NALEO Urges Calls on Reform

May 1, 2007

SENATE TO TAKE UP COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
NALEO Urges Calls to Toll-Free Number on May 1-3, National Call-In Days

BACKGROUND: The 110th Congress has turned its attention to comprehensive immigration reform, with both chambers involved in active discussions about legislative proposals. On March 22, U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced H.R.1645, the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act of 2007, in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the bill currently has the support of 52 co-sponsors.

In general, the STRIVE Act includes the following components: 1) an “earned” legalization program with a path to U.S. citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements; 2) a “New Worker” program, essentially a guest worker program which also provides participants an opportunity to eventually pursue U.S. citizenship; 3) the “DREAM Act,” which provides a path to U.S. citizenship and enhanced access to higher education for certain immigrant high school students; and 4) family reunification provisions which reduce immigrant visa backlogs and waiting lists. For more detailed information about the STRIVE Act, click here.

The STRIVE Act is Introduced into the House of Representatives

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law, is conducting two hearings each week on immigration through Memorial Day. The Chair hopes that U.S. Representatives will be able to gather as much information on the issue before acting on the STRIVE Act and marking up a bill. The House is expected to debate comprehensive immigration reform once the Senate has completed its deliberations.

The NALEO Educational Fund believes that the introduction of the STRIVE Act represents a new beginning for the process of addressing comprehensive immigration reform in a bipartisan manner in the 110th Congress, but we do have concerns about many of the aspects of the bill. In particular, we are closely examining some of the requirements of the legalization program which could potentially create obstacles for newcomers who seek to gain permanent legal residency. These include the “touch back” provisions which would require some undocumented immigrants to leave and re-enter the United States. We are also looking at the bill’s provisions which could diminish the due process protections afforded to immigrants and provide explicit authorization for local law enforcement agencies to become involved in the enforcement of certain aspects of immigration law. We hope to work closely with other immigrant advocates to make improvements in the legislation before it is enacted.

The White House Considers Principles that Would Make Deep Cuts into Family Immigration

In an effort to address comprehensive immigration reform in a manner that is acceptable to Senate Republicans, the White House has been working on a set of immigration principles. However, in a development that is of particular concern to immigrant advocates, recent reports have signaled that the Administration is prepared to make deep cuts to the family immigration system by shifting from our current emphasis on family reunification to a “merit-based” system that provides immigration advantages for newcomers depending on such factors as their labor skills and education levels. The NALEO Educational Fund has joined with other national Latino organizations in a letter [click here] to President Bush expressing our strong opposition to this proposal.

The Senate Expected to Take Up Legislation in Mid-May

The United States Senate is now the “center stage” in our nation’s debate on immigration reform. Initially, it appeared that the Senate was going to hold hearings and conduct a mark-up of its own version of legislation in the Judiciary Committee starting this week. However, because the Committee is heavily involved in other matters (including the investigation into the firing of U.S. attorneys), Judiciary Chair Pat Leahy (D-VT) will bypass the Judiciary Committee altogether and take a bill straight to the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has set aside the last two weeks of May to debate comprehensive immigration reform. However, Senate discussions about the framework for the Senate debate are taking place now. We need your help to ensure that U.S. Senators hear about the need for serious immigration reform by participating in the National Call-In Days, on May 1st through May 3rd, which are being coordinated by the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR). The CCIR is a campaign for comprehensive immigration reform powered by strategic, coordinated activities by immigrant advocacy, grassroots, religious and labor organizations across the United States and on Capitol Hill.

ACTION NEEDED

The NALEO Educational Fund urges you to join the National Call-In Days, Tuesday, May 1st through
Thursday, May 3rd to ensure that our nation enacts immigration reform that provides fair and humane treatment of our newcomers. The CCIR has provided a Call-In Days toll-free hotline at 1-800-417-7666 so that you can call your Senators and tell them to support comprehensive immigration reform. You can find the name of your Senators by clicking here. Your calls are particularly important because proponents of unfair and restrictive immigration legislation have launched a vocal campaign in the nation’s capital. Last week, these proponents held a series of rallies, “lobby days,” and other activities in Washington, DC to convince lawmakers to oppose comprehensive immigration reform. Anti-immigrant callers are also flooding the phone lines of Senators. To assist you in your calls, we have provided brief talking points:

TALKING POINTS

I urge you to pass real comprehensive immigration reform that provides legal permanent residents with a path to U.S. citizenship.
Family reunification is a fundamental cornerstone of our nation’s legal immigration system. By reuniting families, the U.S. immigration system reinforces our nation’s best family values, while simultaneously serving the country’s social and economic well being.
Do not support proposals that would create obstacles for future legal immigrants who want to bring their immediate family members to the United States.
Our immigration system is broken, and if we do not enact fair and comprehensive immigration legislation in this Congressional session, it is unlikely that immigration reform will be addressed until several years from now.
RESOURCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION

The NALEO Educational Fund has adopted principles on comprehensive immigration reform [click here] that provide
a road map to the work that needs to be done on this important national issue, including the need for a path to
U.S. citizenship for those immigrants who have played by the rules and are contributing to our society. Our principles also envision a system which promotes family reunification and reduces immigration backlogs; provides a meaningful opportunity for immigrant students to pursue a college education; protects our national security with effective and fair enforcement measures; and promotes the civic integration of newcomers.

We hope this information is useful to you, your staff and your constituents. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact William A. Ramos at the NALEO Educational Fund’s Washington D.C. Office at (202) 546-2536 or e-mail at wramos@naleo.org.