This Week in Immigration Reform — Week Ending Jan. 23
Week Ending January 23
This week in immigration reform: President Obama defends executive action in annual speech to the country; House to vote on border security bill; states propose legislation affecting DREAMers; and Elle Magazine profiles the story of Anabel Barron, an immigrant mother and staff member at a NCLR Affiliate.
NCLR kept the community informed on immigration with staff quoted in Las Américas, El País, andMSNBC.
President Promises to Protect Administrative Relief in the State of the Union Address: In his State of the Union address, President Obama outlined a plan to promote the economic vitality of the middle class, to improve access to education and workforce training, and to ensure the progress made over the past six years isn’t reversed by partisan policies. Additionally, the president promised to block any legislation seeking to end administrative relief for millions of families. NCLR issued a press statement responding to the speech, including a statement by President and CEO Janet Murguía: “We are pleased to hear the president reiterate his plans to defend administrative relief regardless of any attempts by Congress to backtrack on this issue. His executive action will make our economy stronger, our country safer, and millions of American families more stable. The new Congress now has a choice to make on immigration—improve the situation, or make it worse. We hope they’ll choose to be agents of progress by finally delivering sensible and effective immigration legislation.”
House Republican Leadership to Bring Enforcement-only bill up for a vote: A border security bill, the “Secure Our Borders First Act,” will come to the floor for a vote next week in the House. The bill, sponsored by Congressman McCaul (R-Texas), would impose penalties for federal agencies that fail to meet certain requirements, like achieving “operational control” of the border in five years. “Operation control” would mean preventing every single illegal border crossing. NCLR opposes this enforcement-only approach which sets up unrealistic measures and wastes taxpayers’ dollars by throwing more money at flawed programs.
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard chosen to manage Homeland Security budget bill: House Democrats tapped Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) to oversee the annual Department of Homeland Security budget bill, the first Latino to serve in that role. APolitico article highlights how critical it is to have a Latino voice in the DHS funding debate, especially one that understands the human aspect of immigration with a dedication to protect the children of immigrants. “I have young Dreamers who because of the president’s policy have been able to go to college and get education and they come back to the community as teachers and attorneys. There’s tremendous value,” Roybal-Allard said. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t protect our borders, but I think everything depends on the premise, where we start.”
Nebraska and Virginia take action on policies regarding DREAMers: This week, a bill was introduced in Nebraska to allow DREAMers to obtain driver’s licenses in the only state with a policy barring DACA-recipients from getting a license. According to an Associated Press article, the bill has support from not only immigrant advocates, but business interests as well. The Nebraska Cattlemen Associate and the Nebraska Restaurant Association have both voiced support for the measure, emphasizing the economic benefits of immigrant workers in a state facing a labor shortage. “This is about growing Nebraska and being pro-business,” said Kristen Hassebrook, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Cattlemen Association. “We’re looking for people who want to live in rural Nebraska, who have the requisite skills to work with us, and who want to do the work that we do. And often, the folks at the top end up being from an immigrant background.”
In Virginia, a bill barring DREAMers from receiving in-state tuition failed to pass the Senate, partially as a result of immigrant advocates and protestations by undocumented immigrant students. A Washington Post article notes that, even if the bill passed the Virginia Legislature, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) said he would veto the “counterproductive and mean-spirited” legislation.
NCLR Affiliate staff member and advocate profiled in Elle magazine: Anabel Barron was born in Mexico, but grew up in a large family in San Antonio. She eventually came to live in Lorain, Ohio with her four U.S. citizen children. One day on her way to work, she was stopped for speeding and, unable to provide a driver’s license, was picked up by Border Patrol and placed in deportation proceedings. With help from community based organization, HOLA, support from her local church community and pro bono assistance from a local attorney, Anabel was granted a stay of removal, providing her with work authorization and a temporary Social Security number, enabling her to get a U.S. driver’s license. Anabel now works at NCLR Affiliate, El Centro and is hoping to go back to school for a degree in social work. Her story has a happy ending, but millions of families are still under the threat of deportation. President Obama’s executive action attempts to ease those fears. However, a comprehensive solution to a broken and harmful immigration system is needed to protect families, to grow the economy, and to ensure America stays true to its ideals. Read the entire profile.