Immigration Policy: Advocating for change

Tammy AlexanderMCC Washington Office

March 2013

Immigration Reform Proposals

Senate Framework

• Bipartisan “Gang of 8” (January)

• Introduction: “We will ensure that this is a successful permanent reform to our immigration system that will not need to be revisited.”

• Four “pillars”:– Path to citizenship

– Reform system

– Employment verification

– Future workers

Path to citizenship

• “Contingent” upon securing borders and addressing visa overstays

– Worth noting: 2006/2007 benchmarks met

Path to citizenship

• First: background check, fine, back taxes, no criminal background --> probationary legal status (can live and work in the U.S.)

• Citizenship: after border enforcement measures are complete, go to the back of the line, learn English and civics, demonstrate work history, current employment

Path to citizenship

• DREAMers – more lenient requirements

• Agricultural workers – special program

– “…have been performing very important and difficult work to maintain America’s food supply while earning subsistence wages”

Reform system

• Recognizes current system is broken, legal path is difficult, families are separated

• Reduce visa backlogs – family and employment

• Admit “best and brightest” – Masters or PhD in STEM field from U.S. university

Employment verification

• Mandatory E-Verify

Future workers

• Creates a workable program for “lower-skilled” workers– Agricultural– Dairy

• Must try to hire “American” worker first

Future workers

• Would allow more workers during economic expansions– fewer during recessions

• Stronger labor protections

• Permit workers to earn greencards

White House Proposal

• Similar to Senate Framework but…

– Path to citizenship not contingent on enforcement measures (however, “more work to do” on border security)

– Focus deportations on criminals

– Use alternatives to detention, reduce detention costs

White House Proposal

– Improve immigration courts

– Raise country caps, eliminate existing backlogs for families

– Better protect victims of crime, asylum seekers

• Questions/comments?

• Where does the Senate proposal make needed changes?

• How does it fall short?

• What is missing?

ADVOCACY

What is

advocacy?

• Calling for changes to policies at

the federal, state, and local levels

• Identifying systemic injustices, built

into our laws and practices – and

pushing for specific changes to

address those injustices

Who do we advocate to?

• Federal policymakers– U.S. Congress

– White House

– Other administrative departments (DHS, ICE, HHS)

• State & local policymakers– State legislature, governor

– City council, mayor

– Sherriff / law enforcement

• Example: The DREAM Act

– A bill in the U.S. Congress that would allow some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to get on a pathway to citizenship.

– 2001: first introduced

– 2010: big push• Passed in U.S. House• Fell 5 votes short in the U.S. Senate

• Ex: DREAM Act

– Injustice continued

– Story after story of DREAMers deported

– Thousands more at risk

– Switch target: who else has power?

• Obama Administration

• Ex: DREAM Act

– Pushed Obama Administration• Interfaith letters, meetings• Grassroots campaigns – letters, calls, op-eds

– Result: June 2012 – DACA announcement!• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals• Many DREAMers now safe from deportation

– Temporary fix – legislation still needed

• Ex: DREAM Act

– State “DREAM Act”s• In-state tuition bills

• Example: Secure Communities

– Fingerprints submitted by local police to FBI are sent to immigration authorities

– 2008: Began as a voluntary program; cities told they could ‘opt out’

– 2010: DHS says program is mandatory

• Example: Secure Communities

– Today: Several localities are trying to opt out or are refusing to participate

• Santa Clara, CA; Cook County, IL

• NY, IL, DC

• CA – Trust Act

• Ex: Secure Communities

– Who has the power? Where do we target advocacy?

• Federal – Obama administration, DHS, ICE

• State/local

–Governors, legislatures, county commissioners, etc.

–Local police

• Ex: Secure Communities

– Who are our allies?

• Immigrant advocates

• Faith groups / faith leaders

• Law enforcement groups

• Civil rights organizations

• Ex: Secure Communities

– Federal advocacy: Letters, meetings with Obama administration; grassroots pressure

– State/local advocacy

• Letters, meetings

• Campaigns: CA Trust Act

• Local police education

QUESTIONS?

What can I do?

• PRAY

• LEARN

• ADVOCATE

• TEACH

• ENGAGE

• For immigrants

• For the church

• For political leaders

• Prayer/worship resources

– washington.mcc.org/immigration

PRAY

• washington.mcc.org/immigration

• immigration.mcc.org

– MCC action alerts– E-Memo– Facebook– interfaithimmigration.org (webinars)– immigrationforum.org

• Learn your family’s migration history

LEARN

• Sign up for alerts/facebook– washington.mcc.org

• Letters

• Phone calls

• Letters to the editor in your local paper

• Participate in campaigns:– Call-in days, letters, petitions

– Organize vigils, forums, etc.

ADVOCATE

• Sunday school

• Other small group classes

• Forum

• washington.mcc.org/immigration

TEACH

• Engage with local immigration advocacy groups– washington.mcc.org/stateimmigration

• Engage with immigrants in your community & beyond

– Recent immigrant churches– Detention visitation– Volunteer (ESL, documentation)

ENGAGE

– Migrant Trail– Borderlinks

Does my voice make a difference?

• Yes!

• U.S. Congress 2010

– 10:1 anti-immigrant calls

– DREAM Act push: 1:1

• Anti-immigrant voices are very loud

• Any positive messages are helpful – you don’t have to be an expert

QUESTIONS?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Discussion

Action plan

• What are your strengths?

• What do you need?

• What can you commit to in the next two months?

• Six months?

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

© 2013 Mennonite Central Committee

washington.mcc.org

Immigration.mcc.org

• Other charts (not used)

You & your policymakers

• Called?

• Written a letter?

• Visited office (local or DC)?

• Letter to the editor?

Letters

• Tips?

– Short (1 page)

– Specific (1-2 specific “asks”)

– Stories (especially local)

– Facts

– Hand written• Letter writing time in Sunday school, after church• Offering of letters

Visits

• Tips?

– Can be short (10-60 min)

– Be specific (1-2 specific “asks”)

– Stories (especially local)

– Facts (“leave behinds”)

– Follow up

– Others?

Letters to the editor

• Tips?

– Short (100-200 words)

– Timely (ideally, within 24 hours)

– Specific

– Stories (especially local)

– Facts

– Others?

Social media

• Facebook

– Friend your policymakers

– Engage

• Twitter

– Use twitter to share what you're doing with your members of Congress (by sending them a Direct Tweet or mentioning them in your tweet)

• Other suggestions?

• Find an issue or a couple of issues that you’re really passionate about – use the 5 steps

– DREAM / deferred action (DACA)

– Border militarization

– Family separation

– Children put into foster care

– Secure Communities / local policing

– Detention

– Farm workers

– State pro- and anti- immigrant laws

Working for Justice

– What are the economic costs of undocumented immigration?

– What are economic benefits of undocumented immigration?

ECONOMICS

• Costs

– Public school

– Emergency services

– Public spaces – use roads, sidewalks, parks

ECONOMICS

• Costs

– Public benefits (e.g., food stamps and welfare)

• Undocumented immigrants are NOT eligible (though, their U.S. citizen children may be)

• Documented immigrants must wait until they have been in the U.S. for 5 years

ECONOMICS

• Benefits

– Taxes

• Sales taxes

• Gas taxes

• Property taxes (through home ownership or rent)

• Income taxes– Majority pay federal, state, local

– Social Security & Medicare ($6-7 billion/yr)

ECONOMICS

• Costs vs. Benefits

– National studies (including one from CATO) show a large net positive benefit

– State studies as well show immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits

• Texas• Iowa• Colorado

ECONOMICS

Other Economic Costs

• Border security– $10 billion/yr

• Family separation– Almost 400,000 deported/yr

– Many are parents of U.S. citizen children

• Private prison industry– 30,000+ detention beds

– Multi-billion dollar industry (CCA, GeoGroup)

• Deaths– 4000+ have died crossing dessert since 1998

Economic impacts on countries of origin

• BenefitsRemittancesPotential to bring familySkills learned in college

CostsBrain drainCost of crossingLoss of income when

migrant can’t find job or is exploited

Loss of life

RULE OF LAW

The immigration process

• U.S. Citizens:– Child/spouse/parent: 3-4 years– Adult children: 10-20 years

The immigration process

– No Family?

– No “skills”?

– No green card

The Law

• Romans 13– “Let every person be subject to the

governing authorities…”

• Matthew, Leviticus – Care for those in need– Love the “alien” as yourself

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What would you do?

• To feed your child?• To care for a sick parent?

• Move away to find work?• Cross a desert?• Break the law?

• Quality of life choices• Life and death choices

• What would “welcoming the stranger” look like for you and your family? What about for your church? What about for U.S. laws and policies?

• Do you think the command to welcome immigrants and the command to be subject to governing authorities can be reconciled together? How?

• How would you respond if you were born into a situation where you were struggling to live on $2 a day?

• What voices or ideas have influenced your views on immigration? Have any been from a Christian perspective?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS