Editorial:
There is an old Saturday Night Live skit where the character, Chico Morales, plays a retired all-star New York Met baseball player, saying “Base-ball … has been berry, berry good to me. …” We Hispanics recall this sentiment the week after Governor Jerry Brown signed eight bills in one day, solidifying California as the most progressive state when it comes to immigration. These eight plus the previous bill which allows immigrants to apply for a driver’s license help us to say that Gov. Brown has been very, very good to the immigrant community.
The first bill signed into law, last Thursday, was the immigrant driver’s license law. This bill has been bouncing around Sacramento for the past 15 years. Former state lawmaker and current Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo introduced the bill 11 times and it failed 11 times. But the tide has turned, and the bill finally passed.
Having a driver’s license has been a key issue for immigrants.
The use of police check points which target Hispanics and impound their cars for no other reason than the driver was not in possession of a license has been extremely costly.
Police check points have been a thorn in the side of the Hispanic community for years and have been used by cities to drive immigrants out of their city. Such has been the case in Escondido.
The other significant immigrant bill signed by the governor was the Trust Act. Introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, AB 4 prohibits a law-enforcement official from detaining an individual on the basis of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold after that person becomes eligible for release, unless he or she has been charged with or convicted of certain crimes, including violent felonies.
The other bills signed Saturday will allow people in the country illegally to be licensed as lawyers, impose restrictions on those who charge a fee to help immigrants gain legal status, and make it a crime for employers to “induce fear” by threatening to report someone’s immigration status.
At a time when immigration is being hotly debated in Washington, these bills show that California is not waiting for answers from the Federal government. Gov Brown has thrust the state into the forefront of immigration reform, which will go a long way in determining the future of immigration law in the country. Activists will watch the impact of these bills on the State and the new laws could lead to changes in other states.
For the rest of the Hispanic community this is world change. Our elected representatives have had a change in attitude towards Hispanics and immigration, and society is beginning to recognize the contributions and importance of the Hispanic community. At the same time, the conversation has moved away from focusing negatively on immigrant issues, to more beneficial dialogue, where the political conversation can focus on the issues of education, employment, housing, community development, and political growth.
California has come a long way from the days when Pete Wilson used the immigrant community as his foil with propositions such as 187 denying immigrants’ rights to today when immigrants are being embraced with political acceptance. Yes Gov. Brown has been very, very good to the immigrant community!