Moratorium on Enforcement Only Policies

As our lead blogger, Kevin Johnson, pointed out yesterday, the Obama-Napolitano White House immigration meeting leaves many unanswered questions. Are we in for more “enforcement only” approaches on immigration? Here’s a statement of concern from the Mexican American Political Association:

Mexican American Political Association CALLS ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO STOP THE ENFORCEMENT ONLY POLICY WHILE THE ADMINISTRATION REVISITS PROSPECTS
FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM NEXT YEAR

Los Angeles-The Mexican American Political Association, the oldest political and civic organization of Mexican Americans and Latinos in the United States, calls on President Barack Obama to immediately stop the enforcement only policy while his administration revisits the prospects of immigration reform in 2010. MAPA’s statement was made coming on the heeds of a White House meeting hosted by Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), during which some 100 leaders from labor, business, community, law enforcement, and faith-based organizations met to discuss the probable outlines of immigration reform legislation in the future. MAPA and other long-time advocates for progressive immigration reform were excluded from the meeting.
The meeting did not address the enforcement-only policy of the current administration and essentially reaffirmed that immigration reform legislation will not be on the legislative calendar of the U.S. Congress in 2009. “The upshot of this hurriedly convened gathering was to placate the many national, regional, and local organizations that have raised criticism with Secretary Napolitano for the continued aggressive enforcement of immigration laws with no indication of any relief on the horizon for immigrant families,” stated Nativo V. Lopez, National President of MAPA.

“Its with great sadness that we observe that the Obama administration continues to ignore thet growing clamor from diverse sectors of the immigrant and Latino communities throughout the nation for an end to the enforcement-only policy that has wreaked havoc and destruction on our families and communities. The demand for an immediate moratorium of such a policy is more evident than ever especially considering the president’s comments about deferring immigration reform until 2010.” Lopez concluded.

MAPA founded in Fresno, California in 1960, has been and is dedicated to the constitutional and democratic principles of political freedom and representation for Mexican, Chicano, and Latino people in the United States of America.

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