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RELEASE: In 2012, Common-Sense Immigration Measures Set to Advance in States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 10, 2011
CONTACT:
Joseph Rendeiro, NCLR, (202) 776-1566, jrendeiro@nclr.org
Charles Monaco, PSN, (212) 680-3116 x115, cmonaco@progressivestates.org
In 2012, Common-Sense Immigration Measures Set to Advance in States
Report details failure of anti-immigrant bills in 2011 as positive, common-sense state immigration legislation is set to gain momentum in 2012
New York, NY -- As comprehensive immigration reform remained stalled in Congress in 2011, the issue persisted as a top priority among state legislatures that pushed various bills targeting undocumented immigrants. Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) released The Wrong Approach: State Anti-Immigration Legislation in 2011, a report that offers a state-by-state breakdown of the status of anti-immigrant bills introduced over the past year.
“Although 2011 saw a wave of Arizona SB 1070-style bills introduced at the state level, the majority of these bills were rejected,” said Elena Lacayo, Immigration Field Coordinator for the Immigration Policy Project at NCLR. “And of the 25 states that rejected these bills, more than half of those were Republican controlled. Now, the few states that disappointingly passed these laws are facing the same legal, economic, and civil rights problems that Arizona has faced.”
In fact, in 2011 many more states considered and advanced laws focused on expanding opportunity for immigrants and residents as a whole in a variety of areas, including access to higher education and labor rights. As 2012 legislative sessions kick off, scores of state legislators are working to advance common-sense approaches to immigration policy—those that bolster state economies and honor our nation’s values, according to Progressive States Network (PSN), a national organization that provides support to state legislators advancing positive, common-sense immigration measures.
“State lawmakers want what’s best for the states and state economies, and 2011 showed us that legislators are increasingly committed to crafting solutions-based approaches to immigration focused on expanding opportunity and economic prosperity at a time when state budgets need all the help that they can get,” said Suman Raghunathan, Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships at Progressive States Network.
To date, only six states have passed broad anti-immigrant bills modeled off of Arizona’s SB 1070: Utah, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. The NCLR report provides an overview of how this legislation gained momentum, beginning with the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona, and what consequences those states endured as a result of these laws, including immediate legal challenges, economic losses, civil rights violations, and growing mistrust between law enforcement and the immigrant community.
Today, Ms. Lacayo and Ms. Raghunathan were joined by Isabel Rubio, Executive Director of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!), and by Colorado State Senator Michael Johnston for a telephonic press conference where participants discussed why these laws took root in some states and failed in others and the prospects of both pro- and anti-immigrant state proposals in 2012.
Ms. Rubio shared her firsthand account of the damage that she’s seen in Alabama as a result of the state’s incredibly harsh anti-immigrant law.
“HB 56 brought Alabama back to the dark past it has worked so hard to overcome,” said Rubio. “Alabama is now gripped by a humanitarian crisis as a consequence of this law: families are fleeing the state, kids are afraid to go to school, and people are being denied basic services such as access to water.”
But, participants were quick to point out that the negative impact that these laws have had on states such as Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona may have deterred other states from taking similar action. In fact, some lawmakers, like Sen. Johnston, are actually pushing back and introducing pro-immigrant bills.
“Colorado’s future depends on forward-thinking approaches to immigration—ones that focus on nurturing talented youth and putting our tax dollars to better use than destroying immigrant families,” said Sen. Johnston. “As a former public school teacher, I have seen firsthand all that our state has to gain from the economic contributions and energy of immigrants. I remain committed to laws and policies that welcome and channel this energy into a better future for Colorado this year and beyond.”
Still, Lacayo warned that more anti-immigrant legislation could be on the horizon in 2012.
“Until Congress acts on immigration, we will no doubt see legislators continue to push racial profiling bills at the state level,” said Lacayo. “While we’re grateful that states are rejecting these bills, we still need our lawmakers on Capitol Hill to stop using this issue for political sport and actually provide this country with legitimate solutions to fix our broken immigration system at the federal level.”
Raghunathan added that state legislators are critical to shifting the debate to generate solutions in 2012.
“State legislators understand the on-the-ground reality of immigration, which has largely expanded economic output and opportunity while revitalizing communities,” noted Raghunathan. “These lawmakers are at the forefront of common-sense approaches that recognize the contributions of immigrant workers and families and chart a way forward to expand opportunity for all.”
NCLR -- the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States -- works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
Progressive States Network is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the work of progressive state legislators around the country and to the advancement of state policies that deliver on the issues that matter to working families: integrating immigrants into our communities, strong wage standards and workplace freedom, balancing work and family responsibilities, health care for all, smart growth and clean energy, tax and budget reform, clean and fair elections, and technology investments to bridge the digital divide. For more information visit www.progressivestates.org.
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With the outcome of the New Hampshire primary with Mitt Romney in the lead, followed closely by Ron Paul with others close behind; so who in actuality has the best understanding of the illegal immigration invasion? NOT AS LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS THE LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES HAVE CONVEYED, AS BEING OF THE SAME STATUS AS ILLEGAL ALIENS. Everywhere in the Liberal press is this “Political Correctness” mendacious determination to betray their readers, which both illegal and legal immigrants and migrants are of the same status?
Republican candidates have a minor difference amongst the top contenders, but all sponsor mass deportations, harsh state enforcement policing laws and extending the fence along our Southern border. All Republican candidates, except Newt Gingrich are in opposition to giving most illegal immigrants a path to lawful residents. However--mass deportations can be very expensive and not so simple, with court appearances and stays. Republicans in the Senate and the House can alleviate much of this expense, by co-sponsoring the “Legal Workforce Act” (E-Verify) that once the law is enacted and businesses can no longer chance the hiring of illegal workers, in time thousands will begin the self-deportation. This is a matter of fact, because hiring an illegal alien will bring the down the ICE and the courts down upon the perpetrator. Mandatory E-Verify would enforce these laws if enacted:
1. Require 100% of businesses to use E-Verify for all employers within 2 years
2. Require all federal, state, and local agencies, businesses that contract with the federal or state government, and businesses with more than 10,000 employees to begin using E-Verify within 6 months
3. Require federal, state, and local agencies to run its entire workforce through E-Verify
4. Allow private business to check all current employees through E-Verify
5. Increase employer penalties and fines for knowingly hiring illegal-alien workers
Passage of just H.R. 2885 would displace hundreds of thousands and ultimately millions of unauthorized workers, with no chance of work to start repatriation to home country.
To run America we must have a TEA PARTY Conservatism, whose major contentions is stop the Liberal-Socialist movement within the Democratic Party. To stop our nation from further sinking into political quicksand, the only chance left to the population to renew this countries weakening foundation. Overtime the Liberals have exerted such careful stealth 'Political Correctness' forced onto us to undermine our liberties and freedoms. Only by returning to the essence of the U.S. constitution, can we hope to resurrect this country of ours from the shadow government It started with a few ardent voices but grew in popularity until it became unwritten and written law within the . With those who were publicly declared as being not politically correct becoming the object of persecution by the Liberal progressives and extremist, who desire to reinvent America. Political Correctness is to reject every Americans right to freedom of choice and freedom of speech. The Tea Party of "The People" and not members of the establishment of elites in the Republics party is ready to claim our country back from the influence that would destroy us.
The TEA PARTY banner to march by in 2012 is: God-given individual freedoms written by Principles of the Founding Fathers. No more bank or investor companies bailouts; reduce the size of an intrusive government and return money and resources to the states; discard the current tax code and reintroduce a fair and equitable system that doesn’t favor the special interests or corporate welfare; repeal Obama-Care and introduce a competitive free market; cease and desist out of control spending and enact federal treasury deficit reform; secure our borders and defend and protect America from enemies domestic and foreign. Bring to the surface the abundant natural resources of oil, natural gas and coal, to reduce our dependence on foreign governments.
In 2010, the tea party movement’s power was felt as incumbent Democrats and Republicans alike were replaced with Tea Party endorsed conservatives. The Tea Party Express played a critical role in the unprecedented midterm electoral victories and key Special elections, devoting millions of dollars and innovative campaign tactics to bring victory to conservative candidates. With conservatives in control of the House and poised to take over the Senate in 2012, the Tea Party Express has targeted President Barack Obama for defeat. In September 2011
THE US GOVERNMENT THROUGH ITS DISMAL FAILURE TO SECURE THE BORDER AND NO EFFORT TO AMEND THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP LAW, HAS PLACED ON ALL AMERICANS A POPULATION OF 340.000 BABIES ANNUALLY--TO BE FINANCIALLY PAID FOR OUT OF TAXPAYERS POCKETS. A bill gathering dust in Congress and sponsored by Steve King’s (R-IA) Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (H.R.140) would amend the law so the unborn babies of illegal aliens smuggled calculatedly through borders or by international flight are ineligible for citizenship. A further explanation to amending this part of 14th Amendment, is the less obvious reason? Illegal aliens once they have a foothold in America can then petition the courts for legal status. Although many years may pass once gaining citizenship, they can then partition under the family unification laws, bring even more family members to these lands and like a giant pyramid scheme, just replicates.
Another preference bill is the ‘Legal Workforce Act’ or recognized as mandatory E-Verify program. This current bill, H.R. 2885 can right some massive wrongs and impose ‘Attrition through Enforcement’ guaranteeing that illegal aliens will self deport taking their families with them if no work is available. Taxpayers and jobless workers can expedite this method by stringently complaining to the Federal and State offices of Senators and the Congressional House phone switchboard at 202-224-3121. Do not let them deliberately hold back this law as it will help relieve some of the 22 million unemployed American job seekers. This is a simple, less aggressive and relatively free from taxpayer’s expense, as nationwide employers will no longer be able to skirt this law. There will be no mitigating event as many will see the inside of federal prison cell. Not only has 73 Republicans; mostly fresh Tea Party politicians, but also 3 Democrats have also supported this imperative as of the 1st of January, 2012.
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