Without a doubt, the dead silence on the campaign trail in relation to immigration reform is not good. Let’s guess what that means.
Over the course of this year’s election announcements, promises, rhetoric and so forth, nothing has been mentioned about immigration reform. In fact, the one occasion when Obama and Romney could have and should have opened up about it was when Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, released a report that suggested the parties get off the pot and make immigration a serious campaign issue.
Dead silence ensued. It was eerie. It was almost like the report fell on deaf ears, and perhaps it did, or rather on ears that do not want to rock any more boats prior to being elected or re-elected. Doesn’t say much about politicians does it? It does say quite a lot about them protecting their backsides though, at the expense of the Hispanic population in limbo over what will or will not happen with comprehensive immigration reform.
Step back and take a hard look at what “is” being said about immigration reform. Note the latest remarks from the Florida Republican convention that suggested they avoided discussing this issue because it did not work for them. What about the millions of illegals in the U.S. today? Did that work for them? Does anyone else notice that this campaign is not about unifying this country, but instead is about polarizing it? Be worried, because if you are a Latino voter, you have some tough choices to make about who you think will best deal with your status. Right now, it appears neither party is in a rush to address immigration reform.
On reflection, this campaign is about only snagging votes to be into power again, but that does not mean dealing with the issue of immigration. It has always been, and will continue to be a flashpoint for many. Frankly, it needs to be a major consideration when the economy is discussed. As it stands, no one wants to address that issue, largely because the government is too busy deporting those taxpayers. Call this a “duh” moment.
Just keep in mind that even the minimal olive branch of Obama’s executive order giving permission for illegal immigrants to apply for deportation deferrals will do just one thing – get him more votes. It is not a permanent fix and does not address the serious mess the system itself is in. It needs to be overhauled. Period.
Sally Odell – Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, PA is an immigration lawyer in Miami with immigration law offices in Orlando and Miami Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.rifkinandfoxisicoff.com.
