Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Luis V. Gutiérrez and the Battle over Immigration

By Claudio Iván Remeseira Follow @HispanicNewYork | Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 12:20 p.m. PM 

When it comes to President Obama, Rep. (Ill-D) Luis V. Gutiérrez doesn't mince words. "He let us down," he told NBC Latino's Sandra Lilley in an interview apropos the launching of Congressman Gutiérrez's new book, Still Dreaming: My Journey from The Barrio to Capitol Hill. The Illinois legislator has been one the harshest and most consistent critics of Obama's immigration policies, particularly of the President's original reluctance to sign an executive order on deferred action and of his historic deportations record. 

However, Gutiérrez  made it clear this is his only fundamental difference with his party's boss. "I want him to be successful he said because his success means success for our community."

On Tuesday, Gutiérrez participated and was arrested along other legislators in a pro-immigration reform rally in Washington, D.C. The rally was the climax of a mobilization started during the weekend with marches and vigils across the nation. Asked by Lilley whether Congress will finally pass an immigration reform law, Gutiérrez said:
 “We are going to have legislation.  Two thousand Latinos turn 18 every day – and that’s today – in 10 years it will be 2500. It will be a demographic tsunami you cannot alter,” he said, adding Congress is going through a “dark period” but will come out in a few months’ time."
 Read more at NBC Latino

No comments:

Post a Comment

ShareThis

Blog Archive