(Rep. Luis) Gutierrez Blasts Emanuel On Immigration

[pampango]

Source: Progress Illinois

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, one of the leading advocates for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, said Rahm Emanuel "has not stood up for immigrants."

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez minced no words Friday in blasting Rahm Emanuel's positions on immigration reform in recent years, saying Chicago's mayoral front-runner "took actions to harm immigrants" as a member of Congress and during his tenure as President Barack Obama's chief of staff.

"He has not stood up for immigrants. He has not moved comprehensive immigration reform forward. He has not made the right decisions, he has made political decisions," Gutierrez said. "That's not what the immigrant community deserves in the next mayor of the city of Chicago."

Emanuel has called immigration reform the "third rail" of American politics and argued that last year was not a good one for pushing for reform legislation. Many reformers are also furious with the deportation policy of the Obama administration (which, of course, Emanuel helped to lead); and yesterday at City Council, aldermen adopted a resolution calling for an end to deportations that break up families that include documented and undocumented immigrants.



Read more: http://progressillinois.com/posts/content/2011/01/14/gutierrez-blasts-emanuel-immigration-tactics

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Not sure if this charge helps or hurts Rahm in Chicago. Charges that someone didn't do enough for immigrants can be construed as praise for that candidate by many voters. Gotta give Gutierrez credit though. He fights for what he believes in and is one of the leaders in the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

[Ramulux]

1. Just one

of the many reasons Rahm Emmanual is a scumbag, politico, douchebag who has attempted to fuck over the democratic party at every turn. He tried to take out Dean when he was DNC chair and he successfully convinced Obama to carry out an agenda that helped result in us getting massacred in the mid-terms. I feel terrible for the people of Chicago, knowing hes gonna be their mayor.

[skepticscott]

2. So exactly what type of reform does

the legal immigrant community deserve, and why? That must be the group he's talking about, because the illegal immigrant community does not deserve ANY change in US immigration policy. Those laws are passed for the benefit of American citizens, not for people who have entered, or plan to enter this country in direct violation of our laws.

[molly77]

3. It was said a while back that Rahm could not win reelection

to the House because he had alienated the Latino community. And now he thinks he can be mayor? Don't think he will be elected.

[frazzled]

4. Funny, cause I was there when both Rahm and Luis ...

were at the big May Day immigration rally in 2006 (was it 2006?): about 500,000 people (I kid you not), marching from Union Park to Grant Park, chanting "Si, se puede!" for the hours it took to complete the distance. Both of them gave speeches, one after the other, if I recall. Emanuel actually gave a very moving speech about being the child of immigrant parents, and about the issues that immigrants have faced throughout American history. They didn't seem to have any problems with each other in the context of that event.

Funny what an election will do. Of course, Guitierrez is blasting Emanuel on this. He's endorsing Gery Chico, one of the two Latino candidates, for mayor. That's fine. But we all need to remember to take this sort of stuff with a grain of salt. It's politics as usual.

[Alhena]

5. So unlawfully crossing the Rio Grande = immigrant?

We've got over 9% unemployment among US workers. My husband has been looking for construction work for many months now. I have a hard time being sympathetic to illegal workers on this issue.

[emilyg]

6. .....