A Pivotal Time for Immigrant Rights

Last year the United States deported more immigrants than in any other year of its entire history.

If the current trend continues, President Obama come next January will become the biggest deporter of immigrants of any president in U.S. history. In six years, he’ll have surpassed what the previous Deporter-in-Chief, George W. Bush, did in 8 years.

Now Obama and the so-called “Gang of 8” senators are proposing something they call immigration reform, but if you look closely at it, there’s very little “reform” indeed. There are no provisions for LGBTs, and many millions would have to wait 13 years and pay onerous fines only with the hope of possibly gaining citizenship.

Rev. Luis Alvarenga joins GLN’s Andy Thayer on the eve of the 2013 May Day march to discuss the urgent need to fight for something much much better.

Originally broadcast April 26, 2013