Luis Gutierrez Keeps Up the Pressure On Immigration

With health-care reform, job creation, and Afghanistan taking up so much of Washington's attention these days, why on earth is Rep. Luis Gutierrez introducing an immigration bill tomorrow? Aren't all these other things plenty enough to deal with right now? Needless to say, his bill won't be taken up any time soon. But Gutierrez knows that. This is symbolic more than anything—a strident warning by one of the Hispanic Caucus's most passionately pro-immigrant members that the Obama administration had better keep its word and tackle immigration reform in the new year, or face a Latino revolt.

Like many Hispanic lawmakers and activists, Gutierrez hasn't been too pleased with the way the administration has been handling immigration, with its emphasis on enforcing existing laws rather than overhauling a broken system. Among the sore points: the continued deportations that split up families and the 287(g) program that deputizes local law enforcement to act as immigration agents. Gutierrez is also steamed that Obama has gone out of his way when discussing health care to emphasize that illegal immigrants won't benefit from any of the proposed reforms.

Pro-immigrant forces know that the prospects for passing an immigration bill are iffy at best. They realize that the dire jobs picture has created a hostile climate for legalizing millions of workers. They understand that any attempt to enact a law will set off a titanic battle. They see the crowded legislative calendar for next year and all the other administration priorities they're competing against. So they've concluded that the only way to keep this issue on the front burner is to crank up the pressure.

Many Latinos believe Obama owes them on this one. They turned out forcefully for him in last year's election and arguably helped deliver crucial states to him. Now they want payback. The Sonia Sotomayor nomination to the Supreme Court was a welcome move. But that alone won't be enough to sate an electorate that is feeling increasingly empowered and wants its agenda addressed.

If Congress does take up immigration reform, Gutierrez's bill is unlikely to be the starting point. I haven't seen the details of his legislation, but judging from the language of the press release announcing it ("this bill says 'enough' " to a dysfunctional immigration system), it'll be far too liberal to stand any chance of passing. Instead, the bill to keep an eye on is the one that Sen. Chuck Schumer is preparing. The Senate is where the initial action on immigration is likely to be, and Schumer's bill, which he's been working on for months, will probably be introduced early next year.