Reid presses Congress for immigration reform

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005 | 11:14 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid today urged Congress to press for immigration reform this year, citing Hurricane Katrina as the latest, high-profile illustration of the need to help Hispanic immigrants who are "living in the shadows."

Reid said some immigrants whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina aren't seeking government aid.

"They're afraid to ask the government for help for fear of what the government will do," Reid said today. "The one entity that should be helping them, they are afraid to ask."

Reid and other congressional Democrats today opened the sixth annual Democratic Hispanic Leadership Summit, a concerted effort by the party to stay connected with a key voting bloc.

As Congress this week considers additional aid for hurricane victims, and as the issues of race and poverty are front and center on Capitol Hill, Hispanic leaders say it's more important than ever to push their agenda.

Among the issues being discussed in sessions during the day-long summit are obstacles to home ownership, improving Latino representation in higher education and business boardrooms, and the image of Latinos in the mainstream media.

As in past years, summit participants from around the country were also buzzing today about the issues of immigration reform and how to mobilize sometimes reluctant Hispanic voters.

Several from Southern Nevada made the trip for the summit. Priscilla Rocha, director of the Clark County School District's adult English as a Second Language program, said many immigrants who have built lives in Nevada come from countries rife with corruption, and so they steer clear of the polls. Some are not legal residents who steer clear of government.

"These people feel isolated," said Rocha, who was heading to a panel discussion on improving Hispanic participation in politics. "They feel discriminated against. You have to teach them that the political system in this country is very different."

As Republicans have made advances with Hispanic voters in recent years, Democrats have sought new ways to reach out to the nation's fastest-growing minority group. Democrats have said they plan to continue marketing themselves as the party still most concerned with issues that resonate with Hispanic voters, like social justice and equal opportunity.

Democrats should articulate that they continue to lead on traditionally Hispanic issues, said Anna Ocasio-McAndrew, a Clark County family literacy project liaison.

"When it comes to immigration reform, we have to say, 'Who are the ones who are out there fighting for you (Hispanic voters)?' " she said.

She added later, "First things first. We need to get more Hispanic elected officials into public office."

The issue of immigration reform legislation has been heated this year in Congress, but some leaders have hinted that lawmakers may not act on it this year. There are competing bills that aim to tackle the issue of what to do with illegal immigrants working in this country.

"When they say, 'Close the borders because of terrorism, I believe that is an excuse," said Adriana Martinez, spokeswoman for the Citizenship Project, a Las Vegas nonprofit that helps immigrants become citizens.

Reid backs legislation introduced by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., that would allow undocumented workers to apply for a work visa. If they keep working, break no laws, and study English, in six years they would qualify to apply for citizenship, according to the bill.

Critics say the bill offers amnesty to lawbreakers. Reid says McCain-Kennedy is fair and reflects the reality of 10 million illegal immigrants, many of whom have become part of the U.S. workforce, but not the political process.

"All over America, we have people who are living in the shadows, unable to contribute to society," Reid said.