Immigration Reform
Immigration Reform
It has been estimated that there are almost 12 million undocumented residents living in the U.S. They reside uncomfortably in the shadows of our communities, unable to share in the responsibilities or privileges of citizenship, and they live in fear of unexpected and often arbitrary enforcement of immigration laws…laws that a majority of Americans want changed.
Sadly, our current failing immigration policies are largely based on myths, fear and paranoia. Some of the beliefs that drive these policies are simply not true:
Myth: Immigrants don’t pay taxes.
Fact: On average, undocumented immigrants
contribute more in taxes than they consume in public benefits,
including an estimated $7-8 billion annually in Social Security
contributions that they
will never benefit from without immigration reform.
Myth: Enforcement and border security will solve
the problem.
Fact: The expensive strategy of deportation and
enforcement without reform has failed repeatedly and has
cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Any attempt to eliminate
the undocumented workforce through “enforcement only” policies
would only force more workers into the underground economy and
would decrease tax revenue.
Myth: Immigrants don’t contribute to
society.
Fact: Immigrants who arrived in the past 25
years have assimilated
into American life faster in language, employment, education,
military service and naturalization than their counterparts a
century ago.
The time has come for commonsense immigration reform. That’s why Local 1000 is joining with our partners in labor, civil rights, youth activism and the faith-based communities to rise up and to demand that our leaders finally take action to stop the abuse and alienation of undocumented immigrants who make up a significant portion of California’s workforce.
Social and economic justice demand commonsense immigration reform now.
For more information email Miguel Cordova at mcordova@seiu1000.org