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Immigration Reform Update 1-31-2014 & Statement on House Republican Immigration Reform Principles

In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Obama briefly outlined the need for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year; however, he did not demand a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. Reportedly, President Obama limited his remarks to leave space for House Republican leadership who are working on a way forward on immigration reform legislation. In recent weeks Speaker Boehner said that he would unveil immigration reform principles. For the first time House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy, after months of pressure by the United Farm Workers and other groups, said that he supports legalization – though not a pathway to citizenship – for undocumented immigrants. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA), who gave the official Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union address, also mentioned the need for immigration legislation this year. She too failed to mention the need for citizenship or legalization of undocumented immigrants.

Yesterday, as promised, House Republican leadership released a set of principles on immigration reform to the Republican caucus. The Standards for Immigration Reform, available on the New York Times website, state the need for immigration reform, but assert that the House will not go to conference with the Senate-passed immigration bill. The principles contain brief guidelines in various areas, including: border and interior enforcement, E-verify, reforming the legal immigration system and legalization of undocumented immigrants, among others.

Significantly, the standards state that “individuals living outside the rule of law” would be able to “get right with the law” after they “admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits).” The standard includes a qualification that the legalization will not include a “special pathway to citizenship” for these individuals. Though another standard, titled “Youth,” indicates that Dreamers, those who came to the US at a young age, would be provided a path to citizenship if they get a college degree or enter the military.

The standard on reforming the legal immigration system, includes the following sentences relating to agriculture:

“The goal of any temporary worker program should be to address the economic needs of the country and to strengthen our national security by allowing for realistic, enforceable, usable, legal paths for entry into the United States. Of particular concern are the needs of the agricultural industry, among others. It is imperative that these temporary workers are able to meet the economic needs of the country and do not displace or disadvantage American workers.”

Farmworker Justice has deep concerns about guestworker programs as an immigration model, but appreciates the explicit recognition that temporary worker programs should not “displace or disadvantage American workers.” In contrast to this goal of protecting US workers, Rep. Goodlatte’s pending agricultural guestworker legislation, HR 1773, could displace hundreds of thousands of hardworking US farmworkers due to its proposed low wages, failure to offer long-standing worker protections, and goal of limiting worker access to justice. To protect US workers, our nation’s long history with agricultural guestworkers has shown time and again that the opportunity to earn citizenship combined with strong and equal labor protections for all workers is critical. Farmworker Justice’s statement on these principles is below.

The principles were released during a three-day House Republican retreat where Speaker Boehner reportedly said that the standards are “as far as we are willing to go.” Members of the Republican caucus were asked to express their views on the principles, which tended to fall into three camps: Members who support passing immigration reform this year, those who adamantly oppose any action on immigration reform and Members who support immigration reform but oppose doing it this year for political reasons. At least one news article reported that those in the latter camp appeared to predominate. Speaker Boehner has indicated that the conversation on immigration reform would continue.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Jan. 31 2014

Contact
Jessica Felix-Romero
jromero@farmworkerjustice.org
202-800-2524

House Republican Immigration Principles: Are a Step Forward, But Still Incomplete

Washington, DC – The House Republicans’ immigration reform principles are an encouraging step forward in the necessary process to address a broken immigration system. But they mistakenly neglect the importance of opening up a path for hard-working immigrant families already in this country to become full participants in their communities and our country through citizenship.

The best way to ensure a strong and stable work force for American agriculture is through legal protection on the job and in communities for the roughly one million undocumented farmworkers already here and on the job. Our country benefits when its workers and their families are fully engaged in civic life.

“We are encouraged that the House is taking a preliminary step to address the immigration crisis in our country; however, the House GOP’s approach falls short of what is needed for 11 million people already living and working in our country,” said Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice. “Our country will be stronger if hard-working members of our society are covered by labor laws and able to fully participate in civic life as citizens.”

Last year, the United Farm Workers and a coalition of agricultural employers negotiated for months, with the support of a bipartisan group of Senators, eventually reaching a tough-but-fair agricultural stakeholder immigration agreement. That compromise establishes a roadmap for undocumented farmworkers and their children to earn legal permanent residency and apply for citizenship if they meet a series of qualifications. Farmworker Justice urges the House and the President to consider the importance of that roadmap as they continue to address immigration reform.

“The men and women who labor under difficult and dangerous conditions to put food on our tables deserve a balanced and fair response to the immigration crisis in our country. We urge the House, Senate, and President Obama to continue working towards much-needed immigration reform,” said Goldstein

# # #
 

In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Obama briefly outlined the need for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year; however, he did not demand a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. Reportedly, President Obama limited his remarks to leave space for House Republican leadership who are working on a way forward on immigration reform legislation. In recent weeks Speaker Boehner said that he would unveil immigration reform principles. For the first time House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy, after months of pressure by the United Farm Workers and other groups, said that he supports legalization – though not a pathway to citizenship – for undocumented immigrants. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA), who gave the official Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union address, also mentioned the need for immigration legislation this year. She too failed to mention the need for citizenship or legalization of undocumented immigrants.

Yesterday, as promised, House Republican leadership released a set of principles on immigration reform to the Republican caucus. The Standards for Immigration Reform, available on the New York Times website, state the need for immigration reform, but assert that the House will not go to conference with the Senate-passed immigration bill. The principles contain brief guidelines in various areas, including: border and interior enforcement, E-verify, reforming the legal immigration system and legalization of undocumented immigrants, among others.

Significantly, the standards state that “individuals living outside the rule of law” would be able to “get right with the law” after they “admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits).” The standard includes a qualification that the legalization will not include a “special pathway to citizenship” for these individuals. Though another standard, titled “Youth,” indicates that Dreamers, those who came to the US at a young age, would be provided a path to citizenship if they get a college degree or enter the military.

The standard on reforming the legal immigration system, includes the following sentences relating to agriculture:

“The goal of any temporary worker program should be to address the economic needs of the country and to strengthen our national security by allowing for realistic, enforceable, usable, legal paths for entry into the United States. Of particular concern are the needs of the agricultural industry, among others. It is imperative that these temporary workers are able to meet the economic needs of the country and do not displace or disadvantage American workers.”

Farmworker Justice has deep concerns about guestworker programs as an immigration model, but appreciates the explicit recognition that temporary worker programs should not “displace or disadvantage American workers.” In contrast to this goal of protecting US workers, Rep. Goodlatte’s pending agricultural guestworker legislation, HR 1773, could displace hundreds of thousands of hardworking US farmworkers due to its proposed low wages, failure to offer long-standing worker protections, and goal of limiting worker access to justice. To protect US workers, our nation’s long history with agricultural guestworkers has shown time and again that the opportunity to earn citizenship combined with strong and equal labor protections for all workers is critical. Farmworker Justice’s statement on these principles is below.

The principles were released during a three-day House Republican retreat where Speaker Boehner reportedly said that the standards are “as far as we are willing to go.” Members of the Republican caucus were asked to express their views on the principles, which tended to fall into three camps: Members who support passing immigration reform this year, those who adamantly oppose any action on immigration reform and Members who support immigration reform but oppose doing it this year for political reasons. At least one news article reported that those in the latter camp appeared to predominate. Speaker Boehner has indicated that the conversation on immigration reform would continue.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Jan. 31 2014

Contact
Jessica Felix-Romero
jromero@farmworkerjustice.org
202-800-2524

House Republican Immigration Principles: Are a Step Forward, But Still Incomplete

Washington, DC – The House Republicans’ immigration reform principles are an encouraging step forward in the necessary process to address a broken immigration system. But they mistakenly neglect the importance of opening up a path for hard-working immigrant families already in this country to become full participants in their communities and our country through citizenship.

The best way to ensure a strong and stable work force for American agriculture is through legal protection on the job and in communities for the roughly one million undocumented farmworkers already here and on the job. Our country benefits when its workers and their families are fully engaged in civic life.

“We are encouraged that the House is taking a preliminary step to address the immigration crisis in our country; however, the House GOP’s approach falls short of what is needed for 11 million people already living and working in our country,” said Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice. “Our country will be stronger if hard-working members of our society are covered by labor laws and able to fully participate in civic life as citizens.”

Last year, the United Farm Workers and a coalition of agricultural employers negotiated for months, with the support of a bipartisan group of Senators, eventually reaching a tough-but-fair agricultural stakeholder immigration agreement. That compromise establishes a roadmap for undocumented farmworkers and their children to earn legal permanent residency and apply for citizenship if they meet a series of qualifications. Farmworker Justice urges the House and the President to consider the importance of that roadmap as they continue to address immigration reform.

“The men and women who labor under difficult and dangerous conditions to put food on our tables deserve a balanced and fair response to the immigration crisis in our country. We urge the House, Senate, and President Obama to continue working towards much-needed immigration reform,” said Goldstein.

# # #