Labor & Employment Law

Netroots Nation: Immigration Reform?s Strange Bedfellows

By Marc Laitin

Earlier this week in Washington, D.C., AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka joined Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for a remarkable discussion on the importance of immigration reform. On Thursday, panelists speaking on ”Immigration Reform’s Strange Bedfellows” at the Netroots Nation conference in Las Vegas amplified President Trumka and Secretary Solis’ call to action.

Moderating the discussion at Netroots Nation was Mark Lauritsen, UFCW international vice president and director of Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division, who opened with an emotional recounting of both the positive and negative sides of immigration, particularly in the meatpacking industry and how employers use immigration as a tool to oppress workers.

What America needs is an immigration system that works for all America’s workers.

Lauritsen first turned to state Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) who gave her take on S.B. 1070, Arizona’s anti-immigration law.  Sinema described it as misguided. The lesson Sinema takes from Arizona is that if Congress doesn’t act, those who want comprehensive immigration reform must respond proactively with localized legislation rather than waiting for federal action. Immigration reform is a problem that needs a federal solution, but Sinema argues that we cannot wait.

Giving a perspective from the law enforcement side, Arturo Venegas, an immigrant, Vietnam veteran and former chief of police for the city of Sacramento, laid out the risks of legally codified racial profling and how enforcement-only tactics are insufficient. Law enforcement officers like Chief Venegas are some of the most powerful voices on immigration reform and we all owe a great debt to all the brave officers who have spoken out against racial profiling as an enforcement tactic.

Looking beyond enforcement, Adam Luna, political director at America’s Voice, described the political implications of immigration reform, particularly how popular comprehensive immigration reform is, and how candidates and activists can talk about immigration.

Rounding out the panel discussion, Think Progress blogger, former UFCW communications specialist and immigrant from Guatemala, Andrea Nill, addressed the coordinated opposition to immigration reform and outlined who’s funding it and how they operate. Scary stuff. To read more work from Nill, click here.

Taking a step back, I was encouraged by the overall hopefulness expressed by all the panelists, each with a different perspective and set of life experiences. Comprehensive immigration reform: Sí, se puede.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on July 23, 2010 (boomark / email).