Tomado de Newsday
Peter Thomas King is the U.S. Representative for New York's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party and represents the central Long Island district that includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties
Just as the nation's population is shifting, so
is Long Island's. About 20 percent of residents in King's congressional
district are Latino, for a total of about 144,000, according to census figures.
That's up dramatically from the roughly 45,000 Latinos in the previous
configuration of his district, drawn after the 2000 census.
·
On Long Island, immigrants are 22 percent of
small-business owners and hold thousands of essential agricultural jobs that,
without reform, could go unfilled.
By HECTOR FIGUEROA
If Rep. Peter King
(R-Seaford) is truly considering a presidential run in 2016, as he indicated
last week, his first national test may be the immigration bill currently before
the House of Representatives.
The Senate passed a
comprehensive immigration reform bill last month that included an attainable,
earned path to citizenship; family reunification measures; strong worker
protections; and increased border security measures. The bill is a model of
bipartisan compromise that stood the test of scrutiny, heated debate and
challenging amendments. But passage is far from certain in the House. So far,
the House leadership has not brought the bill to the floor, despite support for
comprehensive reform from moderate Republicans and Democrats.
King has an admirable record
of protecting the interests of New Yorkers and Long Island residents. His
strong stance in helping us recover from superstorm Sandy, for example, had a
huge impact by bringing millions of dollars of federal aid to the region.
Now, the lives of 11
million immigrants living in the country without proper documentation hang in
the balance.
It's no secret that the
Latino vote played a significant role in President Barack Obama's victory in
2012. Latinos supported Obama over Mitt Romney by about 72 percent to 27
percent, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. That was the biggest share of
Hispanic voters for a Democrat since 1996, when President Bill Clinton won 72
percent of the Latino vote.
And the importance of
passing commonsense immigration reform is not just political spin coming from
Democrats and reform supporters. As Republican strategist Karl Rove put it in a
Wall Street Journal opinion piece last month, "Immigration reform is now a
gateway issue: Many Hispanics won't be open to Republicans until it is
resolved."
Just as the nation's population is shifting, so is
Long Island's. About 20 percent of residents in King's congressional district
are Latino, for a total of about 144,000, according to census figures. That's
up dramatically from the roughly 45,000 Latinos in the previous configuration
of his district, drawn after the 2000 census.
Long Island residents as a
whole are also looking for immigration reform that includes a path to
citizenship. A June poll by Harstad Strategic Research showed 80 percent of
Long Island voters somewhat or strongly support the Senate's version of the
immigration bill.
Our union's support for
this bill is not only a moral commitment, as we watch families torn apart every
day by deportations, but a practical one as well. Contrary to misinformation
that immigration restrictionists have spread, immigrants actually help the
economy grow for everyone. On Long Island, immigrants are 22 percent of
small-business owners and hold thousands of essential agricultural jobs that,
without reform, could go unfilled. And nationally, a recent
Congressional Budget Office report outlined the potential positive economic
impact of the reform bill passed in the Senate, showing a reduction in the
federal deficit by $197 billion over the next 10 years.
Many of us recently have
been heartened by King's willingness to listen to the voices of long-time and
new residents in his district. This included his statement at a recent forum
organized by the NAACP and the Long Island Civic Engagement Table that, under
certain conditions, he would support comprehensive reform with a path to
citizenship. We hope that he continues to hear our voices and uses his senior
position in the House to pass an immigration bill that includes an achievable
path to citizenship.
King may find that
continuing this openness will not only benefit the lives of immigrants and U.S.
citizens, but may also open more doors nationally for him.
Hector Figueroa is president of 32BJ
Service Employees International Union, the largest property services union in
the country with 145,000 members.
