Supporters Rally a Second Year for Immigration Overhaul

Demonstrators are taking to the streets May 1, as they did a year ago, to rally for a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. Although the numbers that turned out in last year’s rally and work boycott are not expected, some still think the groups will get the point across.

Rallies were being planned for cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. The hope is to get the comprehensive immigration reform debate on the forefront of lawmakers’ agendas before it’s overshadowed by the 2008 presidential election, according to news reports.

Early on May 1, it didn’t look like the supporters would come out in the numbers in which they showed up last year. One possible explanation is the increased enforcement and illegal immigrants’ fear of getting caught, says John Meredith, founder of the Meredith Advocacy Group and former co-chairman of the H-2B Workforce Coalition.

“The ramifications of participation are swifter this year,” he says, citing the step-up in workplace immigration raids since last year. “Some (immigrants) have children and don’t want to worry about being thrown in jail for 24 hours while they prove they have their papers. It behooves them to be well documented if they’re going to get out there in public.”
 
The rallies haven’t been publicized as much as last year, says Tom Delaney, director of government affairs for the Professional Landcare Network.

“Last year there were more companies asking about getting time off (for the rallies),” Delaney says. “I don’t know if it’s quite as organized as last year.”

Also last year, several Lawn & Landscape Message Board users were involved in discussions about employees requesting time off for the event. Few are saying the same this year.

Despite a smaller crowd, the protestors will get their message out, Meredith says.

“I don’t think the rallies being smaller is that big of a deal,” he says. “As long as there is a critical mass, the message will get across.”

The message they’re communicating is in support of a comprehensive immigration overhaul. Last year, proponents got behind a comprehensive immigration bill proposed by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.). However, detractors in the Senate said the bill would promote amnesty. A bill has yet to be introduced on the Senate floor this year, but the Senate could start discussions in the coming weeks, Meredith says.

If progress is made on comprehensive immigration, the predominantly-Democrat Congress may be reluctant to pass the bill onto the president for signing,” Delaney says.

“They don’t want to give the president a rose garden signing and leave him to take credit for it,” he says. “If they do get close, they probably want to wait for a Democratic president to be in office and take credit for it.”

Even if a consensus isn’t formed over immigration, it should at least open the door to discussion about other immigration bills, including the H-2B seasonal guest worker program, Meredith says. Industry advocates are hope increase the cap of 66,000 temporary work visas given per year or at least exempt returning workers from counting against the cap.

Delaney hopes the purpose of the H-2B visa isn’t lost in the comprehensive immigration bill.

“The terminology is going back and forth; a seasonal and guest worker are being talked about as the same thing, and we have to reemphasize that the guest worker program and the seasonal worker program are different,” he says.

Lately the H-2B cap has been met earlier each year, which shows how much the program is being used, Delaney says, adding there should be a clause on market-based allowances included in the bill so that the cap will reflect the need for workers.

The cap isn’t the only factor preventing companies from getting the workers they need. Due to more stringent policies, applications have been getting tied up with the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers who are returning to the program are finding that the same applications that have been accepted in the past aren’t being accepted as easily now. Additional paperwork is required, and there is confusion as to who is applicable to the H-2B program.

The DOL is holding meetings this week in Atlanta and Chicago, where its main hubs are located, to review the guidelines in hopes of making the process run smoother.