Immigration Reform:
The President's Proposal & Community Response
Statements from AFSC
AFSC responds to President's proposal on immigration
reform: "Filled with Sweeping Generalities and Few Details"
When President Bush outlined the administration's new
approach to U.S. immigration policy on Wednesday, January 7, he spoke
mostly in sweeping generalities, and offered few details about any specific
new legislation, which must be passed by Congress before any meaningful
changes are enacted.
"The few specific proposals outlined in the balance
of his announcement fall well short of the the evolving demands of international
law and the ethics of global justice," states Camilo Perez-Bustillo,
migration and mobility goal director for Project Voice - the American
Friends Service Committee's immigrant rights program. read
more>
Comunicado
en español desde AFSC-Austin>
Bring Immigrants out
of the Shadows, an op-ed from AFSC-Newark and ACLU staff
President Bush's
Speech
Read the speech on the White House website:
Statements from Other Organizations
Follow the links below to statements on the organizations'
websites.
The following organizations' statements do not appear
on-line. We publish the full text below.
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2004
Contact: Gloria T. Caoile (202) 974-8051
Asian Pacific American Workers Disappointed
with President Bush's Immigration Plans
(Washington, D.C.) - The proposed changes to immigration
laws announced by President Bush are a "huge disappointment for immigrant
workers and all Americans", said Luisa Blue, President of the Asian
Pacific American Labor Alliance, a national Coalition of Asian American
and Pacific Islander union members and their supporters. "The President's
proposal will give undocumented workers - who are doing some of the most
difficult and dangerous jobs in America - some temporary relief in their
legal status, but it will not provide them with an opportunity to truly
earn citizenship and help them realize their dreams."
Under the proposed changes, all undocumented workers
now in the United States, who can obtain proof from an employer that they
are working - or for those still in their home countries, a job offer
- would get an initial three-year work permit that would be renewable
for an unspecified period.
Blue said the President's plan "promotes servitude
and does nothing to protect worker rights. These workers will be at the
mercy of unscrupulous employers".
Gloria T. Caoile, Executive Director of APALA said, "We need to
reform the immigration system to allow those who work hard and pay taxes
to adjust their status, while at the same time making more room for families
seeking to rejoin relatives who are here. The Bush plan ignores the millions
of families who have filed applications to rejoin relatives and have
been waiting as much as ten to fifteen years to come to this country.
Caoile said, "Immigrants come to the United States
believing this is still the land of opportunity. The proposed temporary
worker program significantly alters that view. We are basically saying
opportunities will be limited, and if you are part of the poor, tired,
and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, you can come here but
you will remain poor because we will not grant you a clear path to citizenship.
That is such a contradiction on how this country has prospered from the
labors of immigrants."
Border Working Group,
Religious Task Force on Central America & Mexico
For Immediate Release: Friday, January 16, 2004
Contact Information below
Reacting
to President Bush's Immigration Proposal, Religious and Policy Groups
Point to
Broken Immigration System, Border Deaths
Washington
DC, January 2004 - On January 7, President Bush outlined his
proposal for immigration reform, and acknowledged that our current system
"is not working." He recognized that, though we are a nation that values
and depends on immigration, our laws force migrants to risk their lives
crossing the border into our country, where they "end up in the shadows
of American life." While details have not been fully clarified, the President's
plan does not provide significant long-term solutions to these problems.
The
number of people who have died crossing the US-Mexico border has skyrocketed
since 1994, when the US Border Patrol's Southwest Border Strategy began
to push migrant traffic into remote, dangerous terrain by sealing off
traditional crossing routes. Despite a tripling of resources for the Border
Patrol since 1994, the General Accounting Office stated in an August 2001
report that the "INS has not evaluated the strategy's overall effects
on illegal entry and has not analyzed key performance data."
The
last several years have seen the equivalent of a death a day in the deserts
and mountains that border Mexico. In the coming months, it will be important
to reevaluate our country's trade, immigration and border policies in
order to stop these unconscionable deaths and uphold the human dignity
of migrants.
Groups
working for justice at the US-Mexico border welcome the return to a national
discussion on immigration generated by the President's proposal. But faith-based
groups and policy organizations voice their concerns that President Bush's
plan for a temporary worker program will not do enough to solve the human
rights crisis at the US-Mexico border, citing the faulty logic of free
trade, dangerous border policies, and barriers to legal permanent status
as areas of concern. We are including past documents written by members
of the Border Working Group that are relevant to the current debate.
The
following analysts are available for interviews on this topic:
J.
Daryl Byler, Director, Mennonite Central Committee
U.S. Washington Office (202-544-6564, jdb@mcc.org):
"The U.S. immigration system is broken. Increased border patrols, more
workplace raids, continued backlogs in document processing and reduced
access to public services have succeeded only in alienating the growing
immigrant population. Meanwhile, millions of unauthorized workers are
vulnerable to exploitation, human trafficking has become a multi-billion
dollar industry and 2,000 people have died on the U.S./Mexico border in
the past five years. Still, U.S. companies continue to offer jobs to immigrants,
and U.S. policies (among other factors) continue to destabilize the economies
of immigrants' home countries. In many cases, bad laws are breaking good
people rather than vice versa. Calling immigrants without papers "undocumented"
rather than "illegal" recognizes this reality.
Camilo
Perez-Bustillo, Migration and Mobility/Project
Voice Director, American Friends Service Committee (215-241-7529,
cperez-bustillo@afsc.org):
"The President's speech seems timed to enhance U.S. credibility on the
eve of his visit to Mexico as part of the next round of negotiations intended
to culminate in the expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement
into a Free Trade Area of the Americas. But NAFTA, the FTAA, and their
equivalents elsewhere, are important causes of upheaval and cruelty. These
initiatives have helped drive millions of people to migrate and abandon
their homes in search of a better life. Criminalizing this migration or
simply providing temporary legal status, as the President proposes in
his statement, creates a permanent underclass in U.S. society, which neither
respects human rights nor reflects economic reality. AFSC believes that
immigration reform must provide a safe and sure path to permanent legal
status, and ultimately citizenship, for all of the 8-12 million undocumented
immigrants who reside in the U.S. "
Margaret
Swedish, Director, Religious Task Force on Central
America and Mexico (202-529-0441, mswedish@rtfcam.org):
"US immigration policies and border strategies have forced economic migrants
into dangerous - and even deadly - situations for far too long, and we
welcome the prospect of reform. But lawmakers must ask themselves; does
President Bush's proposal do enough to prevent the hundreds of migrant
deaths that occur each year at our border with Mexico ? Unless reforms
meet the needs of all who need to enter our country - because of family
ties or desperate economic situations at home - "illegal" immigration
will continue, and with it, the deaths that weigh so heavily on all our
shoulders. Our national policies must respect human lives and human dignity."
Susan
Thompson, Medical Mission Sisters Alliance for
Justice (703-624-1454, susanstarrsthompson@juno.com)
"From our work on the US/Mexico Border we know first-hand of the broken
immigration policy about which President Bush speaks. We know that most
undocumented migrants come to the U.S. in desperation to ensure the economic
survival of their families. Many risk their lives crossing the border.
Since there are jobs in the United States needing workers we believe that
workers should be allowed safe and legal travel to take them. President
Bush's plan does not provide adequate structures to make this happen especially
when we look at the needs of families."
Sean
Mariano Garcia, Senior Associate, Latin America
Working Group (202-546-7010, sgarcia@lawg.org
): "President Bush has stated that the top reason for proposing immigration
reform is to enhance our national security, but he has not said one word
as to how he plans to do that. Along our border with Mexico, the
Border Patrol's security plans still focus on deterring migrants, at a
cost of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The role of the
Border Patrol, its policies that drive hundreds of people to their deaths
in the desert each year, and how it can become effective at deterring
terrorism must be addressed as part of the immigration reform debate.
If national security is the top reason for Bush's immigration proposal,
it must include an alternative to the Southwest Border Strategy that realistically
identifies the threats we face as a nation, that recognizes the difference
between a migrant and a terrorist, and that proposes effective strategies
to combat those threats."
All
organizations are members of the Border Working Group, t
he Washington DC–based coalition made up of more than 15
national faith-based and human rights groups. The BWG works together to
coordinate advocacy in DC on US-Mexico border issues, paying particular
attention to the migrant deaths at the border and the policies that cause
these deaths. The BWG also raises awareness of these issues in their constituencies
throughout the country. For background and resource materials on border
issues, see http://www.rtfcam.org/border/materials.htm
Catholic
Legal Immigration Network, Inc
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2004
Contact: Scot Christenson
202/635-5816
CLINIC Calls For Improvements To
Bush's Immigration Reform Plan; Plan Lacks Measures For Permanency and
Family Unity
Washington, DC - The Catholic Legal
Immigration Network, Inc (CLINIC) today welcomed President George W. Bush's
return to the issue of immigration policy reform. While CLINIC was pleased
to hear the President acknowledge that our nation values and depends on
immigrants, his plan to grant certain immigrant laborers only temporary
work permits falls well short of addressing the major problems of current
U.S. immigration policy.
The most glaring omission from the plan, and perhaps
the most vital element of any attempt in establishing a fair immigration
policy, is a path to lawful permanent resident status. Any temporary worker
program must recognize the contributions of long-term laborers and give
them the option of becoming permanent residents. Those who help drive
the U.S. economy should have the option to integrate themselves with the
society that enjoys the fruits of their labor. Bush's proposed reform
does not sufficiently address the lack of options for gaining permanent
legal status or offer a suitable remedy for the incredible backlog of
migrants that have already been seeking residency for far too many years.
How the process for renewing temporary permits will
be handled also remains unanswered. With the absence of channels for lawful
permanent status, immigrant workers will still be in a precarious position.
In fact, labor abuses have been endemic in past temporary worker programs.
While the job portability that is apparently provided in the Bush plan
will help promote labor rights, only the opportunity of permanency will
adequately protect workers from abuse and exploitation.
CLINIC also urges that provisions for maintaining family
unity not be overlooked. While most migrants will be entering the United
States for work, many will need to cross the border to be with family
members.
CLINIC believes that the reform plan must be amended
to provide a framework for giving families the opportunity to legally
reunite with their loved ones working in the United States. The current
system has unacceptable waiting periods of approximately eight years for
the spouses and children of Mexicans who are already lawful permanent
residents. A policy that would allow workers to travel with their families
would not only facilitate family unity, it would also help build strong
communities.
"There has been a dire need for immigration policy reform
and we are pleased that President Bush has recognized that the system
is broken and needs to be fixed," said Donald Kerwin, Executive Director
of CLINIC. "However, today's proposed plan does not offer solutions for
the lack of opportunities for workers and their families to become permanent
residents. We hope that this proposal encourages constructive dialog
on these issues and that proposed future plans will include provisions
for permanent legal immigration and family unity."
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., a subsidiary
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has the nation's largest network
of charitable immigration services with 148 affiliates in 242 field offices
around the country, advocates for transparent, fair and generous immigration
policies.
Columban
Mission Society ( U.S. Region)
Response
to President Bush's Temporary Guest Worker Program
January 2004
The
U.S. Region of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban responds to President
Bush's proposed Temporary Guest worker Program from a global perspective
and years of experience working with migrants and labor rights movements
along the U.S.-Mexico border, Chicago and Callifornia, as well as in Taiwan,
Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Ireland, and England.
We are pleased that the Administration raises the issues of immigration
reform and border deaths to the national level, but we are concerned that
many of the provisions outlined will have an adverse effect on the already
precarious system. We also point out that by implementing a temporary
visa system the underlying reasons why people migrate in the first place
are not addressed.
The
legal framework that the temporary worker program establishes is that
migrants who are currently employed or those who secure employment prior
to arrival to the U.S. may be granted legal status for a three-year period
with the possibility of renewal for another three years. Once this period
ends, the migrant will be required to return to his or her home country.
These temporary workers will be legally bound to one employer with no
option of accepting other employment should those conditions be more favorable.
President Bush assures that labor rights will be enforced. However, one's
right to freely seek optimal employment is taken away at the very outset.
How than can we expect that other labor rights will be properly enforced?
This
system does not take into account the thousands of migrants who work in
informal conditions such as day laborers. They will be excluded from the
program although thousands of them have been in the U.S. for years without
criminal records contributing to the social, economic and political vitality
and diversity on which this country was founded. They certainly have earned
their right to participate openly and completely in society without fear
of discrimination, harassment and/or deportation.
Family
reunification is another issue that was not satisfactorily outlined. The
average waiting period for visa approval for a spouse or child is 5 to
8 years. This means that the temporary worker's visa will have expired
by the time the applicant's case will have been seen. These extended waiting
periods are shortened by precarious migration attempts through extremely
dangerous terrain along the border between the U.S. and Mexico causing
hundreds of deaths each year including many unaccompanied minors. U.S.
Border Patrol programs like "Operation Hold the Line," "Operation Gatekeeper,"
and "Operation Safeguard" serve only to exacerbate the dangers rather
than create a more humane and orderly border crossing. We do not expect
that under the temporary program, clandestine crossings will diminish.
Human
trafficking has ballooned into a major black market business. Desperate
migrants pay thousands to coyotes who promise safe passage to
the U.S. More often than not once the coyotes receive payment, they abandon
their clients, leaving them to face uncertain territory in life-threatening
the desert conditions of extreme heat and cold, or dangerous waters that
are often uncrossable leading to drowning. Our question is will this underground
smuggling cease or continue? Will a more "white market" style of trafficking
disguised by words like "recruiting" be introduced by less ethical employers?
The
Columban experience in Taiwan indicates that the Taiwanese temporary
worker system created abuses of this exact nature. Unsuspecting migrants
from Thailand , the Philippines and other parts of Asia trusted these "recruiting
agents" to find them employment. Upon arrival in Taiwan , the types of
employment offered were often in the illegal sex industry, or service
industry working as nannies or house employees resulting in extreme abuses
by the employer. Otherwise, the recruiter took the migrants money and
ran with no employment or legal documents. We are aware that similar
practices apply in South Korea . How can we prevent such a scenario from
playing out in the U.S. ? These are some of the practical questions we
raise.
Our
deeper concern lies in the fact that the ever increasing migration
from Central America and Mexico is caused not by this idyllic notion
of people in search of the "American Dream" but rather an economic
reality in their home countries that does not permit them to live a
dignified life and provide for their families. We believe there exists
the human right to migrate. But we also believe in the human right
to sustainable living conditions in one's home country. We echo the
words of Pope John XXIII when he said in Pacem in Terris , "Every
human being has the right to freedom of movement and of residence within
the confines of his own country; and when there are just reasons for
it, the right to emigrate to other countries and take up residence
there."
We
believe that the greatest force behind this massive movement of people
is the free trade model established by NAFTA. Ten years provide an ample
time frame to show that free trade does not work for the majority, especially
the Mexican majority. Mexicans lost their jobs lost at an alarmingly high
and steady rate over the last ten years. Unable to compete with large
transnational corporations in technology and high output, thousands of
Mexican small and medium sized farms and businesses closed. Had their
economic situation in Mexico not been so dismal, there would have been
less urgency to look to the North to provide solutions. We are discouraged
by the recent approval of CAFTA and fear for what the FTAA implies for
the entire region of the Americas in terms of migration. If we do not
establish an immigration policy based in solidarity and mutual interest,
we can only anticipate exacerbated migration abuses.
In
a joint pastoral letter by the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United
states, Strangers No Longer: Together on a Journey of Hope, January
2003, they remind us that, "regardless of their legal status,
migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity that should
be respected. Often they are subject to punitive laws and harsh treatment
from enforcement officers from both receiving and transit countries.
Governments policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented
are necessary."
We
believe that President Bush's proposed temporary worker program as
it has been presented falls short of this call. We encourage this Administration
to actively engage in open and honest dialogue with all members of
government and civil society in both Mexico and the United States to
redesign an immigration reform that truly meets the needs of both countries.
This dialogue must include a critical analysis of how free trade policies
negatively impact both the economies and migration in all countries.
We believe that until the United States can genuinely respond to the
legal and social needs of migrants we will be doomed to live the long
dark night.
Columban
Justice and Peace Office
Washington , D.C.
Father
Mike Dodd
Coordinator
Amy
W. Echeverria
Latin America Associate
National
Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Washington,
D.C.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2004
CONTACT: Jon Melegrito
Tel. 202.361.0296
NAFFAA Welcomes Bush Immigration
Reform Proposal, But with Reservations
Washington D.C. - " We are heartened
by President George W. Bush's proposal to reform our country's immigration
policy," says NaFFAA National Chair Loida Nicolas Lewis. " Finally,
he has heard the clamor for justice of undocumented immigrants who contribute
to the national economy of the United States. This is a welcome step
to take at the beginning of the New Year. We have long recognized the
need for federal action regarding the 8 million to 10 million undocumented
immigrants who who have been subjected to exploitation and abuse. It's
time they are given legal status."
Lewis is concerned, however, that the
measures outlined in the president's proposal do not adequately address
the fundamental problems of the nation's immigration system. " We
would like to see the speedy processing of the petition for relatives
of Filipino immigrants for the purpose of family unification, " Lewis
adds. " The reduction of the massive backlogs in family immigration
must be given top priority. Any meaningful reform should also provide
reasonable opportunities for people already living and working in the
United States to become lawful permanent residents. Moreover, any temporary
worker program must be accompanied by an opportunity for lawful permanent
residence and full labor protections for U.S. and immigrant workers alike."
Citing figures provided by the National
Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC), Lewis notes that approximately
1.5 million of the 3.5 million people caught in the family immigration
backlog are from Asian countries. "While we commend the President's
renewed interest in immigration reform, he should explicitly call for
a reduction in the family immigration backlog," said Lewis. "Family
reunification is very important to our community. Something must be done
for the millions of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who
have been waiting for a long time to reunite with their families."
Lewis also stressed that although the
proposal allows undocumented immigrants to receive temporary work visas
for three years, it must also provide a reasonable way for them to eventually
become permanent residents. "Many of these workers are hard-working
and law-abiding members who have established roots and developed close
links to the communities they live in. As workers, their contributions
to the U.S. economy are tremendous. It would be unrealistic, therefore,
to send them back to their country of origin after they have fully integrated
themselves in the U.S."
Noting that there are currently two excellent
bills in Congress with broad bipartisan support, Lewis said that these
measures should be enacted. One, called the AgJobs bill, would help 500,000
agriculture workers already in America to earn a form of legal status.
The other, called the Dream Act, would allow illegal immigrants' children
who have grown up in this country, to pay in-state college tuition rates
and earn a path to citizenship. " We call on President Bush to support
these two bills, " Lewis said. " Their passage would most assuredly
help repair what is presently a broken immigration system."
National
Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
Press Release
For Immediate Release Contacts: EunSook Lee, 323. 937. 3703
Los Angeles - Dae Joong Yoon, 323. 937. 3718
New York - YuSoung Mun, 718. 460. 5600
Chicago - Chaegu Lee, 773. 506. 9158
NAKASEC STATEMENT ON THE WHITE
HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
[Los Angeles] The National Korean American
Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), and its affiliates the Korean
Resource Center (Los Angeles), the Young Korean American Service &
Education Center (New York) and the Korean American Resource & Cultural
Center (Chicago) welcome President Bush' s interest in addressing immigration
reform. Unfortunately, his much anticipation announcement on Wednesday,
January 7, 2004 fails to address the legitimate concerns and views of
immigrant communities.
EunSook Lee, executive director of NAKASEC
stated: We all recognize that the immigration system is broken and Korean
Americans and our fellow immigrant communities have been consistently
organizing for comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, President
Bush' s proposal does not respond to these sincere community efforts.
"
Dae Joong Yoon, executive director
of the Korean Resource Center said: Already, we are receiving calls from
community members confused about whether President Bush' s proposal will
provide undocumented workers with a meaningful access to legalization.
This is not the case. Rather it will legalize a system of cheap and exploitable
labor. "
Yu Soung Mun, executive director
of the Young Korean American Service & Education Center added: "
A tremendous movement to enable undocumented students to legalize their
immigration status has involved the participation of Korean American and
other immigrant communities. Unfortunately, President Bush' s proposal
ignores this broad and national community call for the passage of the
DREAM/Student Adjustment Act, a bi-partisan bill.
Kent Chaegu Lee, executive director of
the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center concluded: " Just
as importantly, the Bush proposal fails to address the visa and processing
backlogs. For example, families must now wait one year to naturalize and
two or more years to have their application for adjustment of status processed.
Immigration reform must include significant measures to clear the bureaucratic
obstacles towards citizenship, adjustment of status, and family reunification.
"
National Grassroots Legalization Collective
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2004
Contact: Claudia Gómez
510.465.1984 x304
cgomez@nnirr.org
Bush Immigration Principles Fail to Provide
Real Relief for Immigrant Families
Immigrant Rights Coalitions Press for Genuine
Legalization
The National Grassroots Legalization Collaborative
releases the following statement on President Bush's principles for immigration
reform announced January 7, 2003 in Washington, D.C. :
President Bush announced that his Administration would
offer a temporary foreign worker program that would provide status to
undocumented immigrants and foreign workers who are employed (or would
be) in the U.S. Many immigrant rights advocates and immigrant communities
are doubtful and feel the announcement falls short of a genuine legalization
proposal for the millions of undocumented immigrants currently in the
U.S. Instead, the principles continue to scapegoat immigrants by prioritizing "National Security" policies
that have led to the criminalization, detention, and deportation of thousands
of immigrants having nothing to do with terrorism.
Under this temporary status undocumented workers employed
in the U.S. must pay a one-time fee to register and abide by the rules
for such a program. Visas could be renewed only once, and workers must
return home after their period of work expires. Immigrants and their advocates
are skeptical as the system would prioritize market needs and supply employers
with a cheap workforce, giving employers enormous power over the future
of these immigrant workers. Moreover, t he plan as presented offers no
specifics for funding enforcement against companies that break the law
or abuse these workers' right to change jobs, earn fair wages, or have
healthy work environment.
The President also mentioned a reasonable increase in
the annual limit of legal immigrants who could benefit from the lawful
path to citizenship, but with 8 - 10 million undocumented immigrants
now in the U.S., many immigrant families would conceivably have to wait
years in the process if applicable. "These principles fall short of any bipartisan
bills currently in the Congress," stated Angelica Salas, Executive Director
of CHIRLA an immigrant rights coalition based in Los Angeles, California
. A large percentage of the undocumented population reside in the state
of California. In June 2002 the Little Hoover Commission serving California's
government and its economy issued a report titled, We The People:
Helping Newcomers Become Californians. This report hailed, "In California
, immigrants perform[ed] important, often vital roles in the workforce,"
and further argued "the federal government should ensure access to high-quality,
efficient assistance throughout the immigration and naturalization process."
President Bush can immediately demonstrate his good
faith by supporting the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien
Minors (DREAM) and Student Adjustment Acts (S. 1545 & H.R. 1684 respectively),
which would enable undocumented youth who have grown up in this country
to gain legal status and pursue a college education. Moreover, support
for the Argricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS)
Act of 2003 (S.1645 & H.R. 3142), would provide much needed relief
for immigrant farmworkers. This bill insures wage and labor protections
by reforms to the H-2A Program (an existing guestworker program), and
would allow these immigrant workers to file for residency while keeping
their families united. Both have bipartisan support and could become
law this year if the President would publicly endorse and push for their
swift passage.
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