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05/20/13 | Legalizing 11 Million Aspiring Americans

Washington D.C. - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues mark-up of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee is expected to complete work on Title Three and then begin considering amendments related to the legalization component of Title Two.

Creating a pathway to citizenship is one of the fundamental principles of S. 744, but many of the amendments offered in Committee appear designed to weaken the bipartisan program put forth in the bill by limiting eligibility, creating more hoops to jump through, and undermining procedural safeguards. The Senate Judiciary Committee should evaluate such proposals by asking what is necessary to achieve a workable plan for legalization of 11 million people—one that ensures the program has integrity, but that is also designed to succeed. The Gang of 8’s proposal is not perfect, but it was crafted with this goal in mind.

Amendments that would deter many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants from applying for or remaining in the program, or that would make it a bureaucratic nightmare to implement, must be avoided. Instead, if we wish to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past, we must strive for a generous and fair program that recognizes the contributions already being made by undocumented immigrants to this country.

In order to create a successful legalization program, Senators should keep in mind the following principles when considering the amendments offered under Title Two:

05/15/13 | Bringing Fairness to the Immigration Justice System

Washington D.C. - Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues mark-up of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee will complete work on Title Four and then begin to take up amendments related to Title Three, which addresses interior enforcement programs like E-Verify, as well as immigration court reforms and detention practices. We are encouraged to see the Senate take on the structure and quality of justice accorded immigrants who are caught in the enforcement net. The immigration removal system—from arrest to hearing to deportation and beyond—does not reflect American values of due process and fundamental fairness.

The failure to provide a fair process to those facing expulsion from the United States is all the more disturbing given the increasing criminalization of the immigration enforcement system. Over the last two decades, Congress has dramatically expanded the number and types of offenses that may render an individual deportable, subject to mandatory detention for long periods of time and without any opportunity for a judge to weigh the equities of a particular case. Consequently, even relatively minor offenses can result in a person being detained in immigration custody and deported, often with no hope of ever returning to the United States.

05/13/13 | Creating a Workable Future Flow Program in Senate Immigration Bill

Washington D.C. - Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues “mark-up” of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee will take up amendments related to Title Four, which addresses the majority of non-immigrant, temporary visas including those for high and less skilled immigrant workers, entrepreneurship and innovation programs, and a range of miscellaneous visitor visas. Title Four became one of the most intensely negotiated portions of the Gang of 8 bill, in part because issues regarding the future flow of immigrant workers strike at the heart of broad differences in opinion about how we supplement the American workforce through immigration.

Inherent in this debate are deeply nuanced questions about the best way to create a competitive business climate that does not undermine worker rights and protections, as well as the need to promote and encourage innovation and growth through immigration. The Gang of 8 should be applauded for tackling this enormous challenge and crafting solutions that attempt to address these concerns. This makes the bill significantly different from what was adopted in 1986—when a legalization program went forward without tackling the question of how to regulate the future demand for workers.

In this section of the bill, perhaps more than anywhere else, there will be disagreement about the best way to achieve a balance in S. 744 as it is readied for debate before the full Senate. In order to develop a smart and fair future flow program, Senators should keep in mind the following principles:

The Council in the News

AIC Executive Director Ben Johnson in the New York Times

The AIC's Executive Director, Ben Johnson, was quoted in an article in the New York Times. The article, titled "Veteran Senator Emerges as Player on Immigration Overhaul," focuses on Senator Orrin Hatch's role in the Senate Judiciary Committee's mark-up of the immigration bill.

"Though he backed away from immigration reform when he faced a tough primary challenge in 2012, many immigration advocates believe he is now ready to come around to their side.

“I think there is the political space now for Senator Hatch to talk about these issues that he has a track record of being supportive of,” said Ben Johnson, the executive director of the American Immigration Council."

Published In: New York Times | 05/21/13

IPC Cited in NBC Latino Article

A recent article on NBC Latino drew attention to a recent IPC Fact Sheet, Lost in the Shadow of the Fence. In the Fact Sheet, we pointed out the importance of the economic relationship between Mexico and the United States, and how that should be remembered during the debates around border enforcement. Here's a clip of the NBC Latino article:

"The American public is not getting the full picture of the current state of Mexico’s economy and its increasing importance as a trading partner. Mexico is the world’s 12th largest economy and America’s second largest export market...

The Immigration Policy Center’s “Lost in the Shadow of the Fence” states there was a 9.1 percent increase in goods exported to Mexico from the U.S. in just one year, from 2011 to 2012."

Published In: NBC Latino | 05/13/13

AIC Communications Director Wendy Feliz Featured in ABC News

Wendy Feliz, the Communications Director at the AIC, was featured in an article on ABC News about the recent positive trend in state immigration laws:

As recently as few years ago, lawmakers around the nation were passing strict regulations that made immigrants in the U.S. without legal permission the subject of police crackdowns and raids.

"The last few years were so harsh at the state level," said Wendy Feliz, a spokeswoman for the American Immigration Council.

Published In: ABC News | 05/02/13