Gutierrez Immigration Rhetoric: No Snap, Crackle, or Pop
June 19, 2006
Today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will hold a photo-op in Albuquerque, New Mexico highlighting the Bush Administration's failed immigration policies. Gutierrez will have a tough balancing act explaining why President Bush has failed to show leadership and ceded the immigration issue to extremists in the Republican Congress, while the Administration has made a mockery of enforcing existing U.S. immigration laws and employer sanctions.
The Commerce Secretary's visit comes as the Washington Post revealed today that the Bush Administration, which has vowed to crack down on U.S. companies who hire illegal workers, "virtually abandoned" penalizing companies who profit from hiring illegal immigrants over the past five years. According to the Post, the U.S. issued only three fines to companies in 2004 compared to 417 in 1999 and "scaled back" worksite enforcement operations by 95 percent. [ The Washington Post , 6/19/06] The Bush Administration's lax enforcement has no doubt contributed to lower wages for immigrants and all American families across the board. Gutierrez's visit also comes after Republican columnist Robert Novak reported this weekend that Republican House Leader John Boehner declared the immigration bill "all but dead" just two weeks after President Bush brought his immigration tour to New Mexico. [Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/18/06]
The Bush Administration's lax enforcement of current immigration laws reveals a staggering contrast with the Republican Party's harsh rhetoric, and sheds new light on the Republican Party's attempts to scapegoat and criminalize immigrants while refusing to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform.
"The American people are tired of the political games of the Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress on the important issue of immigration," said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Luis Miranda. "Instead of standing up to the extremists in the Republican Party who are blocking comprehensive immigration reform, the Bush Administration continues to resort to staged PR events that do nothing to address this critical issue. At the same time, the lack of leadership from this Administration is allowing the extreme right-wing of their party to scapegoat immigrants for political gain.
"Democrats won't stand for that, and will continue to fight for immigration reform that strengthens our borders, protects U.S. workers and their wages, reunites families, and allows hard-working immigrants who pay taxes and obey the law the opportunity to earn the responsibilities of citizenship. Together, America can do better."
