Labor Day march for immigration reform

[AlphaCentauri]

On this Labor Day, think about who carved up the beef you are grilling or who picked the fresh vegetables you are tossing in your salad.

It's likely that work was done by people who work in the shadows - undocumented workers.
Labor Day also is also a day to remind our political leaders that we need comprehensive immigration reform. Those who have contributed to this country should be given a chance to become legal permanent residents.

Supporters of immigrant rights are rallying Monday in Chicago to send this message.

At 11 a.m. Monday they will start marching from Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., to the Federal Plaza downtown.

This march also is indicative of a growing frustration in the Latino community and some say the Obama Administration is not moving fast enough to pass immigration reform.

"Obama's declaration that there won't be any immigration reform this year has really pissed a lot of people off," said community activist Jorge Mujica.

He also criticized the Obama administration for continuing to enforce many of the immigration policies from the Bush administration. And in fact the number of deportations by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased, according to recent data.

Nationwide, ICE sent back 18 percent more undocumented immigrants to their countries of origin in fiscal year 2009. From Oct. 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, ICE has deported or returned more than 271,200 undocumented immigrants compared to the 229,800 undocumented immigrants removed during the same time period in fiscal year 2008.

"(Obama) is enforcing these broken laws more than Bush," Mujica added.


He said Latino voters will hold Obama accountable. "Without legalization there will be no re-election," Mujica said.

The undocumented are demonized and hated by many. But the vast majority of these workers are propping up our economy, working in the fields, the kitchens and caring for our children. Working to support their families does not make them criminals.

And contrary to popular belief many of the undocumented pay taxes. The pays sales tax like we do. They also pay incomes tax using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) or false Social Security numbers.

All immigrants, regardless of status, will pay on average $80,000 per capita
more in taxes than they use in government services over their lifetime, according to a study by J.P. Smith, J.P. and B. Edmonston cited by the National Council of La Raza. The Social Security Administration reports that it holds approximately $420 billion from the earnings of immigrants who are not in a position to claim benefits.

We also have to recognize the role the undocumented play in supporting our economy. There is no practical way to rid our nation of 11 to 12 million people. And it's not so simple. Some of these families have one parent who is undocumented and one who is not, or parents who are undocumented and U.S. citizen children. We shouldn't tear these families apart.

But giving legal status to the undocumented is not simply an economic argument. It's a moral one.

We can't continue to have a society where there are two tiers of workers separate and unequal.

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicanisima/2009/09/labor-day-march-for-immigration-reform.html