Immigration Reform

Overview

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