AILA Press Release: Bush Administration to Refocus on Immigration Reform
Cite as "Posted on AILA InfoNet at Doc. No. 04010616 (Jan. 6, 2004)
."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2004
Contact: Judith Golub
(202) 216-2403
jgolub@aila.org
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO REFOCUS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
AILA Focuses on the Necessary Components
President Bush is expected to announce on Wednesday, January 7th his
Administration's immigration reform proposal. This announcement comes
one week before the President will be meeting with Mexican President Vicente
Fox. As the proposal has been shrouded in secrecy, those outside the Administration
know little about either its substance or the Bush White House's future
plans for promoting it.
"With this announcement, the Administration, after a silence of more
than two years, is returning to an important issue that impacts our national
security, our economic security, and the ability of citizens and legal
permanent residents to be reunited with their close family members," said
Jeanne Butterfield, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers
Association (AILA)
"Clearly, this nation of immigrants needs immigration reform," said Judith
Golub, AILA's Senior Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs. And with
this announcement the Administration is signaling just that: that our
current immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. AILA is pleased
that the Administration is adding its voice to the chorus of those who
recognize that our current dysfunctional system is beyond repair, and
that trying to enforce such a dysfunctional system will lead only to more
dysfunction. This stance repudiates the regressive position of the opponents
of immigration reform, those naysayers whose only contribution to the
current debate is their continued support for failed initiatives.
"AILA welcomes the Administration's return to this issue and is eager
to embrace a proposal that addresses the failures of our current system,
and especially in an election year, deals seriously, appropriately, and
on a bipartisan basis with this important issue," continued Golub. AILA
will judge the Administration's proposal on its merits, based on whether
it embraces the following key components:
- Comprehensively reforms our immigration laws: Since many of the problems
with the U.S.'s current immigration system are interrelated, reform
must be comprehensive to successfully address our nation's needs. The
status quo is unacceptable, especially in a post-September 11 world
in which enhanced security is central, and we need to balance our security
with the continued flow of people and goods. Our current system is characterized
by families being separated for long periods of time and U.S. employers
unable to bring in needed workers. People are forced to live an underground
existence, hiding from the government for fear of being separated from
their families and jobs. The current enforcement system fails to prevent
illegal immigration, and precious resources that should be spent on
enhancing our security are wasted on stopping hard-working people from
filling our labor market needs. Our immigration system needs to be reformed
so that legality is the norm, and immigration is legal, safe, orderly,
and reflective of the needs of American families, businesses, and national
security.
- Allows people already living and working in the United States to legalize
their status: People who work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to the
U.S. should be allowed to obtain permanent residence. This reform would
stabilize the workforce of U.S. employers, encourage people to come
out of the shadows to be scrutinized by our government, and allow immigrants
to work and travel legally and be treated equally. Many have been here
for years, are paying taxes, raising families, contributing to their
communities and are essential to the industries within which they work.
In order to unite families and keep them together, appropriate waivers
must be available for grounds of inadmissibility and deportability.
- Creates a new worker program: Current immigration laws do not meet
the needs of our economy given projections of worker shortages as our
country's demographics shift. A new temporary program would give workers
the opportunity to work where they are needed and employers experiencing
these shortages the workforce they need to remain competitive. Such
a program would provide visas, family unity, full labor rights, labor
mobility and a path to permanent residence and citizenship over time.
Such a program would diminish significantly future illegal immigration
by providing people with a legal avenue to enter the U.S. and return,
as many wish, to their home countries, communities, and families.
- Helps families to reunify: Our immigration system is characterized
by long backlogs in family-based immigration. To ensure an orderly future
process, our system must reduce bureaucratic obstacles and undue restrictions
to permanent legal immigration. Developing an increased legal migration
flow will make immigration more orderly and legal. Fair, equitable,
and efficient immigration law, policy, and processing will allow more
people to reunite with their families and work legally in the U.S. It
is essential to make legal future immigration that otherwise will happen
illegally.
As the White House works to hone its position, AILA urges the Administration's
immediate, active, and vocal support for pending legislation that already
has bipartisan congressional support: the Agricultural Job Opportunity,
Benefits and Security (AgJobs) Act (S. 1645/H.R. 3142) and the DREAM /Student
Adjustment Act (S. 1545/H.R.1684). Both of these bipartisan measures would
implement needed reforms.
AgJobs is a landmark example of business, immigration, agriculture, labor,
civic and faith-based groups working together to propose solutions to
long-standing problems with agricultural labor policy. This measure would
reform the H-2A process so that agricultural employers unable to find
American workers would be able to hire needed foreign workers. The legislation
also provides a reasonable mechanism for undocumented agricultural workers
to earn legal status.
Despite the fact that many undocumented children have grown up in the
U.S., attended local schools, and have demonstrated a sustained commitment
to learn English and succeed in our educational system, our immigration
laws provide no avenue for these students to become legal. Many were brought
to the U.S. by their parents at an age at which they were too young to
understand the legality of their arrival, let alone take action to rectify
this decision. The DREAM/Student Adjustment Act would allow immigrant
students who have grown up in this country, graduated from high school,
and have no criminal record, to go to college and legalize their immigration
status.
"The Administration's support for these two important measures will signal
its seriousness about broader immigration reform and its commitment to
getting something accomplished. We have no time to lose," concluded Butterfield.
Founded in 1946, AILA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides
its Members with continuing legal education, information, and professional
services. AILA advocates before Congress and the Administration and provides
liaison with the DHS and other government agencies. AILA is an Affiliated
Organization of the American Bar Association.
American Immigration Lawyers Association
918 F Street NW, Washington, DC, 20004-1400
Phone (202) 216-2400; Fax (202) 783-7853
www.aila.org
