We contribute to this society just like the people who have papers. We need an amnesty so we can work in peace and organize to improve conditions. In Los Angeles, in an election year, the demand for amnesty has clear political repercussions. Politicians like Assemblyman Gil Cedillo and past Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa were not only partly elected with those votes, but are former immigrant rights activists themselves. Contreras emphasizes that LA labor doesn't see immigration law in a vacuum.
LA is a county in crisis.
But in the midst of this crisis, we also have a crisis of leadership. Elected officials see amnesty as too controversial. This hearing is a signal to them that amnesty is important to this community. It's also a message that puts the Clinton administration in Washington into a quandary. It seeks to appear Latino-friendly on the one hand, while not appearing to ease up on the immigration enforcement program it's touted for seven years on the other.