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August 3, 2011
Exploring the Need forImmigration Reform
Cristobal Cavazos and Dick Nogaj
DuPage Coffeehouse Discussions are held the 1st Wednesday of every Month
www.dupagecoffeehouse.orgwww.facebook.com/DuPageCoffeehouse
Agenda
• Overview…………. Frank Goetz
• Presentation……. Cristobal Cavazos
Dick Nogaj
• Questions – for clarification
• Discussion Breakouts
• Re-cap and NEXT STEPS
Ground Rules for Discussion
Myths or Facts
• Immigrants Don’t Want to Learn English
• Immigrants Don’t Pay Taxes
• Immigrants Increase the Crime Rate
• Immigrants Take Jobs Away from Americans
• Immigrants are a Drain on the United States Economy
• Undocumented Immigrants are a Burden on
the Healthcare System
A Statement on Immigration “America is really many Americas. We call ourselves a nation of immigrants, and that’s truly what we are. We have drawn people from every corner of the Earth. We’re composed of virtually every race and religion, and not in small numbers, but large. We have a statue in New York Harbor that speaks of this—a statue of a woman holding a torch of welcome to those who enter our country to become Americans. She has greeted millions upon millions of immigrants to our country. She welcomes them still. She represents our open door. All of the immigrants who came to us brought their own music, literature, customs, and ideas. And the marvelous thing, a thing of which we’re proud, is they did not have to relinquish these things in order to fit in. In fact, what they brought to America became American. And this diversity has more than enriched us; it has literally shaped us.”
A Statement on Immigration “America is really many Americas. We call ourselves a nation of immigrants, and that’s truly what we are. We have drawn people from every corner of the Earth. We’re composed of virtually every race and religion, and not in small numbers, but large. We have a statue in New York Harbor that speaks of this—a statue of a woman holding a torch of welcome to those who enter our country to become Americans. She has greeted millions upon millions of immigrants to our country. She welcomes them still. She represents our open door. All of the immigrants who came to us brought their own music, literature, customs, and ideas. And the marvelous thing, a thing of which we’re proud, is they did not have to relinquish these things in order to fit in. In fact, what they brought to America became American. And this diversity has more than enriched us; it has literally shaped us.” ---- Ronald Reagan
The Struggle for Immigrant Rights
• 11 million undocumented immigrants in United States surface for first time• Threat of mass deportation under the James Sensenbrenner’s HR 4437 Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act
• Explosion of Immigrant Rights Movement in
2006
Immigrants don’t want to learn English — FALSE
The development of English proficiency among non-English speaking immigrants today mirrors that of Nineteenth and early Twentieth century immigration, when masses of Italian, German, and Eastern European immigrants came to America. While first generation, non-English speaking immigrants predictably have lower rates of English proficiency than native speakers, 91% of second generation immigrants are fluent or near fluent English speakers. By the third generation, 97% speak English fluently or near fluently.
(Source: Shirin Hakimzadeh and D’Vera Cohn, “English Usage Among Hispanics in the United States,” Pew Hispanic Forum, Dec. 6, 2007. http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=82; Janet Murguia and Cecilia Muñoz, “From Immigrant to Citizen,” The American Prospect (Oct. 23, 2005), http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=10487)
The Border “La Frontera”
• “Line in the sand” until the mid 20th Century• Deindustrialization of the United States
Economy/Political border• 1965 border Deindustrialization Program• Militarization of the Border• Border Deaths
Undocumented Immigrants are a Burden on the Healthcare System—
FALSE
Federal, state and local governments spend approximately 1.1 billion dollars annually on healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants, aged 18-64, or approximately $11 in taxes for each U.S. household. This compares to 88 billion dollars spent on all health care for non-elderly adults in the U.S. in 2000. Foreign born individuals tend to use fewer health care services because they are relatively healthier than their native born counterparts. For example, in Los Angeles County, “total medical spending on undocumented immigrants was $887 million in 2000 – 6 percent of total costs, although undocumented immigrants comprise 12 percent of the region's residents.”(Source: The Rand Corporation, “RAND Study Shows Relatively Little Public Money Spent Providing Healthcare to Undocumented Immigrants,” November 14, 2006, http://www.rand.org/news/press.06/11.14.html; Dana P. Goldman, James P. Smith and Neeraj Sood, “Immigrants and the Cost of Medical Care,” Health Affairs 25, no. 6 (2006): 1700-1711)
NAFTA and its Effects
• Passage of NAFTA in 1994
• Corporate “Race to the Bottom”
• Mexican Article 27 and decline of Mexican economic democracy
Immigrants are a Drain on the United States Economy — FALSE
The immigrant community is not a drain on the U.S. economy but, in fact, proves to be a net benefit. Research reported by both the CATO Institute and the President’s Council of Economic Advisors reveals that the average immigrant pays a net 80,000 dollars more in taxes than they collect in government services. For immigrants with college degrees the net fiscal return is $198,000. Furthermore, The American Farm Bureau asserts that without guest workers the U.S. economy would lose as much as $9 billion a year in agricultural production and 20 percent of current production would go overseas.(Source: CATO Institute, CATO Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress, http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-63.pdf; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, “Immigration’s Economic Impact,” June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html; Derrick Z. Jackson, “Undocumented Workers Contribute Plenty, The Boston Globe, April 12, 2006, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/04/12/undocumented_workers_contribute_plenty/)
Criminalization of Work
• Rise of E-Verify in the Clinton Administration• Right wing lobby and Corporate America• Federal issue goes local• Secure Communities• Arizona SB1070 and other states• Deportation of Immigrant Workers without Criminal Records• Prison Industrial Complex
Immigrants Take Jobs Away from Americans — FALSE
A recent study produced by the Pew Hispanic Center reveals that “Rapid increases in the foreign-born population at the state level are not associated with negative effects on the employment of native-born workers.” In fact, given that the number of native born low wage earners is falling nationally, immigrants are playing an important role in offsetting that decline. The Urban Institute reports that between 2000 and 2005 the total number of low wage workers declined by approximately 1.8 million while the number of unskilled immigrant workers increased by 620,000, thus offsetting the total decline by about a third.
(Source: The Urban Institute, “Trends in the Low-Wage Immigrant Labor Force, 2000-2005,” March, 2007, http://www.urban.org/publications/411426.html; Rakesh Kochhar, “Growth in the Foreign Born Workforce and Employment of the Native Born,” Pew Hispanic Center, August 10, 2006, http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.phpReportID=69)
Immigrants don’t Pay Taxes — FALSE
Undocumented immigrants pay taxes. Between one half and three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay state and federal taxes. They also contribute to Medicare and provide as much as 7 billion dollars a year to the Social Security Fund. Further still, undocumented workers pay sales taxes where applicable and property taxes—directly if they own and indirectly if they rent.
(Source: Immigration Policy Center, “Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers,” (November 2007), http://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/docs/Undocumented%20as%20Taxpayer%2011-29-07_0.pdf; Eduardo Porter “ Illegal Immigrants are Bolstering Social Security with Billions,” New York Times, (April 5, 2005), http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090&partner=kmarx)
The Truth About E-Verify• Job Loss – the Government Accounting Office estimates that 770,000
American workers would lose their jobs due to database errors. In FY10, it is estimated that 80,000 Americans unfairly lost their jobs because of E-Verify
• Costs to Small Business – if E-Verify were mandatory in FY10, it would have cost small businesses $2.6 million
• Destroy American Agriculture – experts agree that Americans are not going to return to the fields to pick crops if we force out 3 million agriculture workers
• Loss of Tax Revenue – pushing undocumented workers off of the tax rolls would decrease federal tax revenues by at least $17 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office
• High Failure Rate of Over 50% - by the government’s own statistics, E-Verify will only identify undocumented workers less than 50% of the time
(Source: http://www.americasvoiceonline.com)
Local Police andImmigration Enforcement
• Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program, local police to be trained by ICE to enforce immigration law
• Policies lead to increased discrimination and racial profiling and erode – rather than promote – trust between immigrant communities and the police
Immigrants Increase the Crime Rate — FALSE
Recent research has shown that immigrant communities do not increase the crime rate and that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native born Americans. While the undocumented immigrant population doubled from 1994 to 2005, violent crime dropped by 34% and property crimes decreased by 32%. Furthermore, Harvard sociologist Robert Sampson has found that first generation immigrants are 45% less likely to commit violent crimes than Americanized, third generation immigrants.
(Source: Immigration Policy Center, “Ímmigrants and Crime: Are They Connected,” December, 2007, http://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/docs/Crime%20Fact%20Check%2012-12-07.pdf; Robert Sampson, “Open Doors Don’t Invite Criminals,” The New York Times, March 11, 2006, A15; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, “Immigration’s Economic Impact,” June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html)
Local Cops Don’t Want to be Immigration Officers
• There is strong and broad-based opposition to local police enforcement of immigration laws
• When police enforce immigration laws, or are perceived to be enforcing immigration laws public safety decreases
• When police enforce immigration laws, other crimes go uninvestigated
• Enforcing immigration law is costly
• When local police enforce immigration law it is likely to lead to racial profiling, discrimination, and costly litigation
(Source: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports)
History of Farm Labor in the U.S.
• World War II sees influx of thousands of Mexican Farm Workers through the Bracero Program
• Growers lobby for continuation of Bracero Program after the end of World War II extending the program until 1965
• United Farm Workers Movement in California
• Recent Immokalee/Far Food Campaign in Florida
• AgJobs Bill needed for survival of Florida economy
“ We used to own our slaves – now we just rent them.” -Florida grower, Harvest of Shame
With one farmer’s confession in 1960, so beginsEdward R. Murrow’s legendary documentary Harvest of Shame.Yet 50 years later severe injustices still plague U.S. farmworkers.
Harvest for Humanity, Inc. “ Partnering with God’s People for a Better Life”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1170 Harvest Drive 239-657-4888 / Fax 239-657-4999Immokalee, FL 34142 email: [email protected]
Website: www.aboutharvest.org
Impressions of Harvest of ShameWoodridge United Methodist Church, Woodridge, Illinois
At JubilationSaturday, February 7, 2004
1.Moral Outrage 7. Depressing2.Shame 8. Denial3.NO CHANGE 9. Abuse4.Devastating 10. Disgraceful5.No Hope 11. Unjust6.Shocking
Guiding Principles on Immigration• Strengthen Border Control - invest in personnel, infrastructure, and technology
• Improve Our Immigration System – so that families can stay together
• Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally – by enforcing the law
• Bring People Out of the Shadows – allow undocumented immigrants already living here the opportunity to become legal residents
• Work with Mexico – to promote economic development in Mexico
(Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration)
Recent Tenants Regarding Immigrants• Require registration, pass criminal background checks, pay back taxes, and pay fines
• Learn English and go to the “back of the line”
• Eligible to become legal permanent residents in 8 years and full US Citizens in 13 years
• Strengthen border security
• Overhaul nations VISA system
• Make it harder for businesses to hire not legally documented immigrants
(Source: President Obama’s speech in El Paso Texas, May 10, 2011, USA Today)
Immigration Reform Activists Groups• One America – http://www.weareoneamerica.org/
• Center for Community Change – http://www.communitychange.org/
• National Council of LaRaza – http://action.nclr.org
• Public Citizen – http://www.citizen.org/
• Immigrant Solidarity DuPage - http://isd.dupagepeacethroughjustice.org/
• Hispanic Council of Chicago - http://www.thehispaniccouncil.org/
• Progressive Democrats of America - http://www.pdamerica.org/
The Catholic Campaign for Immigration ReformUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops3211 Fourth St NE – Washington, DC 20007
www.justiceforimmigrant.org
HELP BLOCK THE EXPANSION OF E-VERIFY IN THE ABSENCE OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM!
Take Action NOW. Contact your Senators and Representative by email, phone, Fax or Mail:
• Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or call your Members’ local offices• Additional contact info can be found on Members’ websites at: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov • View a sample letter that you can print and send to your federal lawmaker at:http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/index.shtml• Send an email that has the sample letter in it• Share this action alert with your social media networks
Suggested Question forDiscussion Groups
Taking into account your personal experiences, previous knowledge, and everything you have heard tonight; What components would be included in a consensus solution for Immigration Reform?
