bush in 2007. In the past, the Senate was the obstacle to reform while the House passed legislation. This time around the Senate is pushing for a bill while the House is opposed to one.
Now, with some Republicans hurt by last November’s elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the Republican Party say this time will be different and they expect both Houses to adopt a bill granting some kind of limited amnesty.
McCain said, “We have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill for election purposes. The Republicans can’t win a presidential election unless they tackle the vexing issue of amnesty for illegals.”
Hispanics and Asians make up a large percentage of voters and they will determine future outcomes of elections. They largely were responsible for Obama’s victories in 2008 and 2012. And they have been calling for an amnesty and Republicans want to win them over. It is for this reason that Guyanese Americans are hopeful that a bill will be passed this year.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
