Rep. Luis Gutierrez did something today that has him being hailed as a champion for immigration reform and probably being mumbled about in unflattering terms in the White House.

Rep. Gutierrez delivered on a promise he made to all the mixed-status families, undocumented immigrants and immigration advocate groups — he introduced in Congress the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (CIR ASAP) Act of 2009.

Gutierrez garnered 87 co-sponsors for the bill including members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Progressive Caucus.

Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) held a press conference to introduce the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009. (Photo Source:Immigration Impact)

While Gutierrez and advocates admit that immigration reform is on the backburner for the time being for the Obama Administration, at least until the healthcare bill passes, this bill lays the starting foundation from which to eventually craft a bill that will recognize the problems that exist in our current immigration policies and clarifies the issue of border security.

Like healthcare, immigration reform will be challenged by conservatives and liberals alike who don’t understand the day-to-day realities of over 12 million people — some parents to American-born children — who think our immigration problems can be fixed if people went back home and got in line and waited for their rightful turn.

If only it was that easy or true.

Some of the provisions of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 include:

Creates a Southern Border Security Task Force composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to protect United States border cities and communities from violence and crime along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Improves collaboration with state law enforcement at the border in combating crime.

Suspends the Operation Streamline program pending review of the goals, impacts and cost-benefit analyses.

Recognizes the importance of border communities as partners and allies in achieving effective enforcement and establishes the U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission and the Border Communities Liaison Office.

Includes measures to combat human smuggling and migrant deaths including requiring the development and implementation of a plan to improve coordination amongst federal and state partners to combat human smuggling.

Establishes an independent immigration detention commission to investigate and report on compliance.

Requires DHS to report any detainee death within 48 hours, and to report annually to Congress on circumstances of all deaths in detention.

Provides temporary visas and work authorization for detained workers when they have been targeted by their employer for asserting their rights if they agree to pursue labor claims against their employer. Expands U visa protections for whistleblowers.

Repeals the 287(g) program and clarifies that only the federal government has the authority to enforce federal immigration law.

Restores the federal courts of their jurisdiction to review the decisions and practices of DHS.

Ensures that immediate relatives may continue to pursue their immigration petitions even if the U.S. citizen or LPR who petitioned for them dies.

The provisions are extensive and for anyone who thinks it’s just a way to open the door further for future undocumented immigrants — they’re wrong.

This bill addresses the issue that is paramount for any immigration reform bill to be effective — it provides for preventing future migrations.

To think that this bill will prevail against the basic human will of those people who will always feel they have no choice but to come illegally to the United States, is an illusion but this bill does recognize that unchecked migration into the country is not good for the United States nor the home country.

Hopefully, congressional opponents to illegal immigration will work with congressional supporters of the bill in good faith to create a policy that is effective and fair — without vilifying a people whose only crime is that they come here to work.

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Congressional introduction of immigration reform bill quickens the pulse on Capitol Hill