CBO Confirms Immigration Reform is Key to Economic Growth

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By Leticia Miranda, Senior Policy Advisor, NCLR

Jar of Money --- Image by © Royalty-Free/CorbisOur economy will grow, the deficit will shrink, and our taxpaying labor force will expand so that we have more workers to support our aging population.  That is, if we pass immigration reform.  This was the news from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which yesterday released its estimate of the cost of the Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform bill, S. 744.  The score reveals that the benefits of passing immigration reform far outweigh the costs related to the bill.  Despite these tremendous benefits for us all, however, some senators are still intent on punishing immigrants by taking away critical tax credits and benefits.

While this is very promising news, it’s not news to us.  Throughout our nation’s history immigrants have always brought economic vitality and an entrepreneurial spirit to our shores.  In fact, the CBO score notes that economic growth will increase by 3.3 percent over the first 10 years and 5.4 percent by 2033 if we pass immigration reform.

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An Attack on Some Latinos is an Attack on All Latinos

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By Clarissa Martínez-De-Castro, Director, Immigration and Civic Engagement, NCLR 

GOP_elephantAfter losing the Hispanic vote by a whopping 44 points last November, the Republican National Committee (RNC) commissioned an autopsy report to examine what went wrong, a much-needed effort that NCLR applauded. The report noted that “the key problem is that the Republican Party’s message offends too many people unnecessarily” and that “it’s imperative that the RNC changes how to engage with Hispanic communities.” So let’s check in to see how the Republican-led House of Representatives is doing on this important new front in the electoral battle.

Two weeks ago, the House passed an amendment to withhold funding for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary but long-overdue relief to the nation’s “DREAMers,” young people who were brought to the U.S. through no decision of their own and know no other country as home. The amendment was authored by outspoken anti-immigrant Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) who, among other things, has likened immigrants to breeding dogs.

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Cuts to SNAP Could Cost Millions of Children Their Next Meal

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By Teresa Palacios, Executive Director, Eastmont Community Center

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Teresa Palacios

Many of us take for granted the simple luxury of putting dinner on the table every night. But, millions of struggling Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from. Far too many communities across this country have been hard hit by the hunger epidemic and now Washington is proposing to cut off one of the few lifelines that they have left.

Included in the House version of the “Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 (H.R. 1947),” known as the Farm Bill, is a proposal to cut more than $20 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over ten years.  SNAP has served as a means for millions of Latinos to overcome poverty and it ensures access to sufficient food.  About one in six Americans rely on the program to feed their families every night, but the proposed cuts would eliminate access to SNAP for approximately 2.5 million families.

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Is a Bill Like SB 1070 the Best the House Can Do?

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Photo: Ateqah

Today the House Judiciary Committee begins debating a few immigration bills instead of following the Senate’s approach of tackling the issue with one comprehensive bill that includes a roadmap to citizenship.  Just when we have forward momentum in Senate, the House has decided to send us backward.  There are two particular bills being debated by the committee this week that are very troubling. Here’s what you need to know and why we need you to act!

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Score One for the Voters!

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When it comes to voter registration, the federal government trumps all jurisdictions.  That was the ruling the U.S. Supreme Court issued today in the voter ID case known as Gonzalez v. Arizona.

At issue was an Arizona law that would have required potential eligible voters to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote.  The federal government, however, requires no such provision.  In a decisive 7–2 opinion, handed down by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court said that federal law “forbids states to demand an applicant submit additional information beyond that required by the federal form.”

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My Children Cannot Be Separated from Their Father Any Longer

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This Father’s Day we’re re-posting a popular blog from an advocate in Ohio, Elizabeth Perez, who wrote this back in April. Ms. Perez’ heartbreaking story about her husband’s separation from herself and her children is a compelling reason for why we are working so hard to reform our broken immigration system. We hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day and keep in mind those families who have an empty seat at the table this year. 

By Elizabeth Perez
Originally published April 9, 2013

Note:  Elizabeth Perez—Cleveland native, Marine veteran, and mother of two—shares how the deportation of her husband, Marcos, in 2010 has severely affected her children and herself.  Thank you to Elizabeth and HOLA of Ohio for this story.

“I have an understanding of rules and regulations; I am a veteran of almost ten years.  I was highly successful in the Marine Corps, and I made the hardest decision of my life when I decided not to reenlist.  I felt that the Marine Corps was not the best place or lifestyle for raising a family.  Family was and is the most important part of my life.

Elizabeth Perez and Marcos PerezI met my husband, Marcos, in a way one only thinks happens in the movies.  I fell in love, and I fell hard.  We had our first son, Pelé, in 2010.  To become a new mother and be with the love of my life was the happiest I had ever been.  When our son was four months old, I found out we were going to have another child.  I shared the great news with Marcos and then decided to take a nap with Pelé.  Little did I know that I would never see Marcos in our home again.  While I was napping, Marcos went to work.  He was pulled over for running a red light.  The police could not identify him and called Immigration Services.  After only one month, Marcos was back in México.

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Happy Anniversary DACA!

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One year ago, after tremendous efforts led by undocumented youth and allies, the Obama administration announced a policy that would allow undocumented youth who meet certain criteria to apply for a temporary relief from deportation.  Known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the policy grants young people who have grown up in the United States the opportunity to contribute to their communities without having to live with the daily fear of possibly being deported and separated from their families.

We are proud that so many of our Affiliates across the country have made the implementation of DACA a success.  When the policy was announced a year ago, Affiliates were flooded with calls and visits from their clients who turned to them as a trusted voice in the community to explain how this affected DREAMers and how they could apply.  NCLR Affiliates held workshops, shared materials about the program, and answered countless questions from community members who were anxious about what this would mean for them.

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This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending June 14

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Week Ending June 14

This week in immigration reform: the Senate begins debate on the immigration bill S. 744 – stay tuned to NCLR’s blog and Twitter feed for the latest updates; NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía publishes an op-ed in her hometown newspaper describing the benefits S. 744 would bring to Kansas; NCLR staff and Affiliates meet with their members of Congress, deliver postcards, participate in rallies, publish op-eds, and otherwise support the fight for reform in the Senate and House; and new polls show strong support for S. 744 among voters in 29 states. NCLR worked to keep the community informed by weighing in across the media landscape, with staff quoted in five stories on immigration reform.

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It’s Only Fair to Treat All Taxpayers Equally

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By Laura Vazquez, Senior Immigration Legislative Analyst, NCLR

If you’ve been following the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) “Truth in Immigration Series,” you’ve no doubt noticed a theme—immigrants are economic contributors and our economy will benefit from immigration reform.  In this series, we are lifting up some of the most recent and salient data to demonstrate these contributions in a way that is easy to understand and share because, as we know, facts often get distorted in the immigration debate (hence the name—truth in immigration).

Medicare InfographicYesterday, Senator Hirono (D–HI) highlighted the economic contributions that immigrants make in a floor speech to demonstrate the need for her amendment to restore taxpayer fairness to aspiring citizens.  She spoke about the billions in taxes that immigrants pay, and the revenue they produce to ensure the sustainability of programs such as Social Security and Medicare.  Senator Hirono’s amendment recognizes that immigrants are contributors, so immigrants who are lawfully present, employed, and have satisfied their tax liability should not be prohibited from using any federally funded tax program or tax credit because of their immigration status.  Not only is this fair, but it will allow immigrants and their families to be even more economically successful in the future.  Senator Hirono’s amendment to restore taxpayer fairness to aspiring Americans will enable those on the roadmap to citizenship to succeed and will promote the health of our families, communities, and economy.

This is in stark contrast to the floor speech given by Senator Hatch (R–UT) Wednesday when he filed amendments that will further restrict immigrants’ access to programs that they contribute to and pay for.  This is deeply troubling because aspiring Americans striving to earn their citizenship already have to work multiple jobs to pay daunting fees and penalties and jump to Olympic heights to remain in compliance with a bill that says, “Don’t get sick or fall on hard times while walking the tightrope because you are on your own.”

Currently, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for assistance programs such as nonemergency Medicaid or the cost-sharing benefits under the Affordable Care Act.  The immigration bill would extend this ban to immigrants who qualify for provisional legal status.  Worse, immigrants would be banned from these programs for ten years, despite paying into them with their taxes.

These are some of the most successful programs we have aimed at bringing people out of poverty and into the middle class.  Denying such programs to the undocumented is not just un-American, it’s also foolhardy.

Don’t Let the Senate Price Immigrants Out of Citizenship: Amendments Will Block the Road to Citizenship for Millions

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By Leticia Miranda, Senior Policy Advisor, Economic Security Policy, NCLR

FINAL_immigration-family-budget-infographic-6-11-13 (2)Momentum is certainly on the side of immigration reform, but the reality is that there are still plenty of ways that the current debate over the Senate immigration bill, S. 744, can go south.  It’s no secret that some senators are attempting to restrict the pool of potential applicants for legalization.  One way to do that is to essentially price them out of the process by piling on amendments that would drive up the costs.

Similar to previous generations of immigrants, today’s aspiring citizens are doing hard work in difficult jobs for lower wages than other Americans.  The typical aspiring citizen is a married person with two children who works and earns about $34,400 annually.  Like many Americans, they spend most of their family’s budget covering basic living expenses such as housing, transportation, food, taxes, and expenses related to raising children.  They have enough to just get by, with little left over at the end of the month.

Under the Senate Judiciary Committee version of S. 744, the road to citizenship is already tough.  It will be difficult for many of these hardworking families to afford the stiff fines and fees associated with legalization.  Under the bill, a registered provisional immigrant (RPI) family would pay $3,000 in fines and an additional estimated $5,000 in fees over ten years as they progress through the legalization process.  Families will need to save $800 per year to have enough to pay all the fines and fees.  But some senators don’t think this already tough bill goes far enough and are determined to increase the price tag.

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