March to Stop Raids and Deportations / 02-25-2011

Demonstrators gathered Friday to protest SB 5407, a law workings its way through the Washington State Senate requiring proof of citizenship prior to the issuance of a Driver's license, and recent raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Ellensburg, Wa.  SB 5407 would effectively make it impossible for undocumented workers to obtain Driver's licenses and auto insurance in Washington State.  Another proposed piece of legislation, HB 1272, would require state employment agencies to verify that workers are qualified to work in the United State prior to referring them to potential employers. While these proposed laws don't rise to the level of the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070) signed into law last April in Arizona, they would contribute to making every day life more difficult for Washington's immigrant communities.

Like most groups that argue from the pro-immigration side of this debate, the activists that gathered friday ignore an essential fact: individuals subject to detention to ICE and deportation are in the United States illegally.  What these activists label "attacks against immigrant communities" are, in fact, lawful arrests.  Given the Republican sweep of the 2010 elections, immigration policy at both the state and federal level is headed towards more, not less, restrictive legislation. While it may be true that Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in Washington, what percentage of this population is in the state illegally? If you're not a citizen and can't vote, you don't represent a political constituency attractive to legislators.  Unless U.S. immigration policy gets in sync with the economic necessity of immigrant labor, through amnesty or guest workers program, Latino workers will continue to face the cost / benefit decisions that come with choosing to work in the U.S. illegally.  Until the U.S. decides to adopt a less schizophrenic attitude on immigration, the risk of deportation is not going away.

Pamphlets

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9