The national struggle over immigration in 2006 was fought as fiercely in the Washington area as it was on the United States border.
Passions erupted after the House Republicans late last year passed one of the toughest immigration laws in history, including making it a felony to assist any illegal immigrant. In the spring, millions of immigration protesters hit the streets in protest. More than 100,000 demonstrators, led partially by former D.C. janitor and president of the National Capital Immigration Coalition Jaime Contreras, descended on the National Mall in Washington in April to voice their anger.
In Northern Virginia, the town of Herndon was propelled into the national debate after its leaders built a day laborer center to help immigrants find jobs. Voters in May threw out the incumbent mayor and pro-immigration council members. Last month, Gaithersburg elected officials thwarted plans to build a day labor center in their city.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, more than 710,000 immigrants applied for U.S. citizenship this year. Driven by anxiety over the proposed changes in the immigration laws, applications for U.S. citizenship increased this year by 21 percent from last year.
Although 2006 was an eventful year for immigration, did anything really change? Both sides are claiming victory because they say they blocked the opposition.
Contreras said the year was a success because the movement stopped the House bill and swung the Hispanic vote for pro-immigration Democrats. He pointed out that in 2004, Bush received more than 40 percent of Hispanic votes, while in November Republicans received about 25 percent.
“We proved that immigrants are paying attention and holding politicians accountable,” he said.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter controls on immigration, credited the House for standing up to the president, big business, big labor and the media against an amnesty bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens.
With Democrats holding the House, 2007 will be interesting, Krikorian said, although he doubts incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will push for amnesty because, he said, she realizes it would hand the Republicans an issue that they could capitalize on in 2008.
