New Coalition Set to Push Immigration Reform Now

More than 200 organizations today launched a national coalition to push for comprehensive immigration reform. The election of a new president and Congress with strong immigrant support, coupled with solid public backing for reform, have created a new political landscape for immigration legislation, the group’s leaders said at a news conference in Washington, D.C.

Reform Immigration for America includes the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, the National Council of La Raza, the NAACP and the Asian American Justice Center. The campaign was launched to coincide with a three-day meeting of more than 700 progressive advocates and allies this week and an upcoming White House meeting on immigration June 15.


Speaking at the National Press Club, Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said the coalition is proposing reform that would “replace the chaos” of our current immigration system with an orderly system that would enforce labor standards, help revive our economy, reunite families and provide a clear path to citizenship for undocumented workers who register and go through background checks.

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker said the time has come for comprehensive reform.

Our nation’s broken immigration system isn’t working for anybody—not for immigrant workers who are routinely exploited by companies and not for U.S.-born workers whose living standards are being undermined by the creation of a new “underclass.” Reform of our current system is an integral part of our efforts to eliminate enormous social and economic inequalities here and around the world.

Holt Baker noted that the AFL-CIO has been working with former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) on a framework for reform that is based on the same values as the campaign: fairness, justice and accountability.

For example, the campaign and the AFL-CIO/EPI/Marshall framework both support a new approach to determining how many immigrant workers should come into the U.S. labor market. Rather than relying on new temporary worker programs, that approach relies on an independent commission that can assess labor market needs on an ongoing basis and determine the number of foreign workers to be admitted for employment purposes, based on the needs of the labor market. Details of the framework are available here.

The campaign announced it is using new technologies such as a text messaging system and online organizing strategies to direct messages to members of Congress. You can help make a difference to pass comprehensive reform by joining the group’s “Text Alert Action Network.” Just text “justice” to 69866 and follow the instructions.

The campaign also launched a website, www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org, to give advocates and supporters the latest news about immigration reform.

“For far too long, we have allowed a can’t-do minority to block progress and manipulate this issue to tear our country apart,” said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza.

It is time to say…”no more.” We need a system that restores dignity and the rule of law, and we have the ability and the opportunity to make that hope a reality.

Momentum is growing for the government to address immigration. A new poll by the Pew Research Center found that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) support comprehensive reform. But when given specific details of what that reform entails—including securing the border, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, requiring immigrants to register for status, pay back taxes and learn English—86 percent gave their support. In fact, poll respondents perceived “an economic and fiscal benefit to immigration reform and want Congress to address the economy and immigration reform simultaneously.

Other participants in today’s news conference included NAACP President Benjamin Jealous; Center for American Progress President John Podesta; Karen Narasaki, president of the Asian American Justice Center; SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina; the Rev. Sam Rodriquez, president of the National Hispanic Christian leadership Conference; and Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Print This Article | E-Mail This Article |Comments (2)

Tags: Arlene Holt Baker, Benjamin Jealous, farm workers, farms, immigrant workers, immigration, La Raza, labor, NAACP, Reform Immigration for America, union, union blogs, unions

Channels: Legislation & Politics



2 Comments
Brittanicus on 03.06.2009 at 19:44 (Reply)
MILLIONS OF PUBLIC IRATE VOICES, CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE?

The British Office of National Statistics, immigrants send home about £4 billion a year in remittances back to their home countries. When this is added to the previously estimated cost of immigration to Britain of £8.8 billion, the grand total of £12.8 billion is reached. Which is about $18 billion US Dollars. The British Islands can be placed in California three and half times. So what is illegal immigration costing the US taxpayers compared to the United Kingdom? The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says the flow of remittances to Latin America has doubled in the past four years, to an estimated $55 billion this year–and that’s just Latin America? Obviously the US government keeps it undisclosed.

But if you add up the demands of foreign nationals for free health care, education, food stamps, low income housing and so much more, that is guaranteed by forced federal mandates and state give-aways We must demand E-Verify that is permanent and not at the mercy of poisoned political influence. E-Verify should not be just for new employees, but everybody who has been with the company for even ten years or more. Unless the bloggers hadn’t commented on the Internet, most communities would have remained in the media’s perpetual darkness about E-Verify.

The Obama administration has been instrumental in trying to kill E-Verify, with an assortment of excuses. Most of the majority Democratic liberals have played games with American workers lives, even to weaken it and allowing at least 300 thousand foreign nationals to gain employment from contractors under the Stimulus bill. US Chamber of Commerce, ACLU, La Raza and other anti-American, anti-sovereignty groups have massive nefarious influence on our Washington. The open border free traders legislators who are continually eroding away our constitutional rights. It’s disgusting that the free trade cartels are using their political insiders such as Sen. Harry Reid, Speaker of the house Pelosi and many more to allow the free movement of uneducated, uncivilized, poor to infiltrate every community in our lands. It is an unforgivable offense to push for an AMNESTY or as they like to call it Immigration reform, when over ten million Americans are jobless.

The morons who are promised to protect all Americans, are really pandering to minorities and the business executives, who want the cheapest workers they can find–without any extras including health care. A very upgraded E-verify application that any literate computer person can use, can begin the attrition of clearing our nation of illegal foreigners. Since the 1960’s they have brought unrestrained criminals, subversives, who have no motive drive-by shooting to prove a point. From wherever they have come, they have tried to force on the American people a nasty form of multiculturalism and fundamentalist religions which attributes to increasing violence. A few officers of the law such as Sheriff Ariapo, have enforced immigration laws on a county level, to be purposely restrained by corrupt politicians such as the new Homeland security chief Napolitano. She is like so many elected officials who make grand entrances, promising to enforce the laws and while admonishing anybody who does. She and her thrall have incapacitated Sheriff Joe in the past, to do his job along with Arizona’s governor. All these spineless characters need to be shown the exit, when they appear for re-election?

We have been forced by federal law to accommodate them with translators in the court system, voting and other measures, when those who came here legally would have been versed in the English language. Americans citizens have been subjected to growing overpopulation, which our politicians seemingly remain quiet about? The pollution in the cities, traffic blockages is an ever growing chaos. We must understand that illegal immigration is causing massive economic setbacks fo our nations own homeless and impoverished. California being the perfect pawn by their governor and Sacramento officials who must cut services, because of the $47 billion budget shortfall. The worst offenders are the liberal press who do not denounce the causes that can be attributed to illegal immigration. There non-democratic principles have allowed the proliferation of Sanctuary States and cities.

The only way for AMERICANS to get any action is to verbally explode on the Senate and Congressional lawmakers is by phoning their aides direct. A million voices or more will make both the states and Washington politicians to realize, their career jobs are on the line. Their greatest ability is to distract American taxpayers with meaningless issues, that only effects minority groups. Illegal Immigration effects everybody, your taxes, your jobs, your language, your culture, your moral integrity, your religion. YOU CAN MAKE AN IMMENSE DIFFERENCE? Senate & Representative for your contact at: (202) 224-3121: THESE PEOPLE ARE YOUR PUBLIC SERVANTS AND SWORE AN OATH TO YOU?. Demand E-Verify today.

WE DON”T NEED NEW IMMIGRATION REFORM–WE JUST NEED THE 1986 SIMPSON/MAZZOLI BILL ENFORCED!

catherine on 04.06.2009 at 11:04 (Reply)
You address a significant problem: millions of Americans are out of work. But what is the source of the problem and what is the solution? Perhaps we can find some common ground here.

Hatred of immigrants without understanding it has been an age old tactic of misdirecting American’s rightful anger.

1. Why are people losing their jobs right now? Is it due to immigration, or because the financial corporations made bad loans? Who actually crippled the economy? Should we be focusing on getting more regulation in place, (such as passing the Federal Transparency Act – which 2 trillion dollars to the Fed bank of NY is not yet being monitored! That is trillion with a T) or spending billions of dollars on a virtual border fence.

Understanding immigration: Most immigrants from our Latin American neighbors are a young workforce. The cost of raising a child has already been borne by their home country. The net cost of immigration is actually much higher for those countries that are losing their young people. The brain drain, so to speak. Welfare, healthcare, etc. are rarely used by immigrants, in no small part because of the threat of deportation, lack of knowledge that they exist, and the stigma attached. This is a myth that large numbers of immigrants use social services. Yet they are forced to pay sales tax, and their labor is taxed as well. You make an excellent case for why there should be amnesty, because like you say “The morons who are promised to protect all Americans, are really pandering to minorities and the business executives, who want the cheapest workers they can find–without any extras including health care.” - The minorities being CEO’s.

When workers are contracted illegally, being able to collectively bargain is an extreme risk. This allows companies to pay dirt wages,exploit their workers, and depressed the wages of all their employees. If they were legalized, the companies would not be able to threaten deportation as a union busting tacit.

In addition, it must be noted that people have fled dictatorships that the US government propped up. If economic refugee was a category, this would be fitting. Instead of spending billions of dollars in military aid this money could be spent on our healthcare.

Of course we didn’t even begin to discuss immigrants from India, who on average are more educated than Americans.


Source: http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/06/03/ne...on-reform-now/

Thanks for that.

Anyone know the statistics for undocumented immigrants using social services such as welfare?

.0001%? How can you be on unemployment or use wefare without a valid SSN?

exactly. The only way for an illegal to receive welfare benefits would be for them to be a con-artist.