Rhetoric Defeats Reason

Senate votes against comprehensive immigration reform

 This morning, the United States Senate effectively derailed comprehensive immigration reform.  By a cloture vote of 46 to 53, the Senate prevented any comprehensive immigration reform bill from actually being voted on by the Senate.   Charles “Shai” Goldstein, Executive Director of NJIPN, released the following statement: This most recent vote makes it increasingly difficult to secure our borders, promote integration of undocumented workers and families, provide worker protections for immigrants and a path to citizenship, preserve due process and civil rights, and insure fair treatment of students and agricultural workers as embodied in the DREAM Act and Ag Jobs legislation. The NJ Immigration Policy Network thanks Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Frank Lautenberg for voting in favor of a cloture motion this morning, which would have allowed the Senate Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill to proceed.  We are grateful for Senator Robert Menendez’s national leadership in promoting immigration reforms that underscored American family values, for we are a family of immigrants. The battle for comprehensive federal immigration reform is not over, but has been delayed. The New Jersey Immigration Policy Network will continue to work closely with local officials the state legislature and Governor Jon Corzine to ensure protection of all workers’ rights, health care needs, and educational opportunities regardless of status, and to address the large gaps in policy and programs that we will now suffer based on this recent setback.  We urge government and law enforcement at every level to protect the civil liberties of all who reside in the great nation. What the United States Senate has done is to enact a policy of inertia.  The problems don’t go away when our congress fails to act. Just as the failure to enact comprehensive healthcare reform in the mid-1990’s compounded the problems in our health care system, this recent failure will have a negative impact on health care, education, economy and security.  Yesterday’s and today’s votes represent a rejection of traditional American values, family values, and civil rights.