One of the reasons that the Obama administration and its supporters have given for not working on immigration reform sooner is the economy, as if the lives of undocumented immigrants and indeed the lives of all of us have nothing to do with the millions who work in the U.S. without papers. However now, as we approach the worker’s day of May Day, a day that has also more recently been used to highlight the lives of the undocumented, the Obama administration is saying that this year it is going to address immigration

Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall.

What immigration reform looks like to the Obama administration includes:

legislation that would bring illegal immigrants into the legal system by recognizing that they violated the law, and imposing fines and other penalties to fit the offense. The legislation would seek to prevent future illegal immigration by strengthening border enforcement and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, while creating a national system for verifying the legal immigration status of new workers.

No mention of changing the current strategy of ICE workplace raids and home raids which clearly does not target employers rather workers and their families.

More on the raids and demands to stop them a little later, pero in the meantime, it is also important to note that while it’s good that mainstream media is covering the issue (can we please stop calling people “illegal” though, really), the coverage still gives respect to hate groups who dress up as legit orgs.

As Nezua points out:

And to be complete in our appraisal here, The New York Times online is not being courageous by quoting NumbersUSA and referring to them as “a group that favors reduced immigration.” Mainstreaming hate is not responsible journalism. Stop giving groups that are inescapably mingled with white supremacists and their hateful values such a respectable voice in society’s dialogue. It is irresponsible and moreso, loathesome.

It’s expected that the hate groups will be calling the White House to oppose any move towards changing the broken immigration system. Make sure we call them to let them know that any immigration “reform” needs to include a sense of safety for all families. 202-456-1111.

Via / The NYT