By Leticia Miranda, Senior Policy Advisor, Economic Security Policy, NCLR
For three days now, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been reviewing numerous amendments to S. 744, the Gang of 8’s immigration bill. Amid the slew of 300 amendments is one that should concern all Americans: Sen. Jeff Sessions’ (R-Ala.) amendment 31 . The Alabama senator’s amendment would deny the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to legally present taxpayers who have earned Resident Provisional Immigrant status, as outlined in S. 744. These hardworking taxpayers could not claim the EITC for at least ten years until they become Legal Permanent Residents. Ten years is a lifetime to a growing child. This exclusion is unjust and will have negative consequences for America’s future.
Workers with legal status should be treated like all other Americans: responsible for paying taxes and eligible for any tax credits due. The Sessions #31 would create a two-tiered tax system with one group of legal workers required to pay significantly higher tax rates than other workers with the exact same income. It would hurt over four million Latino children of aspiring citizens by eliminating their eligibility for this important tax credit.
