This week anti-immigrant extremists from FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform)--a known hate group--were silenced by vigils and pro-immigrant rallies demanding an end to the hate.

To counter FAIR's "Hold Your Feet to the Fire" week of lobby activities in Washington, hundreds of activists held vigils at the Capitol to condemn the hateful rhetoric. In the beginning of the week, SEIU joined America's Voice, Center for New Community, and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) to launch a Roll Call print ad denouncing FAIR for poisoning the immigration debate with bigoted, xenophobic hate speech.

Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Steve King (R-IA), as well as Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), are pictured in the ad along with FAIR founder John Tanton and CNN's Lou Dobbs. The ad features a quote from Tanton that reads: "As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?"

Bilbray, King, and Sessions have a long history of collaboration with FAIR and like-minded organizations. Dobbs is a favorite media personality of FAIR (Dobbs' CNN program has cited FAIR as a reliable source on the immigration issue no fewer than six times in the last year) and spoke at the organization's "We the People" Immigration Reform Awards Reception on September 15. More on FAIR, its racist founder, its ties to eugenicists, and the racially charged comments of some of its staff can be found at Media Matters here.

Americans know that hate speech can't raise wages and living standards for workers, solve the healthcare crisis, end the mortgage crisis, or bring about immigration reform. And President Obama has consistently promised to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority during his first year in office. But it's become clear after Joe Wilson's "lie," Republican politicians continuing to employ the illegal immigration wedge strategy, and FAIR with its anti-immigrant lobbying "blitz" on Capitol Hill this week with support from the media's Lou Dobbs that we need to do more. SEIU has launched a new campaign calling on its members to set the record straight on immigrant access to health care. If you haven't yet, please join us: http://action.seiu.org/immigrante.

The politics of immigration are too often tainted by ignorance and hate. "It's time that everyone learns who FAIR's founders, leaders and followers truly are. They are not reformers, but a group of extremists whose leaders are fostering a bigoted, anti-immigrant, anti-American agenda that we must stop," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement. "America doesn't need zealots; we need smart, pragmatic immigration reform."

We must continue with even greater resolve to overcome the fanaticism, stand up for immigrant rights, and push for the kind of smart, fair and just immigration reform our nation needs to flourish. Tell Congress: "It's time to fix the broken immigration system..