President Obama’s executive order is a big step forward on immigration reform
Happy Thanksgiving! Last week we were part of a historical victory for immigration. President Obama’s executive order offering millions of immigrants—including at least 250,000 farm workers—relief from deportation is truly historic. It caps 14 years of hard work by the UFW to free undocumented farm workers from abuse and exploitation.
UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez flew into Las Vegas on Air Force One with President Obama the day after his White House address. He compared the “frenzied resistance by Republican leaders to the President’s executive order freeing millions of law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants from fear and exploitation to executive actions by President Lincoln freeing the slaves in 1863 and by President Truman integrating the military in 1948."
He continued, "Most Latinos see President Obama offering temporary administrative relief for long-suffering immigrants on a par with earlier applications of executive powers by Presidents Lincoln and Truman. Condemnations of those past uses of administrative authority were proven wrong. Today’s opposition to President Obama also puts the GOP on the wrong side of history.”
Arturo noted that the President’s action is only a first step: “Just as Congress had to pass a series of civil rights laws to reduce legal discrimination after President Truman’s executive order integrating the Armed Services, so Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform to finish the work President Obama has begun.” Congressional action is needed to bring relief to millions of additional immigrants.
Other exciting developments include:
— On Friday, Nov. 21, Arturo and President Obama met in Las Vegas with Ana Rosa Romero. Ana is a 15-year professional farm worker, single mother of eight and member of the worker committee that helped hammer out a union contract at Fresno-based Gerawan Farming Inc. that the workers are still fighting to get implemented.
— The UFW is also proud of partnering with MoveOn.org on a petition that has so far been signed by well over 100,000 people. The petition was authored by Cesar’s widow, Helen F. Chavez, asking people to thank President Obama for his executive order on immigration relief. Mrs. Chavez recalled paying respects at her husband’s gravesite when President Obama dedicated the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument at Keene, Calif. on Oct. 8, 2012. As they walked away, “with the President holding my arm, I asked, ‘Mr. President, will you promise you will do something on immigration reform?’ ‘Yes, Mrs. Chavez, I promise I will,’” he replied. On Thursday night, as soon as White House speech ended, Helen Chavez wrote that “President Obama kept his promise to me and to the American people…President Obama did the right thing on immigration. Please join me in thanking him for his leadership.” If you haven’t yet signed the petition click here.
— The UFW’s Arturo Rodriguez also met with President Obama at the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 19. After that meeting, the UFW estimated that, based on the requirements of the executive order, at least 250,000 farm workers — including at least 125,000 from California — would qualify for administrative relief.
To keep up with the UFW immigration activity go to: www.ufw.org/ir