Posted on August 27, 2014

La Raza: Five Million the ‘Floor’ of What We Want to See Obama Do

Caroline May, Breitbart, August 26, 2014

The White House has indicated that President Obama will take some kind of executive action on immigration at the end of summer, but the administration has been tight-lipped about the specifics of such a move.

Reports have indicated that the executive action could provide legalization for some five million undocumented immigrants already in the United States–something Lisa Navarrete, adviser to the president of La Raza, explained to Breitbart News in a Tuesday interview would be welcome but really the “floor” number of what her group is looking to accomplish.

“We have been very clear with the President that if he is going to do this, he should be bold, and the population of people who would be covered under the Senate bill that’s just been waiting one House vote to pass would be a good starting point,” she said, referring to the Senate immigration bill that would have provided undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

{snip}

Navarrete explained that to La Raza and others immigration reform is inevitable, and given its inevitability, wasting time and resources waiting is not wise.

“We believe it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for our government–if we’re on the cusp of passing comprehensive immigration reform–that we should be spending resources on people who might otherwise be eligible for relief in a larger bill,” she said. “We believe that comprehensive reform is going to happen, whether it’s next year or the year after we don’t know, but it is going to happen, and there are a number of people here who would be eligible under the parameters of the Senate bill.”

She described how the White House has listened to La Raza but kept their cards close to the vest, not betraying any details of what Obama might do.

“I would compare it to a kid asking his parents for Christmas [presents], and they are like, ‘Okay, here is your letter to Santa, and we’ll take that under advisement,’” she said.

{snip}