Today is the day many have been waiting for: the sign that the Obama administration and members of Congress care about immigration reform.

So who is going to be at the White House meeting, that had already been postponed twice?

According to La Opinión:

Senadores:

Robert Menéndez (D)

Patrick Leahy (R)

Charles Schumer (D)

John McCain (R)

Mel Martínez (R)

John Cornyn (R)

Jeff Sessions (R)

Congresistas:

Lamar Smith (R)

Zoe Lofgren (D)

Xavier Becerra (D)

Howard Berman (D)

Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R)

Luis Gutiérrez (D)

Nydia Velázquez (D)

Adam Putnam (R)

Anthony Weiner (D)

But color me unimpressed and not very hopeful given some of the language that lawmakers and so-called progressive groups are using to discuss immigration reform, language that promotes the “good immigrant/bad immigrant” dichotomy.

My senator, Sen. Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.), announced what the priorities for comprehensive immigration reform were and they include a requirement that all U.S. workers verify their identity through fingerprints or an eye scan and rejecting the euphemism “undocumented workers,” he said: “Illegal immigration is wrong — plain and simple.”

People will say that the language isn’t important, or that giving up your fingerprints isn’t important, but should real immigration change center the millions of people who are living in fear? That would be the “progressive” position to take. Except most progressive orgs are pushing immigration reform that centers U.S. capitalist dreams.

From an email from the Center for American Progress:

We at the Center for American Progress believe that the status quo is untenable, mass deportation is contrary to our national interests and values, and the only
viable approach is comprehensive immigration reform. Such reform would require
immigrants to register and become legal, pay taxes, learn English, and pass criminal
background checks.

This language denies the fact that many undocumented already do pay taxes and are subject to racial profiling that criminalizes them.

I’m watching to see what goes down today so stay tuned.