As the health care debate draws more hate against “illegal immigrant coverage”, the Democratic Senator charged with introducing immigration reform legislation is making more excuses instead of moving forward.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has decided to delay introducing legislation to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws in hopes of bringing more senators on board and crafting a bipartisan bill, his spokesman said Tuesday…”We are pleased with the framework we have put together so far and the broad-based support it has gotten from a diverse group of those interested in this issue,” [Brian] Fallon said. “The fact that health care is taking longer than expected gives us additional time to now shop our ideas to a number of Republicans to see what they think and what changes they suggest.”

In case people need reminding, the framework that Schumer has help to put together includes a requirement that all U.S. workers verify their identity through fingerprints or an eye scan and rejecting the language of “undocumented workers,” he said: “Illegal immigration is wrong — plain and simple.”
In the absence of any drafted bill, the only legislative moves towards immigration reform (not rights because one does not necessarily include the other), have been expansion of enforcement policies like 287(g).

Meanwhile day laborers, jornaleros, from 40 cities across the United States began their convention in Washington D.C. today. At the top of their agenda was delivering thousands of letters demanding comprehensive immigration reform. Interestingly enough, many of the jornaleros came from Long Island where Suffolk County, where hate crimes against Latino immigrant workers were documented by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Via / Congress Daily