UFW vows to continue battle on immigration as rights groups tell immigrants to be patient
February 18, 2015 |04:15 PM
Leaders of the United Farm Workers and its foundation said Tuesday that they remain confident that President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration will prevail in the courts. National Journal reported that immigrant rights groups are urging immigrants who expected to sign up for administrative relief to be patient.
Acting on a lawsuit filed by a number of Republican attorney generals, Texas U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the implementation of Obama’s executive actions, which were expected to benefit farm workers as well as others in the United States without legal papers.
Obama is appealing the judge’s decision.
“We feel this lawsuit is another example of the Republicans’ effort to intimidate and scare off the undocumented community from coming forward, registering and applying for work permits,” UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said in a news release.
“These anti-immigrant politicians can’t reverse the president’s executive action, a victory won as a result of years of UFW activism in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform through marches, demonstrations, lobbying, and meetings with President Obama and White House officials,” Rodriguez added.
UFW said it views Obama’s executive order as the first concrete step toward fixing the nation’s broken immigration system.
“We urge Republicans to abandon their political games that hurt millions of hard-working, taxpaying immigrants and their families, and help us finish the job by passing legislation such as the comprehensive reform bill that was approved by the Senate on a bipartisan vote in June 2013,” Rodriguez said.
“The UFW will not rest until the president’s deferred relief is enacted and a permanent immigration reform — including a path to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants — is signed into law,” Rodriguez added.
Other immigrant rights organizations are also urging immigrants to be patient, National Journal reported.
▪ National Journal — For Undocumented Immigrants, Court Ruling Creates a Dream Deferred
▪ Sisepuede — Spanish-language information on immigration reform
Acting on a lawsuit filed by a number of Republican attorney generals, Texas U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the implementation of Obama’s executive actions, which were expected to benefit farm workers as well as others in the United States without legal papers.
Obama is appealing the judge’s decision.
“We feel this lawsuit is another example of the Republicans’ effort to intimidate and scare off the undocumented community from coming forward, registering and applying for work permits,” UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said in a news release.
“These anti-immigrant politicians can’t reverse the president’s executive action, a victory won as a result of years of UFW activism in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform through marches, demonstrations, lobbying, and meetings with President Obama and White House officials,” Rodriguez added.
UFW said it views Obama’s executive order as the first concrete step toward fixing the nation’s broken immigration system.
“We urge Republicans to abandon their political games that hurt millions of hard-working, taxpaying immigrants and their families, and help us finish the job by passing legislation such as the comprehensive reform bill that was approved by the Senate on a bipartisan vote in June 2013,” Rodriguez said.
“The UFW will not rest until the president’s deferred relief is enacted and a permanent immigration reform — including a path to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants — is signed into law,” Rodriguez added.
Other immigrant rights organizations are also urging immigrants to be patient, National Journal reported.
▪ National Journal — For Undocumented Immigrants, Court Ruling Creates a Dream Deferred
▪ Sisepuede — Spanish-language information on immigration reform
