As America celebrates its 233rd birthday, we are reminded of the many contributions immigrants have made to America throughout our great history. Nowhere will this be more celebrated than in the 50 naturalization ceremonies taking place around the nation this weekend where 6,000 immigrants will become Americans at venues like Disneyworld and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Five hundred of those about to pledge their allegiance to America are already defending our nation on a daily basis as members of the armed services. They will take part in naturalization ceremonies in Baghdad, Norfolk, Camp Lejeune, and Nellis Air Force Base. Read the rest of this entry »
Tired of spending scant time and resources on immigration enforcement, major city police chiefs called on Congress, Wednesday, to move on comprehensive immigration reform. Like most law enforcement officers across the country, chasing down undocumented immigrants proves to be too much of a strain when faced with real priorities like keeping violent criminals off the street.
Chief Art Acevedo of the Austin Police Department in Texas said, “It’s a matter of resources and priority. My priority is dealing with criminals and terrorism issues, not dealing with civil matters. Local law enforcement officers have said it time and timeagain—Congress needs to pass legislation that brings immigrants out of the shadows so that they feel safe coming forward when reporting violent crimes.
Representative Lamar Smith, the top ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, has been making the rounds again with astounding claims regarding immigrants and Social Security. Based on what he has described as “hard data” released by the Social Security Administration (SSA), Rep. Smith’s analysis is inaccurate and his conclusion wrong.
There is broad agreement that the presence of undocumented workers in the United States helps to keep the Social Security system solvent. In fact, SSA estimates that payroll contributions relating to work performed by undocumented immigrants improved Social Security’s cash flow by $12 billion in 2007 alone, benefiting us all. Rep. Smith recognizes that undocumented immigrants pay into Social Security, yet he doesn’t want them to become U.S. citizens and participate when they retire and can no longer work. But that’s not how America works. The bedrock principle of the Social Security system is that what you get is based on what you pay in. Read the rest of this entry »
There is a lot of confusion surrounding Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)—what they are, who has them, and the purposes for which they are used. Immigration restrictionists take advantage of this confusion and often bring up ITINs in an effort to make it seem as if undocumented immigrants are receiving special benefits or quasi-legal immigration status. The fact is that ITINs are used to pay taxes—some legal immigrants have them, some undocumented immigrants use them, and some people who don’t even live in the U.S. have them if they need to pay U.S. taxes. Read the rest of this entry »
As state and local governments grapple with growing budget deficits brought on by the current economic recession, some pundits and policymakers are attempting to blame immigrants—particularly undocumented immigrants. According to this flawed line of reasoning, which was on display in a June 21st Sacramento Bee editorial by Daniel Weintraub entitled “The cost of illegal immigration,” if the tax contributions of immigrants in general, or undocumented immigrants in particular, don’t cover the costs of the public services they utilize in a single year, then immigrants must be a financial burden on the treasury and the majority of taxpayers. However, by this narrow and misleading measure, nearly all native-born children, retirees, and unemployed workers would also qualify as economic “burdens.” A realistic accounting of the economic “value” of any person must include the contributions they make over the course of a lifetime as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier this week, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University released a new housing report which provides a rather grim analysis of the current housing crisis. Real home prices continue to fall and foreclosures continue to mount despite recent federal interventions. Because of job losses, decreased home prices, and tougher credit eligibility requirements, homebuyers are finding it more and more difficult to purchase homes. But, as the report notes, immigrants could be a key element to recovery. Read the rest of this entry »
Today the President, Vice President, and key cabinet members met with a bipartisan group of Senate and House leaders on immigration reform in a closed-door meeting at the White House. The White House characterized the meeting as the “launch” of a policy conversation and “an honest discussion about the issues.”
From Orange County California to Capitol Hill, students came dressed in graduation attire with signs hanging around their necks reading, “Future Doctor,” “Future Engineer” and “I support the DREAM Act.” Yet for many, the graduation ceremony was bittersweet. Read the rest of this entry »
Tomorrow, President Obama and a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders are expected to convene at the White House to draft a roadmap for moving forward with Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009.
Despite Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ dismal legislative voter forecast for moving forward this year, President Obama has continually reaffirmed his commitment to a “fair, practical and promising way forward” for immigration reform. Last week, President Obama spoke at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast:
For those who wish to become citizens, we should require them to pay a penalty and pay taxes, learn English, go to the back of the line behind those who played by the rules. That is the fair, practical, and promising way forward, and that’s what I’m committed to passing as President of the United States.
Introduced by Sen. Akaka (D-HI) last week with 5 co-sponsors, the “Providing for Additional Security in States’ Identification Act” (PASS ID) (S. 1261) would give states a breather from the costs and restrictions imposed by the REAL ID Act, which became law in 2005 without Congressional hearings and as part of must-pass war funding bill. The PASS ID Act, however, would do little for immigrant access to licenses and nothing for a common sense approach to immigration reform.
PASS ID would repeal the REAL ID Act, which numerous states have vociferously opposed as a burdensome, unfunded mandate and akin to creation of a national ID system. Currently, 23 states have passed laws and resolutions opposing the REAL ID Act, including Arizona whose former governor, Janet Napolitano, is now the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But PASS ID—like REAL ID—sets national standards for driver’s licenses. Driver’s licenses won’t be accepted for federal purposes if they don’t meet the national standards. Read the rest of this entry »
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