Legislation
Dollars and Lives Lost in the Wait for Immigration Reform
Two-and-a-half months after the Senate passed immigration reform legislation (S. 744), the House of Representatives continues to dawdle. Other than giving speeches and mulling over a few backward-looking, enforcement-only bills, the House has done nothing to revamp the broken U.S. immigration system or to realistically resolve the status of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants now living in the United States. The standard excuse for this inaction is that there are too many other high-priority items on the legislative agenda right now—so immigration reform will have to wait. But while Congress waits, dollars and lives are being lost. Read More
Months After Passage, Anti-Immigrant Group Still Mischaracterizes Senate Bill
The immigration reform bill (S.744) that the Senate passed in June would fix our broken work visa programs for lower skilled, higher skilled, and agricultural workers; eliminate decades-long backlogs in our immigrant visa programs; increase job and wage protections for U.S. workers; and greatly increase our investment in border security. In addition, the bill would have fiscal and economic effects that would be overwhelmingly positive, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). If enacted, the bill would help reduce the federal budget deficit by approximately $1 trillion over 20 years, would boost the U.S. economy as whole without negatively affecting U.S. workers, and would greatly reduce future undocumented immigration, according to the CBO. However, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) released a report this week criticizing the bill. They claim S.744 offers an immediate “amnesty” for the undocumented, lacks specific metrics for measuring border enforcement, weakens the visa entry-exit system, and creates a “nebulous new system” that fails to protect Americans from illegal foreign workers. Read More
White House Honors Local Groups Leading the Way to Welcome Immigrants in Their Cities
Thousands of immigrants every day demonstrate a commitment to being part of America by becoming naturalized citizens every day. These Americans by choice often make huge sacrifices to move to the United State and become part of their community. But it also takes support from the local community to welcome new immigrants who want to establish roots in the area. Groups across the country are stepping up to fill that role and make their cities inviting to immigrants. Read More
Immigration is a Positive Force for Economic Growth in Cities
Posters on metro buses and trains in St. Louis will now welcome you to the city in 17 different languages, one of the many initiatives begun by the St. Louis Mosaic Project to create an atmosphere that welcomes and encourages immigrants to the area. Signs in the public transit system aren’t just designed to look pretty, however, but acknowledge that for many immigrants, particularly those new to the St. Louis region, this is their primary means of going to work or school, shopping, and taking part in all the community has to offer. “The Mosaic Project says a lot about where our region is going,” St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said. “We want to be more diverse and see things from different points of view.” Read More
Taking the Important Leap to Citizenship
Each year on September 17, the United States observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, a combined event that commemorates the anniversary of the nation’s constitution and recognizes all those who are or have become U.S. citizens. It is considered a time for Americans to reflect on the importance of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, as well as what it means to be a U.S. citizen. However, it’s also an important time to applaud those who have worked hard to become citizens, while exploring ways to remove barriers for those who are eligible, but still haven’t taken the leap. Read More
Women Arrested Demand Action on Immigration Reform
More than 100 women blocked an intersection outside of the House of Representatives Thursday to push for House leaders to finally act on immigration reform. Capitol Police officers arrested the 104 women, including more than 20 who are undocumented, for the act of civil disobedience. More than 200 supporters witnessed the arrests and called on the House to match the women’s courage and pass legislation that will fix the U.S. immigration system. “Each one of us here today understands what incredibly high stakes we are talking about—immigration reform is not just a piece of legislation but the ability for us to take care of our families,” said Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of We Belong Together: Women for Common-Sense Immigration Campaign, at a rally before the arrests. Read More
House Judiciary Chairman Says Immigration Bills Are ‘Ready To Go’
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) has proven what a difference a few weeks can make for immigration reform. As Congress returns this week to a packed schedule, Goodlatte told WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi on Tuesday that congressional fights over Syria and the debt limit “should not deter us from getting to [immigration] as soon as possible.” He said his committee and others have already passed smaller immigration bills relating to border security, internal enforcement, guest workers, and high-tech visas, and there could be votes on these measures as soon as October. “Those bills are ready to go to the floor of the House and it’s my hope they come to the floor of the House as soon as possible,” he said on the Kojo Nnamdi Show. Read More
Will Congress Be Ready To Play Ball on Immigration Reform?
In the classic baseball movie Bull Durham, Kevin Costner’s eyes go misty as he talks about how great it was to be “in the show” (the major league) for 21 days before being kicked back down to minor league ball. Immigration reform was in the show this spring for 60 days or so, ending in June with the passage of S. 744. But then, well, it feels like we too have been sent back to the minors, with many pundits predicting that the House won’t get to immigration reform this year. Those who think that, however, should consider the major league/minor league analogy a bit more carefully. Read More
U.S. Must Confront Challenges of Attracting Global Innovation Talent
Across the United States, innovative industries in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have driven economic growth and job creation nationally and in metropolitan areas throughout the country. And the human capital—the people who are leading these innovations—comes not only from homegrown talent but also from a global labor market and talent pool. The U.S. has a well-established innovation economy, similar to other developed nations. But certain challenges exist for countries to attract talent to fuel these industries. A new report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) describes the policy challenges related to attracting individuals from the global talent pool. The authors recognize human capital as “the one resource that can propel firms and economies to the top tier of competitiveness.” There have been undeniable increases in the supply and demand for skilled workers worldwide as more places continue to transition to knowledge-based economies with rising occupational skill requirements. As such, in addition to advances in OECD countries, the report notes that as developing countries continue to grow, and as their immigration policies “become less bureaucratic and cumbersome, a much greater choice of destinations will open up for the internationally mobile.” Read More
States Drive Positive Change on Immigration While House Is Stuck in Low Gear
Despite the slow pace of immigration reform in the House of Representatives, it has been a banner year for legislation at the state level to help undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. As the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) explains in a new report, “Inclusive Policies Advance Dramatically in the States,” state legislatures approved laws allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, qualify for in-state tuition, and expand worker’s rights. And states and local governments considered measures to limit involvement with immigration enforcement. This was a sharp change from previous years when officials debated measures with provisions that mimicked Arizona’s SB-1070. In the wake of record numbers of Latino and Asian voters participating in the 2012 elections, several state legislatures by and large moved in a more positive direction as lawmakers from both parties supported pro-immigration measures. Read More
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