Silence About Immigration Reform From Presidential Candidates

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) publicly urged Sens. Obama John McCain to speak about immigration reform.
Silence About Immigration Reform From Presidential Candidates
SPEAK UP: Members of the New York Immigration Coalition at a press conference on Tuesday asked Presidential candidates to debate Immigration policy. (Jonathan Weeks/The Epoch Times)
10/15/2008
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/immigrantcolor.jpg" alt="SPEAK UP: Members of the New York Immigration Coalition at a press conference on Tuesday asked Presidential candidates to debate Immigration policy.  (Jonathan Weeks/The Epoch Times)" title="SPEAK UP: Members of the New York Immigration Coalition at a press conference on Tuesday asked Presidential candidates to debate Immigration policy.  (Jonathan Weeks/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1833344"/></a>
SPEAK UP: Members of the New York Immigration Coalition at a press conference on Tuesday asked Presidential candidates to debate Immigration policy.  (Jonathan Weeks/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK— At a press conference on Tuesday The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) publicly urged Presidential candidates Barrack Obama and John McCain to speak openly about immigration reform.  

“We’ve had two Presidential debates and a Vice Presidential debate, and there hasn’t been a single word spoken about immigration reform,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the NYIC.

“400,000 immigrants live on long Island, it is the largest suburban immigrant community in the US” said Patrick Young, the program director for the Central American Refugee Center.

“Immigrants on Long Island are extremely excited about the election, but when they watch the debates, they don’t get the impression that this is an issue that Americans care about.”

“We know from polling that immigration is one of the top five issues in the country,” Young stated, “Whoever is President will have to address that issue.”

According to a press release, political scientist Matt Barreto of the University of Washington predicts a turnout of over 9 million Latino voters in 2008. That is an increase of 1.4 million votes in the 2004 elections.

“I feel the duty to vote because I know that many people cannot go out and vote, even if they want to, they just cannot” said first time voter Silvia Gonzalez, “I have the privilege to vote and this is my first time to actually have a say and even though I know it’s just one vote, I believe that if we count all the votes together it is very powerful.”

Like most Americans, Latino voters care about the issues of the economy, jobs, healthcare, and national security. A candidate’s position on immigration reform, however, has become a central concern for many Latinos.