Dear Jim,
Our current immigration laws are a disaster. Today, over 11 million immigrants live in the
United States without the full
protection of our legal system or a framework that would provide them with a path to participate in our democracy. The time
is now for real immigration reform that keeps families together, protects immigrants from violence and discrimination, and
provides immigrants who are living in America and contributing to our society a pathway to citizenship.
The White House is planning to launch its push for immigration reform tomorrow, and President Obama's proposal will reportedly
include a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans.1 A number of key senators have already been
in negotiations and leaders of both parties agree it's a priority for this year.2 This is the time to speak up.
Most of these immigrants have lived in this country for more than a decade and have come to America to seek a better life
for their families.
3 They are
Americans-in-waiting who are ready to fulfill the requirements of our citizenship
process — to study English, pay taxes, maintain a good record and be of good moral character.
Instead of focusing on an inhumane, costly and dysfunctional "enforcement" strategy, it's time to switch to an approach
that is both more humane and that makes more economic sense.4
Passing broad immigration reform legislation with a roadmap to citizenship would add $1.5 trillion to cumulative U.S. gross
domestic product over the next decade.5 Studies have shown that naturalization of immigrants "expands the size"
of our economy as "more money in the system creates economic growth and supports new job creation for all Americans."6
Moreover, the "economics of citizenship" provides employers "peace of mind" that they will not have to retrain new workers
often at high cost due to immigrant employees losing their visas. It also gives individuals "the stability to invest in
more schooling and more job training, both of which ultimately lead to higher wages and better careers."7
Providing a roadmap to citizenship is also the popular thing to do. A recent poll conducted by Politico and George Washington
University showed that 62 percent of Americans support a roadmap to citizenship and that it was one of the defining issues
for Latino, Asian, and new American voters in the 2012 election.8 Other polls, including one conducted by Fox
News, have shown similar results, with two-thirds of Americans supporting a roadmap to citizenship for qualified undocumented
Americans.9
We cannot wait. Immigration reform is the civil rights issue of the new generation. In the last 50 years, through the passage
of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, America
has moved closer to the dreams and ideals of our founders — achieving broader equality and gaining strength from diversity
in a nation of immigrants.
10 We cannot forsake that legacy by passing so-called immigration reform legislation
that would foster inequality through a second class immigration status by which immigrants could legally reside in our country,
but never be eligible for the protections and rights of citizenship.
11
We need to let the elected leaders in Washington know that any immigration reform proposal must include a roadmap to citizenship
whereby qualified immigrants can earn full rights and responsibilities. They must reject any proposal that send immigrants
to the back of the bus by creating a second-class, non-citizen status whereby America benefits from their work here but refuses
to let them become full participants in our democracy. Click below to automatically sign our petition:
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=6995154&p=immigration_reform&id=53956-3441008-6pm9hkx&t=5
Thank you for fighting for the rights of immigrants.
1. Justin Sink, "
Obama to unveil immigration plan,"
The Hill, January 25, 2013.
2. Rosalind S. Helderman and David Nakamura, "
Senators
nearing agreement on broad immigration reform proposal," The Washington Post, January 25, 2013.
3. "
The Unauthorized Population Today: Number Holds
Steady at 11 million, Three-Fifths Have Been Here More Than a Decade," Immigration Policy Center, March 22, 2011.
4. Mahwish Khan, "
When Immigration Enforcement
Equals Inhumane Enforcement," America's Voice, July 20, 2012 and Marshall Fitz, Gebe Martinez, and Madura Wijewardena,
"
The Costs of Mass Deportation," Center for
American Progress, March 19, 2010.
5. Marshall Fitz and Philip E. Wolgin, "
Infographic:
Setting the Record Straight on Immigration and Border Enforcement," Center for American Progress, January 4, 2013.
6. Philip E. Wolgin, "
Top 5 Reasons Why Citizenship
Matters," Center for American Progress, January 10, 2013.
7. Ibid.
8. James Hohmann, "
Battleground Poll: Most back
path to citizenship," Politico.com, December 10, 2012.
9. "
The Facts on Immigration Today," Center
for American Progress, July 6, 2012.
10. Wolgin, "
Top 5 Reasons Why Citizenship Matters."
11. Ibid.
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