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Why Regional Economies Need Immigration Reform
Comprehensive immigration reform and its array of issues is a hot topic of discussion these days at the national level. Yet while those in Washington continue crafting proposals, states are most impacted by the country’s current outdated immigration system and are making the economic and moral case for reform, as a recent Chicago Council on […]
Read MoreRepublican Party Officially Backs Immigration Reform
Today, the Republican National Committee formally endorsed comprehensive immigration reform, bringing its position back in line with the Republican Party platform of 2004. Championing immigration reform was among the suggestions offered in a report released today about how the RNC can reinvent itself as part of a $10 million plan to reach out to minority […]
Read MoreIn quest for skilled workers, U.S. looks to Canada as an example
The Globe and Mail March 17, 2013 Ask nearly any U.S. business executive about the country’s immigration system and the response is often a personal experience that demonstrates their dissatisfaction with a process they consider either creaky or broken. Now, for the first time in decades, there is a unique chance to enact a substantive […]
Read MoreBudget Cuts Led ICE To Release Immigrants From Detention
Along with every other government agency, on March 1, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials had to begin making mandatory cuts to their budget as a result of sequestration. ICE’s choice to shift some of its detainees from expensive detention facilities to non-detention alternatives was questioned yesterday by Members of Congress, but more importantly […]
Read MoreThe Promise and Challenges of Family-Based Immigration
Today the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary is hosting a hearing on “The Separation of Nuclear Families under U.S. Immigration Law”. The issue to be addressed relates specifically to the obstacles that many legal permanent residents (LPR) currently living in the United States face when they try to bring their immediate relatives to the […]
Read MoreThe Advantages of Family-Based Immigration
Since the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965, legal immigration to the United States has been based primarily on the family ties or the work skills of prospective immigrants. Under the provisions of current immigration law, the family-based immigration category allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or “green card” holders, to bring certain family members to the United States. There are 480,000 family-based visas available every year. Family-based immigrants are admitted to the U.S. either as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or through the family preference system.
The contributions of family-based immigrants to the U.S. economy, local communities, and the national fabric are manifold. They account for a significant portion of domestic economic growth, contribute to the well-being of the current and future labor force, play a key role in business development and community improvement, and are among the most upwardly mobile segments of the labor force. This fact sheet provides an overview of the economic and social advantages associated with family-based immigration. In particular, it highlights the direct benefits resulting from the participation of family-based immigrants in the labor force, their contributions to the community, and the key—yet often underestimated—value of the unpaid care work provided by immigrant women.
1. Families are crucial to the social and economic incorporation of newcomers.
Lindsey Graham Defended By Conservative Pro-Immigration Reform Groups
Huffington Post March 13, 2013 Two conservative pro-immigration reform groups are stepping in to support Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the members of the Senate “gang of eight,” as he comes under fire in his state from an organization that seeks to reduce immigration. … There are other efforts to bolster Graham’s push. Partnership […]
Read MoreReligious, business groups defend pro-immigration Republican Senator Graham
NBC Latino March 13, 2013 The South Carolina airwaves have become the latest battleground between pro- and anti-immigration reform groups. Today, three different groups – a group of Southern evangelical leaders, a conservative Republican super PAC, and a bipartisan group of U.S. Mayors and CEOs announced the release of two ads supporting South Carolina Republican […]
Read MoreImmigration reform advocates target South Carolina
Associated Press March 13, 2013 WASHINGTON (AP) — Business leaders, Republicans and religious groups in favor of overhauling immigration laws announced a new focus Wednesday on South Carolina, where a key Senate supporter, Republican Lindsey Graham, is up for re-election. … The groups involved are Republicans for Immigration Reform, a fund-raising group founded by former […]
Read MoreThe Economic Case for Commonsense Immigration Reform
The White House March 13, 2013 America’s immigration system is broken. Too many employers game the system by hiring undocumented workers and there are 11 million people living in the shadows. Neither is good for the economy or the country. We must come together on a plan that requires responsibility from everyone —both from the […]
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Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
