boy, those lights are to be abut it appears good crowd. thank you very much for having me. before we start this very important panel, i want to tell you why i'm interested. why i have in fact elected to thet covering for fusion immigration reform debate. you see, as many of you, my parents, my grandparents were immigrants. they came across many years ago in the 1920's. my grandparents came across from chihuahua, mexico, into texas. they worked in the fields. my grandfather worked in a class factory and hot pot himself to read and write in english. then he raised 8 children, all of them professionals, many of them went to college, and all of them contribute it to society. and that is the model we hope that happens with immigration

reform. and the reason why that is such an important issue to those in the hispanic community. this want to get to panel. we have a lot of ground to cover. i want to remind you that as they go along, we will be taking questions from the audience. and there will be members of staff who will be going around with microphones. so raise your hand, i will call on you. but let me introduce our panelists if they'll come into the room. that's your cue. ♪

let me start on my left, representative luis gutierrez. he is in his 11th term in congress. he is from chicago. we've known each other for that long. representative gutierrez is nationally recognized for his tireless leadership championing issues that are important to latino and immigrant communities. he has been in the forefront on the immigration reform efforts in congress. is representative -- next to him is representative joe crowley. aepresentative crowley is lifelong new yorker and has served the people of the bronx since 1998. he is the vice chair of the democratic caucus. his efforts are focused on building strong communities, creating jobs, increasing access to health care and housing, protecting seniors, benefits, educationalup opportunities for working

families. representative joe crowley. navarro.s anna a political contributor at cnn. she has put a role in state races in florida and most recently served as national hispanic cochair for jon huntsman's 2012 campaign. her work in the private sector has included representing clients and issues particularly related to immigration and trade. and those affecting policy. anna navarro. [applause] and last but not least is tony torres, the christian leadership conference serving puerto rico. he has been an outspoken advocate. ladies and gentlemen, there is our panel. [applause]

first, we want to talk about the state of play, what is happening now, where we are with immigration and where we hope we go and where we think we will go practically. i would like to ask you to take a couple of minutes and talk to us about that before we start the questioning. congressman iteris. -- congressman gutierrez. >> it's a pleasure to be a with you this afternoon, and thank you, jim, for moderating. it's an honor to have you here. the last year, democrats and republicans were able to come together and put together a conference of immigration bill and we continued to work to put together a bill. when it became clear that we were not going to have -- to put together a bill. what became we were not going to have the majority, the group

disbanded. i continue to work with mario, a very dear friend of mine, and who has been a constant and consistent champion for immigrants, even within his own republican caucus. i think we should all be thankful to him for his fine work and dedication. [applause] but he and i in a group could not but this together. we recognized that early this year in january, republicans came forward and said we will give more life and put our principles out there. one of the principles was american citizenship. you could extrapolate that we would legalize millions of people. and what did the democrats say? i guess we were so overjoyed that we were too overjoyed, because they took it back within

a week. o, we were just kidding. it was kind of a sleight-of-hand. they really didn't mean it. and then they said we would have to make -- wait until may or june for the republican primaries to be over and then, voilà, the majority leader lost and they said we are not moving forward. and the president came forward and said -- i was believed this, that speaker boehner and the president had an understanding and had conversations and a relationship, and part of their relationship was, we will work on the gratian reform -- on immigration reform. once the speaker called them up by the end of june and said we are not doing this, now he says he's doing it after the election, the same thing obama said, after the election. then the president said, i will take action. i will use prosecutorial discretion, and what are we

waiting for? we are waiting for the president to act. i think he should've acted before the election. i spoke to my daughter jessica yesterday -- [applause] i spoke to my daughter yesterday. she is in baton rouge, louisiana. and she said, daddy, is that lady landry o -- lady landrieu a republican? and i said, why? and she said, because she is acting rather conservative and they keep complaining that all she does is vote against obama. she said, now they must be in gray. and i said, no, daughter, she the democrats -- she is a democrat. the two words that they use, illegal immigrant, the basis of the campaign that they use. all we are doing is make people suffer even more and the political issue of immigration will be there. there are democrats who need us to come out and support, and

what we have said to latinos is we are waiting until after the election as we can. we should not use the election as a barometer of what we will have justice and fairness for our immigrant community. [cheers and applause] i think that is where we are now. here is what i think. sometime before christmas some 5 million undocumented workers will be afforded an opportunity to come out of the shadows into the light of day. and everybody in this room has to get ready to help them. to receive them. to be ready to help them. it's not enough that we marched and protested and we listed our voices for them. now we have to fill out the paperwork. we have to find them, get them the resources, because [speaking

spanish] i don't care what the president does. it will be a difficult road. in june of 2012, we prepared for a community of one million. are we prepared for 5 million echo we have to get ready for them -- are we prepared for 5 million? we have to get ready for them. i'm done. the question is for marley ready to act in defense of our community once the president does act -- the question is, are we ready to act in defense of our committee once the president does act? [applause] flex congressman farley echo >> i'm not following that. -- congressman crowley? >> i'mno not following that. you have the lovely position of being after luis. >> i don't think anyone could give a better answer to the state of play at this point than luis. last summer, when the senate enacted, luis was with me appear

in new york with the faith in politics institute and we led a bipartisan delegate with eric cantor. we went to my district in jackson -- jackson heights. eric cantor gave a speech and a year later, he's no longer in congress and cannot help us at this point. it shows the volatility of the state of play of politics throughout the country. we cannot help the political cycle, the calendar that we live under. it is set right now, and it can change. we have to work around that as well. we do have this time of waiting for the elections, because we are not going back to washington to work on legislation. that is clear. although i think we ought to come back to have a vote on the authorization of the use of force. that is my opinion and that's a separate issue. we should come back and debate that and have that vote. having said that, i think -- i

know the latino community cares about a myriad of issues. this is an important issue to the latino community, but also to our country and the future of our country. the best and brightest and the bravest continue to come here to want to make america a better country. we need to welcome them with open arms. i think we will get it done because we have to get this done. it's in the interest of our country to get this done. the state of play, luis has given it to you, and i will turn it back with extra time. i don't usually do this. >> i will remember that. >> anna navarro, how has the state of play evolved and where do you see it now? >> i think right now, we are at an impasse legislatively. but i think we cannot allow ourselves to be at an impasse in the fight for this. we have hit a roadblock right now.

and i think after the happiness that we all felt when there was a bipartisan agreement announced last year, and now we are disillusioned because of where we are and we cannot afford to be disillusioned. [speaking spanish we have to keep -- [speaking --] we have to keep pushing. it's also very important we realize we are where we are at a crossroads as a community. how we act upon the set of circumstances will determine whether we become political pawns used at election time, or whether we outsmart the politicians and actually make

them earn our support. as far as state of play, i am right now upset, disappointed, and i will tell you, i am angry with all sides. why is it always the latino immigration that has to wait? we have had nothing but big promises from president obama that have not been realized, and from the republicans not even promises. that is unacceptable. [applause] we had a president who told us are in the 2008 campaign that he was going to get immigration reform done the first year. and you know, we let him get away with not doing it because the economy, obamacare, etc. and he got a pass. so then he promised again, you

know, on executive action. well, that didn't happen because the children at the border and this and that. somehow, it's always latinos that have to end up waiting. everybody else gets a turn. you can wait just a little bit because it's not convenient. for us to be told that executive action is going to happen after the election, i'm sorry to tell you this -- it's the height of political cynicism. could you be more obvious and blatant? can't you at least like to me and tell me that is why they are not doing it? [applause] and on the republican side, my peeps have not been that good either. standards were announced at the beginning of the year, like luis said. more people were ok with the standards. it was the timing they balked at. and yes, it is political

cynicism to say we have to wait after the primaries. because those primaries do not end until august. and as far as the eric cantor race, i think that was one of the biggest mistakes, most missed read -- misread races by the media and the political class. because it wasn't immigration that cost eric cantor his seat. it was eric cantor that cost air canter his seat. -- that cost eric cantor his seat. [applause] >> reverend, let me ask you about -- there has been an incredible coalition that has come behind immigration reform, including churches from all sides, including conservative based churches. that are supporting immigration. is this the way -- the delay by congress to pass anything, and the president the laying to take you -- are delaying to take unilateral action, does that

cause you concern? >> i think the coalition is strong. i greet you on behalf of our 40,118 churches that still have faith, and we believe this year before the year is over we will have some type of immigration reform, either through an act of god, which means congress does something, or executive action and the white house. i'm the preacher on the panel side to exhibit faith to you all. to us, immigration is a vertical situation. and it is also horizontal. and i did just bless you right now. it is vertical because it matters to god and it is horizontal because it matters to our people. just yesterday, one of our pastors called because he's on his way to arizona to identify the body of his brother-in-law who was lost for a month in the desert of arizona. he heard the truck coming. he had been here for 13 years.

yet for children that were born in this country. immigration came and deported him. he came back to provide for his children. he heard a truck and was fearful of immigration and he ran. they couldn't find him. he was in the desert for a month, and now he's dead. i tell my colleagues and my evangelical brothers and sisters, if you are pro-life, you cannot be anti-immigration. because this is a life issue. [applause] life is not just about conception. it's about that god cares about your life from the moon -- from the womb all the way to the tomb. as faith leaders at our 40,000 churches, we continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. there is no excuse for this to happen. this is the one issue that unites everybody in support, except congress. congress needs to come in line

with their constituents. but thank you very much. that is where we are. let's talk about about where we are going. congressman gutierrez touched on this for -- good terrorists -- touched on this. let me ask you, first of all, what your production is about what the president would do. you said 5 million undocumented to come out of the shadows. who are those people, what do you expect them to do and how do you expect them to stay away? what is the third rail? >> the first is, i will never negotiate a low number. >> that is optimistic.

>> but very realistic. every time i used to say something about what the white house would do, the white house would react and say, this is wrong and i can't do that. no one at the white house said they will not do 5000 people. that is the thing. they are nice for nice figure out what i'm going to do. that gives me optimism. >> if i were you, i would be scared. >> number one, i'm very optimistic. [laughter] >> number two, when we are sitting down with the president of the united states and hispanic congressional caucus, and we are negotiating on behalf of our community, the president responded by saying, if somebody's been here a few years, they've been working, they've establish roots in their community.

maybe they married somebody, even an american citizen, and they have american citizen children. and by the way, there are 5 million american citizen children who have undocumented parents. maybe they should be able to come forward at their own expense, register with the government, and if they have a clean bill of health criminally speaking, then we should give them a work permit and set them aside, because there are murderers and rate this and that -- and bad people that homeland security should be going after -- and rapists and bad people that homeland security should be going after. that was his response. let's say, for our purposes here, i know a lot of people -- for the dreamer he said, they have to be here by 2012. he will pick a date for the other undocumented. let's say, it's 10 years. do you know how many people it is in 10 years?

5,600,000 people. 5,600,000 people have been in this country 10 years or more, undocumented. one last thing that i think is very important to show you how broken our immigration system is. they fixed the broken immigration system in 1997. the republicans fixed it. one of the things they did, they punish people that were here waiting for their visa. if i go out there and i get married, and i prove to the government that i'm a citizen sponsoring an immigrant, and i prove that we are legally married and she goes through the background check, they've grant her a visa. but the problem is, when i take her to manila, or to dublin, or to the country she's from, now they say, stay there for 10 years. the president can do this. he can hold them in place.

that's 1.3 million people who are legally trying to get through the system. these are husbands, wives, children, parents of american citizens and legal immigrants in the united states, and the president can simply say, i parole them in place and they can go straight and pick up their green card and come back to america. [applause] those are two things. if he picks 10 years, and then there's the dreamers. he picked 2007 and 2012. what is needed up-to-date? what is me change the date from 2016 to 2018? we have to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people and we need to prepare to help them. but we will lead no -- leave no one behind. this is a down payment.

and we will work [speaking spanish [applause] >> let's talk about action and the house, aside from what the president does. at these in the house -- at least, in the house no one is talking the democrats running the house. >> whoa. >> it's a lonely conversation. [laughter] it's likely to remain similar to what it is now. what are the chances of anything progressing after the election in the house after the president makes whatever limited changes he makes unilaterally echo >> let's -- unilaterally? >> let's clarify, when luis and i are talking, it's at least five or six people talking at once. it's an important question,

because we are talking about whatever the president us as far as executive order, it is not a temporary fix. it's a meaningful fix. it is numbers of people that can help stay and that we can help contribute. that is what we're looking for, what we can do to slow this down as well, but that does not remove the responsibility of congress to act cognitively to get a bill passed. we are waiting to see what the results of this first election will be. i would not hold my breath waiting for a legislative fix between now and the end of the year. if there is any change in the senate, there is no incentive for them to act at this time. he will wait until next year. i think it is safe to say that the burden is passed in the senate. it'll be a good marker, but it will die in the senate and we will have to start the process over again. and the makeup of the senate will be to see if they can get

to the 60 margin -- the 60 vote margin. it is a humanitarian issue. at the border security issue. a national security issue. it has to be dealt with. and it goes back to her peeps, as the issue of whether or not in her party with her presented as we can have -- with her representatives, whether or not we can have a real debate about this. we have not been able to do that in the house of representatives. they will be angry when the president acts in an executive order. they are angry whenever the president does that. this will be attacks. whatever he does after the election will be attacked. and he has worked with executive order to do something. i have high hopes. i really do.

i believe the country will rise to the occasion. we have in the past. my mother was an immigrant. my father came from immigrants. they came to this country because it did big things. this is a big thing. maybe this for me is not as big a political risk as it is for others. there are other issues i'm willing to work on as well that present political risk for me. but i want to be things. but accomplishing this is one of the greatest things i can imagine doing in congress. and i have terminus faith that -- tremendous faith that we -- will do something. >> miss tomorrow, let's talk -- anna navarro, let's talk about what republicans have done in congress. they did propose several, and all of them are pretty much border security bills. very few dealt with -- well, one

of them dealt with streamers, but in a punitive fashion. -- with dreamers, but in a punitive fashion. in general, the reported security bills. what will it take for your party to move past border security and recognize that more money is spent on our border than has been spent on it in history? and then concentrate on the real issue of immigration reform. >> you know, i think that even though looking at these bills that you just talked about, some of them -- i mean, most of them did not go anywhere. they were symbolic, but bad symbolism. i agree with you. they were symbolic bills that were pushed through by a small band of republicans that wanted to make the symbolic point, despite what it may mean for the party in general, for the country in general, and for relationships with latinos. but i think the majority of

republicans -- and i talked to a lot of them both the house and the senate and out in regular america -- are hearing from their constituents, the state committee, the business committee, families, voters, and employers, and they are hearing over and over again that this issue needs to be addressed. there is wide recognition that the status quo is broken and the issue needs to be addressed. yes, there is a vocal minority and a lot of times, they are able to wag the dog. there is a vocal minority who feels differently. they have punched above their weight and made more noise than they should have. but they cannot get anything done by themselves. i think most republicans do realize it, but they haven't figured out a way to move it forward.

since barack obama has been elected president, we have seen a democratic president and a democratic senate, nothing happened. we have seen a republican house and democrat senate. nothing happened. we may after november, we don't know, have both houses, the senate and the house under republican hands. and the question will be, is that dynamic going to be any different? will mitch mcconnell and john boehner be able to agree on something in a way that john boehner and harry reid have not? i'm going to steal some of his space and hope for a modern or call. >> you see a republican majority in the senate actually being beneficial for immigration reform? >> yes. >> can you explain that to me?

or to us. >> i guess i can do the faith thing. [laughter] i think that john boehner and mitch mcconnell have a good relationship. it is no secret that their relation -- the relationship between john boehner and harry reid is, at best, it nonexistent. i think both want to address immigration reform in a conference of way. it may not be what i want. it may not be what most of us want. but it might be a package that addresses some of the major issues. >> and you think it will go past order security? >> yes, because i think they understand -- first of all, if there is only border security by itself without having some sort of trigger mechanism and be part of a bigger package, number one,

i don't think the president will sign it. and number two, i don't think they will get it through. yes, if they want to get something through, it will have to be carried and sticks. -- carrots and sticks. and we as a community must have to come to terms that it may not be everything we want, but it might be something we want. and again, that depends very much on the election. it is very much a coin toss today as far as who it will be in the senate. i think republicans will keep control of the house. >> when you look at all of this and how politics -- if you take miss tomorrow's explanation of -- miss navarro's explanation of why republicans have not put forward bills with comprehensive in the gratian reform and only border security, that it is a small group that has prevented republicans from exhibiting

their real will, what they really want to do -- that is how i understood your point. >> let's remember that there were four republican senators who teamed up with four democratic senators who did put forward a conference of bill. >> in the senate. >> right, but there was also a small active group trying to do the same thing in -- and putting a lot of effort and political activity on the house side. they could not get it done, but they put in a lot of time and effort. i don't think it's fair to say that only bad things have happened. neither the bad things or the good things have come to

reality, but there has been a lot of effort on the good things as well. >> and i will let luis chime in on that. let me get your opinion on when you watch the politics of this, it must be from someone -- for someone outside of that realm, disappointing to see that occurring. if it is true that a majority of republicans believe the system is broken and needs to be fixed and a majority of the democrats do, but still nothing happens. >> for the last several years, what we heard from leaders in the house was, cover us, we will get it done. we will get it done november. we will cover it -- we will get it done in june. we stood and nothing happened. there was courage to get something done. the problem is, there was not a marco rubio in the house on the republican side that would stand up and take courage and stand up to anybody, the tea party, and say, look, we have to get this done.

as a pastor, i teach that there is power in prayer. but as a citizen, there is power in my vote. and the best thing i can do is tell my constituents -- and we are doing this with the work with the different organizations. what are we telling our people? you must show up to vote. i don't think congress has felt the consequences of us voting. as evangelicals, the 20% that voted for governor romney, 50% of that 28% of hispanics was evangelicals. apple not happen again. if you do not read -- not support immigration reform, you will not get the hispanic vote and you will not get the evangelical vote. you have to realize that. [applause] >> let me ask the entire panel. louise, you can chime in with this as well.

let me turn -- start with you on the end. the unaccompanied minor crisis that happened this year, the president in his interviews in explaining why -- one of the reasons why or maybe even the main reason why he delayed action until after the election is that he lost the support of the american people. and he blamed that on the unaccompanied minors crisis. that it frightened america and he needed time to reeducate folks about why they should support immigration reform again. do you agree with him? did you see people afraid because of what they were seeing at the border? >> i think the president made a profit out of my boss. he said in 2007, today's complacency will be tomorrow's captivity. yes, kids are captive at the border. parents are captive. they are being sent home. we need to reinvigorate the situation. it is time for someone to act. if it is the president, the house, just someone, please, do what you say you are going to

do. [applause] >> what effect do you think the rest of the crisis of unaccompanied minors created? >> number one, this is not american crisis. 78,000 kids showing up at the border of the most powerful, strongest nation in the world, it's a crisis of central america. it's a logistical headache for us that we can take care of. 125,000 showed up and i don't remember the republicans saying, don't -- send them back and that we will not receive them. [applause] let's just understand that what the republicans did was use the children at the border and exploited them for political gain by saying they were criminals, that they were dirty, filthy criminals, and that they were coming here to destroy america. and that is what they said. i'm not adding or subtracting --

adding to or subtracting from the speeches they gave. one of them said they would bring the ebola virus to america. unfortunately, we have had the first case. and it is a tragedy in africa. they even use a tragedy in africa, because here's the problem that we have. the problem that we have is that of the 11 million undocumented, 5 million of them never crossed the border. it legal, illegal, illegal, illegal. those are the only people they ever talk about. if you were to seal the border down, people would still overstay their visas. they would still overstay their tourist visas and work visas. people would still be in this country undocumented in the u.s. and now the new thing is that the terrorists are coming through. they have american passports. why would they need a coyote?

you need a coyote if you don't have a passport. [applause] it just doesn't make sense. i think it's important to have these conversations. there are dozens of wonderful men and women in the republican caucus that want to get this done. but their leadership will not allow them to join democrats in the house of representatives to get it done. [speaking spanish] but we cannot get it done because the leadership will not allow it. what did they tell them? everybody can't become a citizen. and i said, ok, everybody can't become a citizen. and they said, we have to do it in parts and pieces. even the president said, ok, let's start putting the pieces together. we set yes, yes, -- we said, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

and in the end, they walked away. i understand the democrats walked away before and did not show incredible current. but that was yesterday. i'm talking about who is in power and who has the capacity to do it today. but there is a difference. because my daughter told me, i don't see candidates for the u.s. senate that are democrats going and using immigration against the republicans. no, it's republicans in arkansas and the louisiana, in the carolinas, and across this country that are using immigration in order to gain a majority in the u.s. senate. and i'm supposed to believe that you're going to hound the hell out of the electorate and you're going to come back and be good to immigrants when you have won the election. i cannot believe that. [applause] i will add one other thing. the president said he has the authority to act. the president needs to act.

[applause] if the congress of the united states will not afford our community justice and fairness, and we are waiting to do it according to their rules and regulations, then the president has to act. but let me be clear to democrats and republicans alike. if mitch mcconnell and speaker boehner, or any two leaders of the republican party watch this, it's wednesday. it's the day after the election and -- election in november. i can hear them already. we are going to make priority of immigration reform, but the president better not spoil the well of acting unilaterally. no, no, no. the president got elected by 5 million more votes than mitt romney. he said to the dreamers that he would bring them. and that was a down payment. it is now time for the president to act. we will not expect -- except an

excuse on the democratic side and we should not accept republicans telling us to wait. [speaking spanish] [applause] >> if anybody else wants to add to that, i'm happy to let you at this point to take that on, or whatever you want to do. i do also want to take -- turned to the audience and see if there are questions there. but before we go on, let me say something about what luis said. i agree with what -- a lot of what he said. you began the question as to minors on the border. did that change public opinion? yes. should it have? no. but did it? yes. but at the end of the day, you

and i know that it was not that, that held the president back. it was mary landrieu, mark begich, and others picking up the phone to the white house over and over again and say, if you do executive action, you will cost us our election. they were just as political as the people you just talked about. and that should be unacceptable to all of us, that this is what those folks are doing. it may come down to louisiana. and i hope that they remember that mary landrieu was on the phone asking the white house not to do executive action so she could save her seat. >> all right, let's go to the audience for some questions. the microphone as of here. go ahead. >> i want to thank all of you for being here.

i'm kind of excited and nervous at the same time. but i have to share this before my question. i'm a state representative in phoenix, arizona, married to a person that is in process that was detained in the last session before finishing my session this term. it affects us all. but my question is this. and i'm confused. i understand the issue at the federal level here in washington. how that translates to my local area in arizona is that i'm a democrat, a registered democrat, and i have my own democratic party whose priorities do not match that of the federal. i'm passionate about immigration. i'm organizing a massive market, you name it. but there is a very different -- reverend, again, the faith-based, pro-life, how does that translate to my christian churches?

i understand that we got to organize and register and do that work. but there is a big disconnect. i don't know if that is only in arizona, or across the nation. what can we do? i have expectations for every elected official to start speaking the truth and speaking about their challenges within their party, because it shouldn't be a partisan issue. and you're right, it is unacceptable and it's up to us. where are we? >> let me say first of all, that i think the issue of immigration and how we approach it should be a nonpartisan issue. i want to work with everyone that wants to work to solve the problem of our undocumented community, whether republican or democrat. but moreover, i have done that, and i've challenged my own party time and time again to be better. so that we understand way this works, right? i was disillusioned because i remember in 1997, i voted in --

against the defense of marriage act the test -- because i said, what two men and two women want to do, i did not wait for the country to wake up about gay and lesbian people. i voted my conscience. i think part of the problem with the democratic party with immigration is still this. we would not wait until after november if it was an issue affecting the gay and lesbian community necessarily. [speaking spanish] if this is about women's reproductive rights and the minimum wage, if this was about a series of other issues, the democratic party would come together. but we are better shape today than we've ever been before on the issue of immigration as a democratic party. let me just say that. one of the things you need to understand is that every democratic senator in the senate last year voted for

comprehensive immigration reform. and if just the democratic senators had voted for it, there would have been enough of them to pass immigration reform without one republican. they all voted for it. and i think it's kind of a shame that mary landrieu, who voted for immigration reform, is now -- of course, by her republican opponent because she wants to win the election and being challenged on immigration. she is for fixing our broken immigration system. did she call the president and say, wait until after the election? she probably did. here's what i say to everyone. register to vote, because every year, 900,000 latinos turn 18 and they are all american citizens. and we have 8 million of which 7 million are latinos that can become citizens tomorrow. i'm going to work on registering all the youth and making sure that those who can become

citizens do. but i also will set up for our immigrant community, so they can know to register to vote for somebody because of principle and values. >> [speaking spanish] >> i get that. >> let me tell you about arizona. to me, it is very confusing to have a state that has such disparate characters. we cannot help you in arizona. but he will pray about it. [laughter] >> i will pray about it, and let me add that at the state level, arizona needs to know that the son of an undocumented immigrant who came to this country speaking -- seeking amnesty and political asylum now opposes immigration. he needs to remember he is the product of an undocumented

immigrant and he needs to stand up for others in arizona. when you go to the churches, don't go politically. go with the moral argument, because there is not a church in america that can argue against the moral problem that this is. ask i would like to see them i -- >> i would like to say that my exterior is with the members of the house -- my experience with the members of the house, they are prepared to take courageous votes if given the opportunity. the senate did take a difficult vote. and now they are up for election. whether they returned to the senate or not is a political issue. they took a courageous vote last year. the house has not taken a vote. and i've seen the house act. the violence against women act. i've seen them on san diego.

-- i've seen them on sandy aid. i'm from new york. that was -- on sandy aid. i'm from new york. that was a difficult issue. and all of those issues passed the house with a majority-minority and a minority -- and a majority of the minority. i have the will on the floor to pass it without the majority of the minority. they just won't do it with immigration reform. they have the opportunity. there are a number of good republicans to support it, but they didn't have the political will to put it on the floor. >> here in the front. i think the microphones are back there. you will have to go back there. i apologize. >> hello, i'm currently in >> hello, i'm currently in public policy fellow. this question is for my congressman.

and the other house member. i believe that undocumented individuals contribute. but i think this country is a sick addition -- addiction to cheap labor will stop what is -- i think this country has a sick addiction to cheap labor. what will be done for those who are currently employed and undocumented to not become discriminated against when they are no longer legally considered cheap labor? >> first of all, here is what happened. and i think we should all agree to this. undocumented workers in this country, because of their undocumented status actually lower the wages for american workers. employers take advantage of that labor force and the ability to exploit that labor force. but listen, if you talk to anyone of the 700,000 dreamers that today have taken advantage of that, they all have the same

social security card that i do and they have a work permit. and they work here in the workforce. they are no longer exploited. they can now participate fully. in bringing about, hence of immigration reform, -- in bringing about comprehensive immigration reform, we raise the wages of all americans and they are no longer stifled by using an underclass of american workers. the way to do it is through comprehensive immigration reform, so the wages of everyone can increase. let me just say this. moving forward, foreign hands are going to pick the food in foreign lands, or in america. that is a constant that will continue. who is going to pick the lettuce and tomato and the cucumbers and

the grapes? it's always going to be us. she said she doesn't leave not -- leave miami that much, but i was 45 minutes outside of miami. those in miami, they think of nicaraguans and cubans. and they think of puerto ricans. go 45 minutes outside of miami to anyone of the orchards, the orange orchards that are out there. it is mexicans. that is all that is out there. the point is, there will always be a need for people to come to this country and to do the backbreaking work. i know we are ready to do that. >> i've got to pitch in here. yes, everything you said is true. but there is a need for much more than that. and we cannot just stereotype ourselves as people who are picking lettuce and tomatoes.

it is something that we should be proud that our people are doing. but our people are also tilting -- building computers and operating on brains. and our people are also teaching in the schools. and we are an aging community, an aging nation here in the united states. we need the influx of new blood in order to do all the jobs. but let it not be said and that the image be -- and let the image be that hispanics are early this or only that. >> the reason i raise that issue -- >> [indiscernible] >> because they keep saying, they should all just go. we should just all the port them. -- the port them -- deport them. mitt romney said that they should all leave. >> and what did i say? >>anna, annna. my point is this. they do dirty, filthy, backbreaking work, and they

still get accused of being on welfare and they still get accused of taking food stamps. [applause] let's be clear. [speaking spanish] who is going to do that other work echo -- the other work? and my only point to everyone here is, i want to make sure because republicans can sit down with me and say, we will give you all of the doctors to my computer wizards, they can all come. but don't bring any of those mexicans to work in our outer culture. they want to have a program of the past to deal with our agriculture industry. no more of those programs.

[speaking spanish] [applause] >> if i could just add to this discussion just a bit. i just returned from houston, texas, where they are exhorting -- absorbing thousands of unaccompanied children into the school children -- the school system. and i spoke to some of these children who had come here, many of them on their own. little kids, 10-year-old kid to a comfort guatemala, honduras, on their own, on buses, crossing with coyotes. i asked them. there was a group of them at the table and i said, what did you want to be? why did you come here?

doctor, engineer -- those are the people who are our future. they came here to get an education. their parents, many of them who are here, are probably working in the kitchen today. but the dream for their kids is to do what you are saying, to do that. most of us know, and we've seen the movies and documentaries that without the mexicans that have come across the border, undocumented at this point, we could not -- a day in this country without undocumented workers would be a very slow day. most of us know that. we have time for one more question.

>> good afternoon, everyone. i'm also from chicago. i'm a teacher there. >> i think you packed the audience. [laughter] >> no, no. i think we just packed the microphone. we are all disappointed that president obama decided to wait until after the midterm election. the problem is, the midterm elections may not turn out his way now. and according to what miss tomorrow says -- miss navarro says, there is a chance that republicans could take over the house and the senate. if that were the case, and i don't know if it is, and then the president may decide by executive order to put forth conference of immigration reform. but that also poses the following. if he does it by executive order, then what are the chances of the republican filing a lawsuit and challenging that?

but for mr. navarro --ms. navarro, they may pass some kind of -- and you say some kind of comprehensive reform. that sounds a little bit disturbing, because it sounds like they will water it down. they will do it some way because now they have control. wouldn't that bring us back to the same issue because it would not be comprehensive enough? we would not be solving this problem. >> i have to ask you to make your answers short. we do have to wrap up. do you want to take that first, anna? >> sure. if we are going to take over the house and the senate, we will have to push. i agree that if the president takes executive action, republicans will be angry. and i would say to my party, the best way to avoid executive action is to take legislative action. past something. do something. that is the best way to this or any executive action.

if each branch does their job, you don't need to supersede the other branch. as far as watering down and what the comprehensive immigration bill is going to look like, i have no idea. i think we would see a lot of pushing from the different constituent groups -- business, labor, faith, etc., family reunification. i have no idea. i'm not ready to pooh-pooh anything. i will be cautiously optimistic until i see something that makes me pessimistic. until then, let me hold onto my little raft of optimism. >> we are going to hold the presidency to the fire. he has said that he would do something after the election. we are not sitting back and waiting after the elections anymore. we are going right away to fulfill our promise, and more than we anticipated he would do before hand. he owes that much to us at this point.

it comes back to what you said before. 100 years, my family has been here. my grandparents came here poor. they never anticipated that there grandson will be a member -- that their grandson would be a member of congress today. it's exactly that kind of courage that these people today, that these little kids are experiencing. i have a nine-year-old son. i could never imagine him going around the block, much less a desert to come here to the united states. but it's about the fulfillment of a dream to be everything they can be. and we ought not to deny it. we should welcome it. [applause] >> you asked the question, what if they take over the senate and they keep the house and they file lawsuits and they obstruct? to me say, i welcome that fight. if the president of the united states asked to protect millions of undocumented workers -- acts to protect millions of a not committed workers and allow them to come out of the shadows, here's what i believe.

i believe that reverend suarez and the tens of thousands of people who are parishioners in his faith-based community are going to unite with the democrats, and some republicans in the house. i think that anna navarro and i started out fighting for nicaraguans so that over 100,000 of them today could have legalized status in this country. i believe that anna is going to fight. i think everyone in this room is ready for that kind of fight. imagine for a moment the president of the united states makes an announcement. we figure out who the 5 million, 6 million people are. we get ready to register them and the republican majority decides they will obstruct the process. they will be the end of the republican party as a national party in the united states of

america, because then it won't be that the democrats didn't act and that the republicans didn't act. it will be the last act. this will take me 30 seconds. we all understand -- o, better housing. they didn't come through. better education. it didn't come through. we will reduce your property taxes. but this is very different. this is a concrete example of justice for a community of people that we love and cherish and will defend. i'm ready for the president to act. and let me tell you something. whoever attacks the decision of the president to bring justice and fairness to millions of undocumented immigrants and allow them to have justice in this country, i'm ready for that fight and i'm ready to join everybody in this room in winning that fight. [applause] >> 30 seconds to wrap it up. >> i will close by saying, don't lose faith and don't lose hope. the god that i preach, the bible teaches that he created this.

the heavens, the sun, the universe, he did it all in seven days. and every time they have a meeting they say, do we really believe that there's enough time to get it all done? the god they believe in did this in seven days. let's do this together. >> thank you very much for attending. i want to lead the applause and thanking or our panelists for leading a very interesting discussion. >> his role in getting candidates elected as well the political landscape leading up to november. >> we have great candidates. we have recruited and encouraged and got people who will be great senators to one -- to run.

here, this was a significant intentional aspect of what we have tried to do. when i started to raise money for our candidates, even the or we had candidate, it was hard to get republican donors to get out the checkbook. they have been through election cycles in which we did not have the success people thought we should. governor romney did not get elected president. what might take away was that what matters here is do we have something to market? do we have candidates that will appeal to donors. we are going to find out if that is true. i don't go to bed at night worrying about what candidates are going to say. i go to bed at night and i tried to sleep every night, when i'm thinking about is how we are what make certain our candidates have the resources to win. like to bragif i

about -- i don't like talking about how we have not raise the money, but it is about $30 million difference. how is that done? one of the things that we don't have as president obama, michelle obama, vice president biden who on a night can raise 1-2,000,000 dollars and have done it dozens of times or the democrats committee. we don't have -- >> you have a momentum. are goingtion is you to win. are you going to close this gap? >> i think we have had donors who have been skeptical. i'm glad to hear you say that the perception of republicans are going to win. we have had that before and it did not happen.