TX Dems Push Immigration Plank Nothing Like GOPs

Immigration, refugees, and border issues have been a lead story these last couple of weeks. No doubt, the Republicans have done their best to vilify hard-working people and children escaping poverty and violence in their home countries through frivolous hearings aimed at blaming Obama and DREAMers. There’s been enough panic caused by the GOP while few solutions have been offered by a Republican House. Of course, this is also the one-year anniversary of the US Senate’s passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill which basically died because the Republican House didn’t even care and chose to play politics designed to keep things as is.

On Friday in Texas, Democrats were sounding off against Republican attitudes on immigration reform at the Texas Democratic Convention. Democratic activists are set to vote on their (our?) Party platform and, as usual, the immigration plank stands to be much different than what the Republicans offered up at their convention, as reported by the Chron.

“The other side, they don’t offer any solutions,” state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democrats’ nominee for lieutenant governor, told the Tejano Democrats caucus as the party’s biennial convention opened here. “They disrespect our past. … The only thing they can do is insult us.”

[…]

“We are very supportive of a path to citizenship because there are people who are here and are very productive and have committed no crime and are adding to our economy,” said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, chairman of the party’s platform committee. “We are not for a guest-worker program, because that can become a form of indentured servitude.”

On the recent growing influx of Central American children escaping violence and poverty, Democrat for Governor Wendy Davis offered a clearer assessment of the situation with a commitment to ensuring the refugee children are cared for.

“Every human being has to be looked at on a case-by-case basis,” Davis told the Houston Chronicle before speaking to the black caucus. “I know at the federal level there is an attempt being made to assure that repatriation will be safe, but unless and until that’s the case, as humans we need to care for these kids.”

As I will continue to state, the refugee issue is complex, as is the process by which their individual cases are decided. Ultimately. the problem is systemic–a broken immigration system that often ignores refugee situations. Again, this situation has been building up since the Bush 2 administration. Texas Democrats can do better by proudly exhibiting the stark differences between them and the Tea Party with our candidates backing up that platform wholeheartedly.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the final Democratic plank on immigration reform. Hopefully, an FODC (Friend of Dos Centavos) will post it or e-mail it to me.