Arizona migrant activists now target November elections

By Silvia Ayuso Jul 30, 2010, 16:07 GMT

Phoenix, Arizona - 'We will remember in November,' reads a slogan printed on T-shirts and placards displayed by immigrant activists in Arizona.

The slogan conveys the message that the US immigrant community is getting more organized, and will do what it takes to get its voice heard in the mid-term elections renewing the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate.

After protests against the controversial SB1070 immigration law rocked Arizona on Thursday, the activists who had been camping for days in front of Phoenix's Capitol Hill lost no time in launching their new strategy.

Taking advantage of the presence of hundreds of migrants still seething with anger, the activists set up tables with the necessary documents for immigrants to register as voters in the elections which could tip the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans.

'We shall fight for the votes of those who are apathetic and do not believe in change,' Marta Calderon, one of the organizers of the Arizona protests, told the German Press Agency dpa.

'We want people to have the drive to get up and fight, because if we take this victory, we shall win,' she said.

Calderon's message is the same as that of pro-immigration groups all over the country: that politicians should be aware of the growing power of the Hispanic community which is already the largest minority in the United States.

The Hispanic vote - it is widely agreed - was the key to Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential elections.

'There will be political consequences for those who block (the immigration reform) or simply stay on the sidelines,' repeats Janet Murguia, president of La Raza, the biggest organization representing Latin Americans in the United States.

For the first time in history, immigration policy is the 'main priority' of immigrants, ahead of the traditional economic and educational concerns, according to a new poll.

The poll carried out by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) was made public 10 days ago.

The poll also showed that 61 per cent of Hispanic eligible voters were 'definitely' planning to go to polls in November.

That means at least 6.5 million Hispanics could vote, possibly becoming power brokers in the elections the result of which remains highly uncertain in several states.

It is, however, unclear how big a role the immigration reform and Arizona can play in the electoral campaign.

Republican analysts trust that the party's open endorsement of the Arizona law will be to the liking of its most conservative supporters.

The law was backed by up to 60 per cent of Arizona residents, and received widespread support all over the United States, according to polls quoted by Republican representatives. Several states are considering similar laws.

'The big hand of the federal government, in this case a Clinton-appointed judge, has once again interfered with a state trying to secure its porous border,' Republican strategist Kurt Davis said.

'This ruling will ensure this issue is discussed the entire election cycle and that the negative impact on Democrats, from the president on down, will be significant,' he told the daily Politico.

However, the Democrats were 'never going to get any ... support' from the most conservative sectors anyway, political organizer and strategist Robert Creamer pointed out in a column in the Huffington Post.

On the contrary, he wrote, by challenging the Arizona law in court and by criticizing it openly, 'the Democratic president took up the battle to defend the (Hispanic) community and just won a major victory.'

Whether that will bring the Democrats Hispanic votes in November, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the pro-immigration movement has already found its next cause.

'We need to continue fighting for the Latin vote to become stronger,' said Diego, another Arizona activist.

'It is the only way for them to pay more attention to us, and to respect us,' he added.