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The Obama administration recently selected Thomas Perez, Maryland’s Labor Secretary, to run the Department of Justice’s civil rights division. Though Perez, a first-generation Dominican-American, has served on the board of two immigration organizations, the President’s move is being called a “flinch on immigration,” by a New York Times editorial published yesterday. Criticism has centered on why the LA-based civil rights attorney Thomas Saenz was not offered the job after having been seen as the leading candidate. Saenz’s record as the former top litigator for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education fund has been markedly strong on immigrants rights issues. He had been instrumental in helping defeat Proposition 187’s implementation in California while defending the human rights of day laborers. With speculation growing that Saenz would be selected for the post, anti-immigrant groups went on the offense attacking his record and polarizing the debate before it even started. In a statement, the National Council of La Raza expressed its “profound disappointment,” in the Obama administration’s passing up of Saenz. La Opinion also joined the New York Times in voicing their concern for Obama’s change in position.

GUEST: Arnoldo Garcia, Enforcement Project Director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. For more information, visit www.nnirr.org.