Hispanic activist groups who have gathered in Washington DC have warned lawmakers that they intend to keep a “report card” on America immigration reform in 2013 and will punish any members of Congress who vote against legislation that includes a pathway to US citizenship for all undocumented immigrants in the country.
The Service Employees International Union’s secretary treasurer, Eliseo Medina, says that Hispanic groups will be watching members of Congress to work out “who stood with us and who stood against us.”
“Immigration reform will happen,” Medina says. “Whether it will happen over the political bodies…of some of the current members of Congress, only they can decide. They will come to a vote for immigration reform.” Medina’s words left little room for doubt as to the seriousness with which Hispanic groups are taking the situation. “They can come out of their own will because it’s the right thing to do or they can come kicking and screaming, but they will come. I guarantee that.”
The New York Times says that Medina claims that Hispanic groups intend to undertake enormous grassroots campaigns. The president of the radical advocacy group the National Council of Le Raza, Janet Murguia, echoing Medina’s strong words, notes that Hispanic groups have worked hard to increase their power and now intend to make use of it after the results of this year’s US presidential election. “The bottom line is that Latino voters went to the polls with the economy on their minds but with immigration reform in their hearts.”