The path to immigration reform for U.S. President Barack Obama has been filled with twists and turns, and whether it can be launched this year has drawn widespread attention. Recently, Arizona's so-called "toughest immigration law in the nation" has sparked concern among immigration advocacy organizations across all U.S. states, leading to a series of protests and rallies. On May 1, Los Angeles saw the largest immigration march in recent years, with 100,000 people, including many Chinese Americans, taking to the streets to protest the new Arizona immigration law and criticize Obama for failing to fulfill his campaign promises. Facing various calls from immigration groups, Obama stated on the 5th that he hopes to begin reforming the immigration system this year. However, whether such a reform can succeed remains a subject of external doubt.
Taking a Further Stance on Reform: Obama Calls for Immigration Reform to Start This Year
President Obama expressed on the 5th his hope to begin comprehensive immigration reform this year, demonstrating his commitment to an issue that is vital to Hispanic voters and lawmakers. According to reports by the U.S. Sing Tao Daily, citing the Associated Press, Obama reiterated his long-standing support for immigration reform during a "Cinco de Mayo" celebration at the White House and called for the work of immigration reform to begin this year.
Hispanic organizations have consistently urged Obama to fulfill his promises and prioritize immigration reform, with some Hispanic activists and lawmakers complaining that he has not done enough. Last week, Obama made disheartening remarks, noting that after the intense debates over healthcare reform and financial regulation, Congress was "not interested" in immediately tackling another hot-button issue. Furthermore, there might not be enough time for Congress to address such a controversial issue before the midterms in November.
However, Obama's current actions allow him to at least provide the Hispanic community with a clear record of his efforts. He did not comment on whether immigration reform could be completed this year. Obama acknowledged that immigration reform is a difficult task requiring bipartisan support, which is currently lacking in the Senate.
Obama stated that the only way to address the nation's immigration issue is through comprehensive immigration reform. He said, "To fix our broken immigration system, we must enact sensible and comprehensive immigration reform. I want to begin this work this year, and I want Democrats and Republicans to work with me." The focus of immigration reform lies with the Senate, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has clearly stated that the Senate must act first before her fellow Democrats will vote on the matter.
Additionally, Obama reaffirmed his condemnation of the new Arizona immigration law, which allows police to demand proof of legal residency from individuals. Obama said federal officials are closely monitoring the law to see if it violates civil rights.
Is Arizona's Harsh Law a Catalyst? Uncertainty Over Whether Immigration or Energy Bills Will Come First
Could the U.S. Congress set aside other bills to prioritize immigration reform? According to a report by the U.S. World Journal, White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Advisor to the President, Melody Barnes, stated that this decision rests with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted that whichever bill gains enough support will be moved forward. As the toughest immigration law in the United States was signed and enacted in Arizona on the 23rd, the White House appeared to be taking advantage of the moment to address the immigration bill first. House Speaker Pelosi also recently agreed that if the Senate passes an immigration bill first, the House could review the immigration bill before moving on to energy and climate legislation. This, however, annoyed Senator Lindsey Graham, the White House's only Republican partner on the immigration bill. Not only does Graham oppose reviewing the immigration bill now, but he also pulled out of a press conference originally scheduled for the 26th with Democrats regarding the energy and climate bill, stalling the bipartisan energy and climate legislation that had been in the works for a year.
Graham recently told the World Journal, "I thought the agreement was that the Senate would handle the energy and climate bill this year before talking about anything else. Throwing in an immigration bill now is equivalent to saying goodbye." The White House needs Graham's help on both bills. When repeatedly asked about the prioritization of the energy/climate bill versus the immigration bill, White House spokesman Gibbs replied that both are important. However, he maintained that whichever bill receives sufficient support will be prioritized.
Chinese Community Discusses Arizona's Anti-Immigration Law: Charges of Racial Discrimination and Serious Infringement of Rights
The strictest anti-illegal immigration bill passed in Arizona, U.S., has triggered strong backlash among advocacy groups and minority communities across the country and has caused great controversy in society. California Assemblyman Paul Fong, who represents the Silicon Valley region, stated clearly that the bill contains elements of racial discrimination.
He pointed out that, on the surface, Arizona police can take actions such as questioning immigration status when they have reasonable suspicion that someone is an illegal immigrant. But in reality, many minorities, especially in Arizona, are composed of Mexican Americans and Asian Americans; based on their skin color, clothing, or language, they could easily become targets for questioning. In other words, this law uses appearance as a standard and overwhelmingly targets minorities; therefore, it is no longer a general anti-illegal immigration bill but a matter of whether the rights of minorities are being protected in law enforcement. Looking at this bill, it is clearly evident that it contains elements of racial discrimination. Fong also emphasized that Arizona's immigration law also brings harm to Asian Americans, including those of Chinese descent.
Whether California, which has a large immigrant population, will follow Arizona's lead in the future is a cause for concern. However, Chinese immigration lawyers point out that the bill will face many difficulties in execution, and it would be very difficult for a similar bill to pass in California.
Immigration lawyer Zhou Zhengxuan stated that although Arizona passed this bill, in practice, it will be very difficult to implement because police cannot randomly ask passersby to show identification documents; they only have that right when there is an involvement in illegal activity. Additionally, if the police demand identification from citizens based on skin color or ethnicity, that is racial discrimination and a violation of federal law. Another immigration attorney, Xu Junliang, also stated that while the bill notes that law enforcement personnel must act under federal guidelines, there will be many gray areas, making it hard to define the scope of authority, which could easily conflict with federal law. He believes that allowing police to stop and search anyone they deem "suspicious" is an excessive expansion of power.
U.S. Media Analysis: Achieving Immigration Reform After Healthcare Reform is Nearly Impossible
Even under the best of circumstances, implementing immigration reform in the U.S. is an uphill battle. According to a piece compiled by the Qiaobao from the Christian Science Monitor, the last U.S. president to sign a major immigration reform bill was Ronald Reagan in 1986. Now, political perspectives in Washington are drastically divided, and with the intense battle leading up to this November's congressional midterm elections, it is nearly impossible for Democrats to score another victory on immigration reform following their success with healthcare reform.
Even so, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid still hopes to bring immigration reform legislation to a vote this year. Late last week, Senate Democrats introduced a new proposal regarding immigration reform. Democrats had hoped to gain Republican support, but they did not receive any response from Republican members. This topic was subsequently sidelined by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the car bomb incident in New York's Times Square.
However, for Senator Reid, immigration reform remains a matter of significant political interest. He is currently embroiled in a reelection battle for the November congressional midterms, and his reelection urgently requires the support of Hispanic voters in Nevada. The Hispanic population accounts for 20% of the state's total population. The recently enacted, harsh anti-immigration law in Arizona has once again highlighted the urgency of immigration reform at the federal level.
