Paterson's Anti-Immigrant Senate Pick Criticized by Peter M. Rivera

• by Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera

ALBANY, NY (01/23/2009)(readMedia)-- I am troubled by Governor Paterson's choice to replace Hillary Clinton as New York's Junior Senator. I find no compelling reason for the Governor to select a conservative Democrat to carry on the progressive work of now Secretary of State Clinton.

In fact, Rep. Gillibrand's stand on a range of issues is counter to the desires of the majority of New Yorkers, including her hard-line stand on immigration, which borders on xenophobia. The Governor had a long list of extremely qualified and talented New Yorkers to consider that would not have created the opposition he will face. None of the other candidates have an anti-immigration record.

His choice will no doubt anger New York's huge immigrant communities and could go as far as creating political obstacles to meaningful immigration reform efforts of our new President. It is clear to me that Rep. Gillibrand will face a primary and create splits among New York Democrats that will only serve to damage our party.

The Governor and his top aids should have reviewed Rep. Gillibrand's statements on immigration and reviewed the anti-immigration legislation she sponsored and cosponsored.

Rep. Gillibrand has, as constituents, thousands of minorities and business interests that rely and benefit from immigration, yet she has opposed amnesty, wants a guest worker program that basically serves as 21^st Century slavery, and wants to use local police to enforce federal immigration law, against the advice of state law enforcement groups.

Her support for more walls and guards on our southern border ignores the reality that almost 60% of our undocumented immigrants are foreigners who overstay their visas. They are from all over our planet, not just people crossing the Rio Grande.