Cross-Posted from Standing FIRM:
Today, immigration reform saw a welcome two steps forward. First, a press conference today marked over 100 co-sponsors for the CIR ASAP bill, introduced last fall by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL). At the press conference, members of Congress reaffirmed and intensified their commitment to passing immigration reform.
Much of the message was framed around the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona and the copycat laws that are springing up around the country. Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Barbara Lee spoke out against the racial profiling law:
We must act now. We cant afford to wait any longer. Arizona reminds us of that. We won’t let people divide us anymore. (via ClinicLegal)
Representative Luis Gutierrez, who introduced the legislation, drove home the urgency of the moment:
“The legislative clock is ticking,” stressed Gutierrez. “We know people are getting deported at the highest rate in modern history.”