Marco Rubio's Immigration Pivot: A Search for Solutions or Politics as Usual?

Recently Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said something that went largely unnoticed by the media but could foreshadow a seismic shift in the immigration debate.

Speaking with reporters after his keynote speech to the Latino Coalition Annual Economic Summit, the first-term Florida Republican speculated that Democrats may be better off politically with a broken immigration system than with one that actually functions.

"I think there are some in the Democratic Party -- not all -- but I think there are some people in the Democratic Party that think that the immigration issue is more valuable to them unsolved," CNN quoted Rubio as saying. "That it gives them something to talk about, that they can go back to Hispanic communities and make unrealistic promises every two years and win votes."

Rubio added, "And I think for some -- not all -- but for some Democrats, the issue of immigration is better politically if they just leave it the way it is now because they can use it against Republicans."
Rubio's claim is a serious indictment. Given the millions of people whose lives are impacted daily by immigration dysfunction -- including the hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens whose families are torn apart each year by the deportation of a loved one -- it follows that if Rubio were sincere about his allegation then he -- and the Republican party -- would be all about fixing the immigration system so that it works for American families and businesses.

Yet, since he arrived in Washington in January 2011, Rubio has seesawed between anti-immigrant and vaguely pro-immigrant positions, but doesn't really seem to have a core on the issue. And he has done little to set himself apart from those in the GOP who continually do what they can to stymie legislative and administrative attempts to ameliorate the harshness of the current law. Nor has Rubio stood up to the anti-immigrant fringe that rabidly opposes anything short of deporting the 12 million undocumented immigrants and virtually locking America's doors to newcomers. read full Story @ www.huffingtonpost.com

Suicide of 18-year-old Linked to Immigration Policies

Joaquin Luna, an 18-year-old high school student, shot and killed himself on November 25, and letters recovered after the suicide stated Luna wanted his death to serve as a call to action for immigration reform.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Luna kissed family members then went into a bathroom and shot himself in the head at about 9 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, according to KGBT.
Born in Reynosa, Mexico, Luna grew up in the United States and was a student at Benito Juarez-Abraham Lincoln High School in Mission, Texas, according to the Washington Times. His brother, Diyer Mendoza, told KGBT, the local CBS affiliate, that his brother got good grades and aspired to be an engineer, but felt his dream was hopeless due to his citizenship status.
Speaking to the Washington Times, Mendoza said his brother had some college prospects, but because he was undocumented, he was ineligible for some scholarships and felt he would not be able to embark on a successful career.
"He was actually doing this for the cause, mainly the Dream Act," Mendoza told the Times, referring to his brother's death. "He was doing this to show politicians, to show that something had to be done because there are a lot of kids out there in the same situation."
The Dream Act was federal legislation designed to give illegal immigrant students like Luna legal residency status and the opportunity to attend college. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 but was defeated by a Senate filibuster.
In the absence of national immigration reform, states have begun moving forward with immigration laws. In October, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill dubbed the California Dream Act, which allowed illegal immigrants to access state financial aid for college. Texas allows illegal immigrant students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges, which is a policy that the state's governor, Rick Perry, has had to defend on the campaign trail for the Republican Party's presidential nomination.

Source: Suicide of 18-year-old Linked to Immigration Policies