Friday, September 11, 2009
California Assembly Supports Uniting American Families Act
Good news! The California Assembly's Judiciary Committee passed a resolution in support of the Uniting American Families Act! This resolution was introduced by Assemblymember Kevin de León (Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California as well as Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. The resolution constitutes a formal request to Congress and the President to pass into law the Uniting American Families Act (S.424 and H.R.1024), a bill that would recognize permanent same-sex partnerships as of equal standing as opposite-sex partnerships. If this bill becomes law, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents will be able to petition for a same-sex partner to immigrate to the United States. Currently, it is only possible to file a visa petition on behalf of an opposite-sex partner. The Uniting American Families Act is an important step toward eliminating discrimination in the federal immigration system. Congratulations to the California Assembly for making such a strong statement of support!
New Florida Senator Sworn In
Just a quick update on the Hill - Yesterday, Senator George LeMieux (FL) was sworn into office. He will replace Senator Mel Martinez, who stepped down. So what do we know about Senator LeMieux's record on immigration? As the former chief of staff for Governor Crist, we expect that he will adhere fairly closely to Crist's political stance. The record shows that in the past he has said that diversity is a strength. However, on the subject of comprehensive immigration reform he has also said that we must first secure our borders and then deal with immigrants. Such language is not encouraging, but a clearer picture of his priorities and concerns will likely emerge in the next few weeks.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
E-Verify Program Implemented for Federal Contractors
Starting on Tuesday this week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will now require federal contractors to use the E-Verify program to check the legal status of all new workers hired. E-Verify is a web-based enforcement system that replaces the I-9 form and, as contractors implement it within the next 90 days, it will likely result in a number of workers being turned away from potential jobs. USCIS estimates that this requirement affects approximately 4 million workers.
News articles indicate that E-Verify is a flawed system, in that mistakes are made regarding individuals' names, marital status, and other aspects of their identity. One prominent concern is that E-Verify may permit employers to check the legal status of their entire worker population, not only newly hired workers, which would be against the rule itself. Efforts have been made to counter this program, albeit unsuccessfully. A lawsuit was filed and then lost earlier this year, and the appeal filed on September 1 failed.
As an enforcement program, E-Verify targets undocumented immigrants without addressing the deeper roots of the issue at hand. I find this quite concerning, as I'm sure many of you do. While this program may deter undocumented immigrants from finding work with federal contractors, it is neither a comprehensive nor a sustainable solution. Hurting businesses and intimidating workers benefits neither the economy nor our communities.
News articles indicate that E-Verify is a flawed system, in that mistakes are made regarding individuals' names, marital status, and other aspects of their identity. One prominent concern is that E-Verify may permit employers to check the legal status of their entire worker population, not only newly hired workers, which would be against the rule itself. Efforts have been made to counter this program, albeit unsuccessfully. A lawsuit was filed and then lost earlier this year, and the appeal filed on September 1 failed.
As an enforcement program, E-Verify targets undocumented immigrants without addressing the deeper roots of the issue at hand. I find this quite concerning, as I'm sure many of you do. While this program may deter undocumented immigrants from finding work with federal contractors, it is neither a comprehensive nor a sustainable solution. Hurting businesses and intimidating workers benefits neither the economy nor our communities.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
In Our Community: Immigration News
News on immigration from Monday, August 31 to Tuesday, September 8. Happy reading!
The Media That Matters film festival has released a short documentary on YouTube, "Exiled in America," which received the festival's Changemaker Award. Angela Torres Camarena recounts the experiences of a legal permanent resident who was detained for a year and a half and then deported, forced to leave behind her five children, all of whom are U.S. citizens.
A New York Times article from September 5 addresses constituents' concerns that health care reform would provide openings for undocumented workers to receive care at others' expense. This article also discusses whether citizenship verification may be required in the health care overhaul, a requirement which would restrict care significantly for immigrant and non-immigrant families unable to readily provide original documents proving their identity. In related news, the state-subsidized health insurance in Massachusetts will no longer cover dental, hospice, or skilled-nursing care for legal immigrants, a change in coverage which will affect at least 31,000 immigrants in that state. However, a report released by the Foundation for Child Development indicates that immigrant youth, boys in particular, are at high risk for obesity.
A study on low-wage workers across multiple states has contributed strong evidence on issues that FCNL has been calling attention to for some time now, namely that low-wage workers (including immigrants) are regularly paid less than minimum wage, discouraged from filing workers' compensation, and denied overtime pay. Wage-law violations will hopefully be addressed in comprehensive immigration reform. (See a New York Times article for a brief summary of the report.)
In a step that will benefit immigrants and non-immigrants alike, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division will be ramped up to address structural and institutional discrimination in fields such as housing, employment, and voting rights.
In more local news, a Baptist pastor in Texas has announced that he will go on a hunger strike from September 7 to September 13 to protest the expansion of Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationalization Act to include Houston, TX. Section 287(g) permits local law enforcement to act as federal immigration officers, a policy which opponents say encourages racial profiling and discrimination. Here is an article on a man in New York facing deportation who has received an outpouring of support from his local community. And here, an article from the New York Times discusses a new report on anti-immigrant sentiments in Suffolk County, NY, which have led to a number of brutal attacks on Latinos in the area.
I'll leave you with a beautiful blog entry by Maira Kalman, "I Lift My Lamp Beside the Golden Door." Her sketches on immigration and diversity are heart-warming and thought-provoking. Enjoy!
The Media That Matters film festival has released a short documentary on YouTube, "Exiled in America," which received the festival's Changemaker Award. Angela Torres Camarena recounts the experiences of a legal permanent resident who was detained for a year and a half and then deported, forced to leave behind her five children, all of whom are U.S. citizens.
A New York Times article from September 5 addresses constituents' concerns that health care reform would provide openings for undocumented workers to receive care at others' expense. This article also discusses whether citizenship verification may be required in the health care overhaul, a requirement which would restrict care significantly for immigrant and non-immigrant families unable to readily provide original documents proving their identity. In related news, the state-subsidized health insurance in Massachusetts will no longer cover dental, hospice, or skilled-nursing care for legal immigrants, a change in coverage which will affect at least 31,000 immigrants in that state. However, a report released by the Foundation for Child Development indicates that immigrant youth, boys in particular, are at high risk for obesity.
A study on low-wage workers across multiple states has contributed strong evidence on issues that FCNL has been calling attention to for some time now, namely that low-wage workers (including immigrants) are regularly paid less than minimum wage, discouraged from filing workers' compensation, and denied overtime pay. Wage-law violations will hopefully be addressed in comprehensive immigration reform. (See a New York Times article for a brief summary of the report.)
In a step that will benefit immigrants and non-immigrants alike, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division will be ramped up to address structural and institutional discrimination in fields such as housing, employment, and voting rights.
In more local news, a Baptist pastor in Texas has announced that he will go on a hunger strike from September 7 to September 13 to protest the expansion of Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationalization Act to include Houston, TX. Section 287(g) permits local law enforcement to act as federal immigration officers, a policy which opponents say encourages racial profiling and discrimination. Here is an article on a man in New York facing deportation who has received an outpouring of support from his local community. And here, an article from the New York Times discusses a new report on anti-immigrant sentiments in Suffolk County, NY, which have led to a number of brutal attacks on Latinos in the area.
I'll leave you with a beautiful blog entry by Maira Kalman, "I Lift My Lamp Beside the Golden Door." Her sketches on immigration and diversity are heart-warming and thought-provoking. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Starting Up Again with a New Contributor!
Hello to all!
I'm very excited to be contributing to the It's Our Community blog this year. I have just joined FCNL as the new program assistant on immigration, human rights, and civil liberties. Feel free to take a look at the "About the Contributors" link for a bit of my personal background. As Congress returns from its recess following Labor Day, the Hill will be hopping and it will be interesting to see where the conversation on immigration is headed. As the debates on health care reform press on into the fall, it is likely that congressional discussions on comprehensive immigration reform (as well as climate change policy) may be pushed back in time. However, in the interim, there are a number of bills on the table that address specific immigration and detention issues. More information on those to come! The Monday blogroll will be up again starting this next week. Look for legislative updates, analysis, and interesting tidbits during the week as well!
In peace,
Becca
I'm very excited to be contributing to the It's Our Community blog this year. I have just joined FCNL as the new program assistant on immigration, human rights, and civil liberties. Feel free to take a look at the "About the Contributors" link for a bit of my personal background. As Congress returns from its recess following Labor Day, the Hill will be hopping and it will be interesting to see where the conversation on immigration is headed. As the debates on health care reform press on into the fall, it is likely that congressional discussions on comprehensive immigration reform (as well as climate change policy) may be pushed back in time. However, in the interim, there are a number of bills on the table that address specific immigration and detention issues. More information on those to come! The Monday blogroll will be up again starting this next week. Look for legislative updates, analysis, and interesting tidbits during the week as well!
In peace,
Becca
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