“Obama’s proposal helps many people, but it does not solve the problem”

The announcement of an immigration reform in United States was something that millions of people were waiting for a long time, when President Barack Obama promised to resolve the stuck situation of a society with twelve million immigrants that haven’t regularized their situation yet.

Obama’s announcement has reopened the political debate.  Republicans and democrats have not got an agreement, so Obama has said that he is willing to approve the law without Congress’s support. This has been strongly criticized by the Republican Party.

Juan Francisco Martínez.

To clarify this situation, that can be new for millions of people Evangelical Focus has spoken with Juan Francisco Martinez, academic director of the Fuller Seminary’s Center for Study of Hispanic Church and Community, in Pasadena (California), and author of the 'Caminando con el pueblo' blog.

Question. Obama has presented his immigration reform, can you explain us how is the situation of 11 million “undocumented” in United States?

Answer. Those 11 or 12 millions do not have authorization to be in the country. But they are here, because there is work, and people willing to hire them. Some of them have a good education and a middle class job, but the majority is working class. Some people have been in United States for more than 20 years. All of them came after 1986, or they did no qualify for that amnesty. Most of them have children born in United States. Their situation is precarious because they do not have labour rights, and many times the employers take advantage of their undocumented state.

POLITICAL CONFRONTATION

Q. Last year, there was an attempt to approve this reform, but there was not an agreement in the Congress, why is it so difficult to reach a consensus between Republicans and Democrats on this issue?

A.  The proposal passed the Senate, but it was not even considered at the House of Representatives, because the director of the House of Representatives never presents a law if it does not have the support of most of the Republicans. The proposal could have been approved, because the majority of the Democrats and a solid minority of the Republicans supported it, but the House of Representatives´s president did not want to alienate the majority of the members of his party who are against the proposal.

Q. The Republicans have already announced that they will not support this initiative; can this produce a new block, or even the federal government’s closure?

A.  The Republicans are in a difficult situation, they must protest, if they are not willing to support the law. But an important part of the party wants to take steps towards the approval of the reform. The party does not have a clear voice about this issue. It is not clear what to do.

Q.  Does Obama’s proposal fulllfill the expectations of the immigrant community, which is mainly formed by Latins?

A. Obama’s proposal only applies to less than half of the undocumented. Although it is good for them, more than half of them do no qualify for it. So the executive action helps many people, but it does not solve the problem. Even those who qualify have a precarious situation, because there is not guarantee that Obama will be president again.

EVANGELICAL CHURCH’S  REACTION

Q. The evangelical churches has supported the proposal with initiatives like Pray4reform, I was a stranger... what are the reactions of the evangelical churches or leaders to this proposal?

A. Right now, the pro-reform evangelical organizations are waiting to understand the process of qualifying for this deferred action and its possible consequences. As soon as they know what to do, there will be a mobilization of the church leaders to help people to fill the necessary paperwork.