Congress hears from other side on illegals

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

WASHINGTON - The fruit baskets from migrant farm workers started arriving first in the Senate offices. Then today, bouquets of American flags are scheduled for delivery, each Old Glory representing thousands of illegal immigrants. Always, the phone calls, e-mails and faxes stream in.

As the Senate immigration debate unfolds this week, those supporting immigration reform are doing all they can to compete against the anti-amnesty crowd, which has so far dominated the debate and still might drive the legislation to its death.

Even as polls show most Americans support the broad outlines of the Senate plan to give 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and establish new immigration laws, the bully pulpit of the conservative airwaves and blogosphere has ruled the agenda.

Until now, perhaps. On Monday, one Republican Senate office involved with the bill reported a noticeable uptick in the number of calls and letters arriving from those in favor of the bill.

Instead of being bombarded with rants from those against the bill - which Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has said are among some of the most racist she has ever seen - the ratio dropped to about 55 percent against, the Republican aide said.

Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign's office reported a shifting trend as far back as a few months ago. Although it still overwhelmingly hear s mostly opposition to the bill, it is now also hearing from supporters, Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola said.

Advocates say that once Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shelved the bill this month as it was being blocked by Republicans, he ignited those who want to see it passed. They realized that the bill could go down.

Supporters know that if immigration reform doesn't happen now, with President Bush as its strongest advocate and the grand bipartisan compromise unfolding, its chances are all but doomed for years.

As the Senate engages a second and probably final time this session on the bill, the groups are making a last stand, said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, one of the large labor groups supporting the bill.

"That really just created a sense of urgency," Medina said. "People really began to mobilize."

In an outpouring not unlike the massive immigrant-rights protests of 2006 that was partly organized and partly organic, labor unions, advocacy groups and clergy activated. They are being backed by a business coalition including restaurants and construction firms that rely on immigrant labor and want the bill passed.

The popular Spanish-language radio disc jockey Piolin hand-delivered 1 million petitions to Congress two weeks ago. One hundred immigrants and their supporters traveled across the country to share their stories before arriving in Washington - to deliver DVD documentaries of their tales.

The United Farm Workers descended on Capitol Hill last week with a report showing immigrants would be willing to pay fees to become legal - and bringing lawmakers baskets of fruit picked by farm laborers.

Clarissa Martinez, a campaign manager with the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, said the groups are trying to counter the conservative message that has taken over the debate.

Martinez notes that the same way a small but strong minority has driven the public relations battle, so too has a handful of conservative senators been able to block the bill in Congress. Three weeks ago, the conservative senators essentially derailed the bill by threatening to filibuster at every turn, prompting Reid to pull it from the floor.

"The talk radio nuts and people full of hate are running the debate," Marisa McNee of the coalition said.

"The messages being sent to the Hill were so overwhelmingly negative, even though we know most people are on board with the basics ... I think people started picking up the phone."

Even Sen. Trent Lott, the minority whip from Mississippi, complained recently that "talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem."

Opponents of the bill, however, have no confidence the government will be able to enforce the rules any better under the new legislation. They want guarantees before the government gives what these opponents call amnesty to 12 million lawbreakers who entered this country illegally. And they too are calling and writing letters and sending faxes.

Polls show that most Americans want the federal government to fix the system that has created a shadow population of illegal immigrants with one that clamps down on employers who hire undocumented workers and seals the borders.

"You have poll after poll saying the vast majority of Americans say they support reform," Martinez said, "and they are not being heard."