Senate Leader Presented Policy Recommendations

This past Tuesday (October 20), a broad delegation comprised of representatives from civil liberties, human rights and immigrant rights advocacy organizations met with Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. Several organizations including AFSC and the Rights Working Group worked to invite partners throughout the nation to join as signatories to the letter's concerns and recommendations.

The 17-member delegation delivered the letter signed by more than 300 organizations. Outlined in the letter were specific areas of concern, and the urging that future national U.S. immigration and border policy be carried out in a manner that is respectful of individuals’ constitutional rights and due process.

Senator Schumer has previously issued public comments about the need to reform and repair the present immigration system. Signatories of the letter were encouraged that Senator Schumer acknowledged that the current system is not working. Indeed, enforcement-only policies have done nothing to resolve the administrative, legal and procedural problems with the outdated and broken immigration system.

Delegates asked Senator Schumer to incorporate important principles that safeguard constitutional rights and due process of individuals who are detained. The delegation also called on the Senator to ensure that family reunification is one of the fundamental components of future policy. Key concerns discussesd during the meeting included:

* Enforceable Detention Standards
* Secure, Community-Based Alternatives to Detention
* Fair Day in Court
* Access to Counsel
* Review of Federal Enforcement of Immigration Laws
* Civil Rights
* Responsible and Accountable Border Policy

"There are serious concerns over racial profiling when state and local law enforcement agents are deputized to enforce civil immigration law. Any immigration reform bill should restrict immigration enforcement to the federal government,” said Margaret Huang, Executive Director of Rights Working Group.

"Too much is at stake for the nation. No one benefits from the bleak situation we now have before us. Families continue to be separated and detention is only a temporary escape valve that does not solve the structural flaws of the current immigration system. None of this is humane, practical or realistic. We believe that principled and sensible policy can be developed," added Esther Nieves director of American Friends Service Committee's Project Voice, a national immigrant and refugee rights initiative.

Afterwards, the delegation also met with the Senator's immigration policy staff.

• The full text of the letter can be found online at: http://www.rightsworkinggroup.org/content/letter-schumer
  
• The complete list of signatories can be found at: http://www.rightsworkinggroup.org/sites/default/files/LettertoSchumer_Web.pdf

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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.

Formed in the aftermath of 9/11, the Rights Working Group is a coalition of more than 250 community-based grassroots groups and national organizations working to restore civil liberties and human rights protections for all people living in the U.S.

Immigration System Overdue for Overhaul

Recent news coverage and public comments indicate that the Obama Administration is ready to jumpstart the immigration policy discourse. AFSC supports a bipartisan solution to an outdated immigration system that is unfair and long overdue for an overhaul. This newest of efforts is a critical step that needs to be grounded in the facts and not in misguided policies, fears or scapegoating.

Undocumented immigrants and multi-status families* have been forced to live a marginal existence. Many families have been torn apart, while an estimated 5,000 persons have perished in an increasingly militarized southern border.

Our nation would do better if we removed the vulnerable status of undocumented immigrants, which would raise wages and labor standards for everybody.

In the meantime, as many wait for new immigration policies that resolve their tenuous existence and immigration status, far-reaching contributions continue to be made to the nation. For example, in 2005, immigrant households and businesses paid approximately $300 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay nearly $1.5 billion into Medicare and $7 billion into the Social Security system every year, yet are ineligible for public benefits.

Economic vibrancy is only one way that immigrant and undocumented households contribute to the nation. Participation in school activities, in neighborhood watch clubs, involvement in civic and community-building efforts, and the arts and cultural enrichment are some examples of these rich contributions.

Humane and sensible immigration policy should be the focus of the Obama administration and the nation's legislative leaders.

The President can begin this effort by promoting policies that unite families, ensure the labor rights of every worker, and brings the current immigration structure in line with global political, demographic and social realities.

To learn more on how you can support humane immigration policy, visit http://www.afsc.org/newpath.
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*Multi-status families Include those in which one member might be a United States permanent resident or United States citizen, a child(ren) born in the United States and a parent or sibling who is an undocumented immigrant.

AFSC Calls for New Immigration Policy

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) issued A New Path: Toward Humane Immigration Policy, a report outlining recommendations for a new approach toward immigration in the U.S. The report also includes personal testimonies from immigrant communities. Policy recommendations are presented in the areas of:

Civil and human rights of undocumented workers and immigrant families
Economic policies and trade agreements
Labor and employment rights
Border communities and their quality of life
Family reunification, permanent residency and refugee protection
Access to public services and basic human resources

The report highlights the need to protect the rights for all workers, in the U.S. and worldwide. In producing this report, AFSC continues its work to put immigrant voices front and center in a debate often dominated by stereotypes.

The report will be submitted to the Obama administration, members of Congress, local and state officials and AFSC community partners. AFSC calls on national and state leaders to strongly consider these policy recommendations during the next round of dialogue on immigration policy and laws.

To read the entire document visit www.afsc.org/newpath.