Caucus Chairwoman Nydia M. Velazquez, D-NY, and Immigration Task Force Chairman Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Il., co-signed the letter of endorsement to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on March 25.
Napolitano has the sole authority under U.S. Public Law 110-229 to push back the implementation date, which is currently June 1, 2009.
“I am grateful to the 23 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for their support,” said Sablan, Ind.-MP. “And I am confident that this group, which is so influential when it comes to immigration policy, will be listened to by Secretary Napolitano.”
Sablan is a member of the Hispanic Caucus and of the Caucus’ Immigration Task Force.
In the letter to Napolitano Velazquez and Gutierrez repeated Sablan’s three reasons for the need for a delay.
Sablan wrote Napolitano on Feb. 10, outlining his concerns: 1) a lack of sufficient funding, 2) delays in the issuance of regulations, and 3) the potential for disruption of families.
“I know there are people who say let’s just get on with it,” said Sablan. “But we can do this ‘quick and dirty’ and watch innocent people get hurt in the process, or we can do this in an ‘orderly’ fashion, as the law requires. The purpose of the 180-day delay is not delay; it’s to be sure we do it right.”
The Hispanic Caucus letter echoed these sentiments.
“The wholesale overhaul of the NMI’s immigration system is too big, and too important, to be rushed. Congress had the foresight to recognize that the June 1, 2009 start date might not offer sufficient time to extend federal immigration law to the NIM in ways that comport with its stated intent.”
