Obama Push for Corporate Support Raises GOP Questions
“President Obama’s courting of top U.S. executives this week to help get the Republican-controlled House to pass immigration reform is furthering the divide among conservatives, with a top GOP senator and others suggesting corporate America is lending its support with hopes of getting more access to low-cost immigrant labor,” FoxNews reports.
“The president said before the White House meeting Tuesday that he and others who support comprehensive immigration reform passed in the Senate know the “politics are challenging” in the House and that they “want to make it as easy as possible” for Speaker John Boehner to get enough votes for passage.”
“However, that McDonald’s Don Thompson and Marriott’s Arne Sorenson, whose companies depend on low-skilled inexpensive labor, were among those at the meeting has raised questions from some conservatives, especially at a time when millions of Americans remain out of work.”
California Voters Split on Immigration
“California voters are generally welcoming toward immigrants who are in the country illegally, but a wide gap exists between whites and Latinos on some new laws hailed by Gov. Jerry Brown when he signed them last month, according to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll,” the LA Times says.
“The groups differ most on allowing immigrants without legal status to obtain driver’s licenses and practice law. Nearly 69% of Latino voters but only 44% of whites support the new driving privilege law. The split was sharper on whether those who are in the country illegally should be allowed to become attorneys, with 65% of Latino voters in favor but only 26% of whites.”
Texas Reps. Unlikely to Support Amnesty
“Despite a bevy of rallies, petitions, phone calls, and pleas from groups supporting an overhaul of immigration laws, Texas Republicans aren’t likely to support a Senate-passed measure that’s stalled in the House,” the Dallas Morning News says.
“Even though they come from a border state with the second-largest Hispanic population, the greater political pressure comes from the composition of their House districts. Redistricting has left few Hispanic voters in most Republican districts. Even where the population is growing, primary voters staunchly opposed to any path to citizenship for law-breakers have more sway.”
Saudi Arabia Struggles With Illegal Workforce
“The situation has become dangerous as a result of years of accumulated legal and social chaos which resulted in the increase of illegal employment. Deporting illegal workers won’t be easy. It will also not be easy to prevent thousands from entering the country through land borders stretching 4,400 kilometers and shared with eight countries. There are also 2,600 kilometers of coastline, part of which is shared with Bahrain,” Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, general manager of Al-Arabiya television, says in an op-ed.
“It is probably best to make the employment of illegal workers costly for the Saudi employers themselves. At the same time, the government can facilitate the process of hiring workers domestically through specialized companies and prevent the sponsorship system which has brought no good to anyone. A better system is needed whereby both the rights of migrant workers and the country’s security are achieved.”