"The Schumer and Graham Blueprint for Immigration Reform" is a sham. Hispanic News does not support this plan. The 2010 U.S. Census when finalized will reveal the northern states will loose members of the House of Representatives and the southwest will gain members. The Electoral College that elects the President of the United States is determined by the number of congressmen (435) and senators (100) in each state plus 3 electors from Washington DC totaling 538 electors. In 2008, Obama received 365 electoral votes to win over McCain who received 173 votes. The 2010 U.S. Census gain will primarily be a result of ever increasing Hispanics in the USA. This translates into more Hispanic voters primarily in the southwest. In 2008, Hispanic voters delivered California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida — and were the tipping point in delivering arguably North Carolina, Indiana and Pennsylvania. For 2012, there will be significant more Hispanic voters and unless Immigration Reform as promised is delivered by the Obama Administration, maybe we should threaten to sit out the 2012 presidential election to send a message, Immigration Reform is our priority and it is urgent Immigration Reform be approved in 2010. The Senators Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham Blueprint is a sham. Luis Gutierrez's bill criminalizes the undocumented.   We should not accept any plan unless it includes all items that are important to us.   We have great influence with our Hispanic votes. It is now time we achieve Immigration Reform without punitive measures. ― Jon Garrido

Immigration Reform Draft Blueprint

This is a work in progress. Check back daily as we continuously update this draft.

PHOENIX (By Jon Garrido, The Jon Garrido Network) April 5, 2010. Last update: April 8. ― If you have immigration experience and/or expertise, join Hispanic News in drafting a Immigration Reform blueprint that will be developed by consensus across the USA and when finalized, will be submitted to the White House and Congress.

 

If you want to be notified when the "blueprint" is updated, add your name to follow us using Twitter. 

 

 

If you want to make input on the "blueprint" email me: Jon@JonGarrido.com

 

The Senators Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham Blueprint

Our immigration system is badly broken. Although our borders have become far more secure in recent years, too many people seeking illegal entry get through. We have no way to track whether the millions who enter the United States on valid visas each year leave when they are supposed to. And employers are burdened by a complicated system for verifying workers' immigration status.

We met with President Obama to discuss our draft framework for action on immigration. We expressed our belief America's security and economic well-being depend on enacting sensible immigration policies.

The answer is simple: Americans overwhelmingly oppose illegal immigration and support legal immigration. Throughout our history, immigrants have contributed to making this country more vibrant and economically dynamic. Once it is clear that in 20 years our nation will not again confront the specter of another 11 million people coming here illegally, Americans will embrace more welcoming immigration policies.

Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers: Ensuring economic prosperity requires attracting the world's best and brightest. Our legislation would award green cards to immigrants who receive a PhD or master's degree in science, technology, engineering or math from a U.S. university and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.

 

Luis Gutierrez's bill, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 by Renee Saucedo

 

Luis Gutierrez's bill, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, offers benefits to some, but criminalizes the vast majority of undocumented immigrants. It eliminates the program encouraging collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration authorities, provides an avenue for undocumented youth to apply for residency, and improves the oversight in the current detention system. But it does little in the area of legalization. The Gutierrez bill creates a new "conditional non-immigrant visa status," and those who qualify could apply for residency, with no guarantee. The only real difference between this proposal and the current system is applicants' biometrics would be registered with the Department of Homeland Security and they would have to wait at least six years to gain their residency. Most undocumented immigrants I've spoken to about this proposal do not consider it to be beneficial.

Even if the Gutierrez bill were favorable in the area of legalization, it still would do more damage than good. Among other things, it increases border militarization, enforcement, raids and deportations, instead of addressing the economic and social issues that fuel migration across the border. The bill also mandates the use of an "Employment Verification System" (E-Verify), requiring all employers to fire workers whose names do not match their Social Security numbers. Finally, the bill creates a commission with an anti-worker character, which seeks to pursue "employment-based immigration policies that promote economic growth and competitiveness, while minimizing job displacement, wage depression, and unauthorized unemployment." The establishment of this commission is the first step toward setting up an expanded guest worker program.

The human rights implications of both the Graham-Schumer and Gutierrez proposals are deadly and catastrophic. Under both, more families will be separated; more people will suffer and die while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. More workers will be exploited and discriminated against. Employers will still be able to exploit cheap immigrant labor while temporary workers will be barred from many of the benefits and rights of U.S. citizenship, as well as from many of the labor protections guaranteed under U.S. law. And undocumented immigration to the United States will continue to be conveniently mischaracterized as "criminal," or "illegal," issue, rather than as a consequence of economic trade agreements and political repression which displaces millions. Employers want to keep it this way to ensure their supply of cheap, vulnerable, exploitable labor.

 

The Jon Garrido Immigration Reform Blueprint  (Note: the following are thoughts and will be re-written to comply with legislative language.)

 

There was no Hispanic representation in the US Senate on Immigration Reform of the bill being drafted as "The Right Way to Mend Immigration" by Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham. There was no Hispanic input in the U.S. Senate even though Senator Robert Menendez is a Cuban American, but Menendez, a Cuban American from New Jersey, fits the pattern of American Cubans having no interest in Immigration Reform.

 

Hispanic News recommends since there is no Mexican American Hispanic U.S. Senator. Senators Schumer and Graham should hold public hearings.

 

Since the probability of public hearings is zero, Hispanic News shall request public input into a Immigration Reform blueprint or rather preliminary bill that satisfies Mexican American Hispanics.

 

On a preliminary review of Schumer and Graham's blueprint for Immigration Reform, Hispanic News does not support:

 

1.  A temporary worker program unless said program include all provisions of item 3 below to avoid the August 4, 1942, U.S. and the Mexican government instituted Bracero program which abused Mexican farm workers in the USA. Do we want the same again? In addition, why should a temporary worker be excluded from remaining in the United States under the auspices of the precedent established for the Cubans: One who makes it to shore ("dry feet") gets a chance to remain in the United States, and later would qualify for expedited "legal permanent resident" status and U.S. citizenship. Mexicans deserve the same as the provisions and ease of entry given to the Cubans.

2. Schumer has in the past outlined his principles for reform, which lean towards a heavy focus on enforcement rather than on family reunification or humane reforms to the immigration system which is required by Hispanic News.

 

3. Why must all Hispanics learn English? This is reminiscent of "English Only" laws. If there is truly a justified need for a person to learn English, then English should be required but there may be many who will never need English so why should they be required to learn English? The "English Only" requirement needs to be eliminated.

 

4. Why must any Hispanic applicant for U.S. Citizenship or visa have to admit they broke any law on entering the United States. Where is the provision for the 5th amendment of the U.S. Constitution that protects self incrimination? Are Hispanic applicants to be designated as a subservient class?

 

5.  The continuation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with its present mandate. ICE must be changed and detention facilities must be destroyed or converted to other uses. In addition, the ICE 287 (g) program must be eliminated.

 

Immigration Reform must include the following:

 

1. Mexicans give Immigration Reform the highest priority in the land even ahead of health care reform because they have no access into the U.S. by any means except the normal visa process which can take as long as 20 years to obtain. All undocumented presently in the United States must be allowed to remain in United States and would qualify for expedited "legal permanent resident" status and U.S. citizenship.

 

2.  Hispanic News strongly supports family reunification as the main thrust of new Immigration Reform. The requirement only those with higher education PhDs be admitted to the U.S. is absurd.

 

3. Hispanic News does support a temporary workers program with the condition temporary workers be provided safeguards to guarantee employee employer contracts be fulfilled and in addition, all temporary workers be allowed to remain in the United states and qualify for expedited "legal permanent resident" status and U.S. citizenship.

 

4. All state and local immigration enforcement come to an end. Specifically, elimination of the 287(g) program is a must. Any immigration bill must also specifically state all enforcement of federal immigration law will only be provided by the federal government. The elimination of the ICE 287 (g) program and added text giving exclusive authority to the federal government will get rid of the Sheriff Joe Arpaio problem we have in Arizona along with other immigration profiling incidents.

 

5. Guarantee all state and local immigration laws come to an end and the only law in the land be the new Immigration Reform Act.

 

6. All undocumented and their children will not be denied access to any local, state, or federal program available to any U.S. citizen.

 

7. All undocumented and their children be guaranteed safe harbor and be protected by all provisions of the U.S. Constitution specifically habeas corpus.

Not Just Any Immigration Reform is Acceptable by Renee Saucedo

SAN FRANCISCO (By Renee Saucedo, La Raza Centro Legal) April 6, 2010 ― Last week, we witnessed the powerful marches of immigrant communities in Washington, D.C., and in other cities, in support of "Immigration Reform." These protests allowed those impacted by unfair immigration laws to remind lawmakers of their demands: legalization for themselves and their families.

But some of the groups that organized the march in Washington, led by beltway advocates like the National Immigration Forum and the National Council of La Raza, are supporting policies beyond legalization that actually harm immigrant communities. Reform Immigration FOR America, the coalition spearheading a national Immigration Reform campaign, recently came out in support of the conservative Senate proposal authored by Senators Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.). In a recent email, Reform Immigration FOR America celebrated President Obama's support for this "bipartisan blueprint for reform" and mentioned the rally in San Francisco as further support for a "bipartisan bill."

It is horrifying immigrant rights groups would support a proposal that would have devastating impacts on immigrants. Among other things, the Graham-Schumer plan proposes an intensification of raids, detentions, deportations and militarism of the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 350,000 undocumented migrants were incarcerated last year in private detention centers. This number will rise under the bipartisan plan.

Graham-Schumer also proposes creating a biometric national identity card that everyone, including U.S. citizens, would have to carry to prove that they are authorized to work. People working without papers will be fired and even imprisoned. And they propose expanding guest worker programs that have been documented to be highly exploitative. It will be harder for immigrant workers to defend their rights, organize unions and raise wages.

In the area of legalization, the Graham-Schumer proposal involves "going to the back of the line of prospective immigrants to earn the opportunity to work toward lawful permanent residence." It offers no real alternative to the current system and makes it almost impossible for most to legalize their status.

As the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights states, "(the bipartisan blueprint) sets a low bar for the debate, placing harsh and failed enforcement strategies at its heart in hopes of drawing conservative support, regardless of the human rights consequences of such policies." The "bipartisan blueprint" outlined by Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and supported by President Obama, is a horrible starting point for legalization.

Many respectable advocates argue, while Graham-Schumer may not be the ticket, we should support less onerous proposals such as the Luis Gutierrez bill, introduced by the Illinois Congressman in the House of Representatives. "It's best to get at least residency for some, even if this means accepting provisions which would lead to further criminalization and exploitation for others," they say. "It's the best we're going to get."

They are making a strategic argument rather than a political or ideological one.

No immigrant, labor, or human rights organization can in good conscience rationalize the support of the Graham-Schumer or Gutierrez proposals.

Instead, we must hold steadfast to what immigrant communities really want and deserve: immediate legalization for the millions of undocumented and a reasonable legalization process for future immigrants; an end to the criminalization of immigrants, workplace enforcement, and raids; the repeal of employer sanctions; the expansion of family visas to end the backlogs in family reunification; an end to the detention and deportation system; the end of border militarization and the protection of the human rights of border communities; an end to guest worker programs; and the protection and expansion of civil rights, labor rights and due process for immigrants.

We must continue to organize around just immigration policies in terms of labor mobility and human rights, not as an issue of national security and enforcement.

In 1986, the law of employer sanctions was traded in exchange for legalization for some. This proved to be disastrous in the long run for millions of workers who cannot get work legally, or are discriminated against by employers.

Why are we chopping off our bargaining power so early in the game? Why don't we demand everything that we want from the start, knowing that we will probably have to compromise on some things as the process moves forward? I don't understand why advocates believe we must begin negotiations with the lowest common denominator.

I believe that we should never fight for the rights of some at the expense of others. Legalization for some will be an empty victory if at the same time most undocumented immigrants are facing higher exploitation, suffering, and even death.

We must continue to support immigrant communities in their struggle to obtain a fair legalization law. We must not allow certain advocacy organizations to negotiate away rights on their behalf. By organizing, and marching, we must continue to demand just immigration laws and to work toward ending policies that criminalize and exploit members of our community. In the long run, the immigrant rights movement will be stronger for it.

Renee Saucedo is the Community Empowerment Coordinator at La Raza Centro Legal, in San Francisco.