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Rejecting SB1070, States Advance Progressive Immigration Policy
This week, as the White House announced plans for yet another push on federal comprehensive immigration reform, a network of lawmakers so far representing 28 states - from border states to the heartland - announced their rejection of Arizona's mean-spirited and economically disastrous approach to immigrants, SB1070.
The failure of Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform is increasing the pressure on state and local governments to address the issue within their own jurisdictions. (photo by Flickr user Arasmus Photo) By introducing progressive state measures that effectively integrate immigrants into the community-rather than alienating them from their neighbors--these legislators are pointing the way toward immigration reform while also expanding opportunities for all residents and workers.
The group, State Legislators for Progressive Immigration Policy, outlined its vision for change at a press briefing this week. They highlighted measures now in place or that legislators are currently advancing.
At the briefing, participants described a range of positive measures, such as those that promote community policing, prevent wage theft and provide basic health care coverage for legal immigrant children. The lawmakers demonstrated how sensible, inclusive and often cost-effective approaches to immigration policy are progressing in some states, providing a stark contrast to the alarmist legislation in Arizona.
In Iowa, for example, wage-enforcement legislation that expands opportunities and defends the rights of all workers passed the State Senate in 2008. Although it was not enacted, legislators will introduce a similar bill in 2011.
According to Iowa State Senator Joe Bolkcom, the bill's sponsor, protecting all workers from bad-apple employers-those who attempt to cheat their employees out of fair pay and safe working conditions--will benefit workers across the board.
Bolkcom's state plays home to one of the nation's most infamous examples of worker exploitation: the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant, in Postville, Iowa. Its owners were charged with violating the workplace rights of over 300 immigrant workers.
"Our legislation targets employers who want to take advantage of any Iowa worker, including newcomers, because all workers deserve protection from exploitation," Bolkcom stated. "It will defend the rights of workers, strengthen families and strengthen Iowa communities."
In Utah, progressive efforts to restore fairness in health care to legal immigrant children have, during the past two years, come close to passing in the legislature.
The legislation, proposed by Utah State Senator Luz Robles would enable legal immigrant children to receive preventive medical care through the federally-funded Medicaid and State Child Health Plus (SCHIP) programs without the current five year waiting period for immigrants included in President Obama's recently passed health care package.
"The removal of the waiting period for legal immigrants who are playing by the rules to receive coverage is simply good public policy from a health care perspective," noted Robles. "We introduced and will continue to advance it, because our number one priority is getting more children health care coverage."
In Pennsylvania, legislators have taken the lead in efforts to introduce and advance community policing and anti-racial profiling legislation. Such measures would bar state and local law enforcement officers from taking on the added responsibility of enforcing federal immigration laws, while helping to curb incidents of racial profiling in the event they are required to by courts or the law.
Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach explained that the progressive approach is favored by the law enforcement community. "Police chiefs around the nation have made the point that the obligation contained in the Arizona law to enforce federal immigration law will undermine their ability to do their jobs," Leach noted.
As pro-immigrant legislation moves forward, Arizona's economy is already reeling from the negative economic effects of SB1070. "Despite the claims of its supporters, Arizona's SB1070 actually does nothing to address violence at the border and presents obstacles for law enforcement professionals, who want to provide good community policing," explained State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.
The failure of Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform is increasing the pressure on state and local governments to address the issue within their own jurisdictions. Progressive state legislators continue to be ahead of the curve in filling this vacuum by exploring effective ways to incorporate immigrants into their communities rather than driving them out--and missing the mark.
Hopefully, such state-led efforts will help spur national change--change that is sorely needed.
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39 Comments so far
Show AllI predict state immigration law to become like a whack-a-mole game. 22 states are presently considering tougher immigration laws. What will likely happen is that immigrants will flee states that implement tougher laws to states that do not yet have them. That will trigger those states to implement similar laws, which will in turn cause an exodus other states. Thom Hartman said Nebraska passed a tougher immigration law partly to ensure that jobs at a new Hormel plant be given to Citizens or legal residents. Included in this new law was a crack down on businesses that hire illegals.
Hey, Suman Raghunathan if you want to support immigrant work rights, support the unions, not union busting.
Suman sounds like another bourgeois cafe liberal. Get a job with the Nation.
Once, again, legislation meant to sound "liberal" with all sorts of things buried in it, like tracking of people via social security cards.
And SEIU needs to come out against NAFTA and CAFTA and what is happening to destroy farmers in Central America which is what is sending them over the border to then seek horrible jobs as industrial wage laborers for agribusiness. This bill is a corporate bill and they've tricked unions into supporting it, just as happened with the healthcare bill.
Take a good look at the health care bill before anyone jumps to support immigration "reform" - which the corporations have cleverly spurred on as liberal issue by getting Arizona to attack immigrants and others. It's just what they did with healthcare - hire a few thugs, get some outrageous stuff said about healthcare, make it look like a racist issue, and every liberal jumps in blindly to support it. But look at what Massachusetts is now saying now - the bill will be twice as expensive for the poor but if they can't afford it, they'll be fined for coverage they don't have; the insurance companies are saying now that the bill will not include children with pre-existing conditions (the fine print they wrote); and corporations are saying they will not cover their employees because it's cheaper to be fined.
Who really believes the immigration bill is not poisoned for people but great for the corporations who want cheap labor (the labor they pushed off their land in Central America) and to crush the American worker even further?
Too often, corporate writers, even lobbyists, get onto Common Dreams to promote corporate agendas, such as Carol Tucker Former promoting the "food safety" bills written by Monsanto, a company she used to lobby for openly and now lobbies for using the Consumer Federation of America as the front.
wow! poor little immigrants... guess we should just go ahead and make them all legal,or give them food stamps, subsidized housing, help with their utility bills, but they already have all that, so I reiterate - 'Way to go Arizona'!!! Funny thing these 28 states don't seem to have the large number of illegal immigrants that AZ does. guess Nebraska has the right idea also. More states will follow AZ. people are sick and tired of giving up their way of life to support these immigrants. when this country was founded the immigrants who came over were NOT handed everything. RE: 'The legislation, proposed by Utah State Senator Luz Robles would enable legal immigrant children to receive preventive medical care through the federally-funded Medicaid and State Child Health Plus (SCHIP) programs without the current five year waiting period for immigrants included in President Obama's recently passed health care package.' the only reason they are 'legal immigrant children' is because their parents are illegal immigrants who came over to give birth, and thereby create an anchor baby so they could become a 'legal citizen' in a few years. this is ludicrous. what other government would consider this: you people come on over, you don't like our laws, you don't respect them so no problem-not only will we require government/businesses/schools to learn your language and/or provide you with intrepretors but now we are re-writing laws to make you legal. when is America going to wake up? maybe when one of them is President? I can assure every one out there that they will NOT show us the kindness that has been shown them. we are drained financially and Americans are out of work, the few who are working are getting a little sick of supporting the rest. and -point in fact- if the illegal immigrants were not here then Americans would take the jobs they have. and Americans would pay IN to the system. I would like to know how people think the US is going to repay China the trillions we already owe them. if taxes aren't paid in by working Americans soon - then what do you think will happen to this debt? simple economics people. simple. the illegal immigrants need to be deported as well as all anchor babies. America needs to recover. we need to remove excess baggage. these 28 states can do as they like, just as AZ can do as it likes. the AZ law, I MUST remind you is only because the Federal Government is not doing what they should. And apparently would rather re-write laws and still not do what they should.
goodness gracious! are you an illegal by any chance? married to an illegal? what I have said, unfortunately, is true. I have worked in hospitals and for government agencies. so sad - to bad I spoke the truth. matter of fact some Americans are frequently denied benefits due to the fact that the fund has ran out, as the illegals got it all. I am neither nasty or a viper. I could say you are an ignorant delusional dreamer, but then that would make me on the same level as you-name calling and spouting off without facts. An anchor baby is only here because an illegal came here ILLEGALLY to have a baby. I guess you must think it alright to get pregnant and cross a border to give birth and use a baby that way. The reason I say send the anchor baby back is because the child should go home with the childs law breaking parents. A prisoner in the US is not allowed to benefit from a crime, example: serial killers can't write a book and receive the proceeds. Nor should a law breaking illegal benefit from breaking the law to come in to America illegally. Why do you think that the illegals should be treated as anything other than the criminals that they are? As far as your having me deported - again I ask are you an illegal or the spouse of an illegal? your mind must work like a toy car, no way to fill it,it just rolls with a push, huh?
I am not a hater. surprised you didn't call me a racist too. just because that I don't want America to become like Mexico doesn't make me a hater. I would hate to see America become just like Mexico, though. I can not quite conceive how some people who seem to be intelligent can not understand history. So if you can dismiss my views/opinions by saying it is hate I don't really care. I would be glad to be wrong. But it doesn't take much thought to realize that if those who come here want us to adapt to their ways and they want to keep themselves separate and have their own way of doing things to the extent that the rights of Americans are pushed aside,{one quick example: the teenage boys at the school in CA who wore American flag t-shirts on cinco-de-mayo day and were sent home- }, then I want them to leave. If, however, they wish to come here and go by the same rules/laws as I do then fine, provided they come here legally. I think America has enough crime without importing gangs and drugs and then turn around and make those gang members/drug dealers 'victims' is just incomprehensible.
You always do that ardent with regard to this issue. You essentially say that everyone is a hater or racist who does not believe in open borders. I think you even said that of Nader when I posted his views. You can't have a system where you require some to abide by immigration law, but give others a free pass--is not the reason for this obvious?
If you are rich and want a Spanish-speaking, Chinese-speaking, or Filipino-speaking individual to clean your house or work in your factory, that's just fine and dandy, but you if hire them under the table and encourage them to break the law, there should be severe consequences. With regard to social services, in case you haven't noticed, there is a severe economic contraction going on; states are scrambling to find the funds as more and more people are losing their jobs and requiring assistance.
It's absurd to assert that states are making these laws because they hate Latinos; they are making them because state coffers are running dry, and prospects for new revenue bleak. Also, many Americans actually WANT those jobs that the media said they would not do. They just do not want to work for illegal wages. You have to quit bashing others and resorting to name-calling when someone disagrees with you on this issue.
My son is dating a sweet Latino girl, and a close friend of ours is a lady from Columbia, whom we babysat for, and went out together with. Not everyone opposed to illegal immigration is a hater or racist, though calling them such is a way to dismiss legitimate concerns. Those who have aggressive agendas always do that in order discredit the individual espousing a different viewpoint. It is a kind of slander that's become so popular of late among certain groups.
Cheesgame, Louise, DCH.
You are wasting your time with the ardent one. Name calling is the only tool in his shed. One poster correctly diagnosed his illness when they wrote "You embrace your sadness and anger like a lover". This web site is simply a venue where he can enjoy spraying you with his bitter cocktail of self rightous anger. My attempt to engage him in other topics, some topic we could find agreement on, was met with more name calling. His pavlovian response to this post shall make my point.
I think it might behoove us to look a bit below the surface, and on some of these issues you don't even have to look very deep. The economy and state budgets are good examples.
One is that we've gone so far beyond carrying capacity to retain any possibility of a productive economy that contraction is the only thing that will keep us from extinction--which would you prefer? Peak Oil, global warming, and biospheric toxicity are just the big three warning signs incessantly flashing in front of our faces.
Let's also take an honest look at why state coffers are running dry. Here in AZ we give about $10 billion a year away in corporate and special interest tax breaks, exemptions, and subsidies. We continue to encourage rampant growth even as the water supplies run out and don't want to admit that growth beyond a certain limited point is uneconomic. Mindless growth increases the tax base, but increases infrastructure and support expenses at an even higher rate, so it's a net loser. Instead of supporting a vibrant local economy, we allow corporations to break unions through off-shoring and out-sourcing, and think the solution is further deregulation so they can continue destroying our common life support system and pass the costs off to local communities.
But hey, America is currently winning the race to the bottom, so I guess we can break the styrofoam #1 fingers out. When you combine debt, prison population, unemployment, and percentage of the population living in poverty, America is officially a third-world country.
Congratulations?
Dave made a reasonable comment that gives the reader his perspective on the problems in Arizona. Well stated and worth consideration. Other than pointing out that much of Arizona's problems are self inflicted, it did not get into the specifics of the illegal immigration debate, at least as much as ardent thinks it did. I am unable see anything in Dave's comment that might provide ardent with the opportunity to exercise his personal hatred of the United States including anyone who wants to enforce current immigration laws.
Your response does not even make sense. You assume to know if or who I hate. You assume that the problem I have with illegal immigrants is simply the language they speak. Are you kidding or what??? If you think Mexico is great why don't you go there and live?
Thom Hartman says: crack down on 'illegal businesses,' and you resolve the issue. The 'merchant class' that runs things now is undermining our society in just about every way. Attempting to 'secure the borders' without addressing the employer side is nothing but a shell game. Looks like a 'double dip' recession might be on the horizon; if so, the issue might well resolve itself because there will be little incentive left to cross the border.
Having grown up in Arizona......
NAFTA was a bad idea, it destroys both side of the border
Building a fence is a start,
Prosecuting those that hire Illegal immigrants would help
I have no problem with legal immigration or legal immigrants but if some one comes to this country illegally they need to be arrested, and back in their country with in 48 hours.
Immigration reform is keeping illegal immigrants out,
NAFTA was more than a bad idea. It exists solely to prop up transnational corporate greed from which the American consumer has received a few additional shiny baubles. But at least there is a coherent, though destructive and selfish, philosophy behind it.
Building border fences is just a knee-jerk reaction to manipulation of fear and nationalistic prejudice. I don't care how high a fence you build, someone will always build a taller ladder. Border fences just make FAUX News listeners feel better without doing anything effective except throwing hundreds of millions into already artificial GDP figures so we can pretend we still have an economy to attract migrants to do the jobs Americans feel are beneath them. This sleight-of-hand is necessary because migrants are already too intimately familiar with how effectively our foreign policy has destroyed their home country's economy, and robbed them of the dignity of having any possibility of right livelihood in the communities they would rather remain in with the families and friends they love.
It seems to me it would be a whole lot better of an idea to address the major root causes of why so many people are being driven from their lands than to continue slapping band-aids on symptoms.
I agree the NAFTA agreements have hurt almost the entire world including the U.S. I also think if the people of these countries are affected in a bad way including the U.S. then take it to the streets , Mexicans ( I say that because that is where 75% of the illegals are from Mexcio )should have a revolution is their own country if they dont like what is happening to them just like we should be doing. DONT COME HERE TO DO IT. If they are illegal then they need to go back to where they come from that goes for what ever country they come from. I live here in Az. and I have witnessed it become a third world state , with crime that is horrendous( regardless of what the propaganda TV and govt officals spew.) I dont think this country or any country can sustain the entire third worlds poor , and I cant understand why we as Americans have to pay with our tax dollars for all the worlds poor. We do it with foreign aid , with food stamps , education , medical care, prison care , crime statistics , anchor babies, etc. WE cannot afford to take care of the world and all immigration needs a moritorium untill we can get a grip on this mess , that is breaking this country down in cultural, financial, soverignty aspects. and anyone who is against this bill hasnt read it, there is nothing in there that is a threat to civil or human rights. People should also think for once , globalism and one world govt needs to survive it needs open borders to do that. its plan and simple , this isnt about race its about sovreignty.and by the way we should be having a revolution in our country for the same reasons , a peaceful one of course.
well terrianda2 be warned some people who reply to you do not seem to even know what a sovereign nation is. Definitely shows no patriotism. Nor can they comprehend SB1070. They are only going to rant and rave about racism. Try to ignore them as they apparently are not capable of seeing the big picture. Or communicating on more than a third grade level. Anyway just wanted to say you make some valid points.
I might also add if there are people leaving this state its because of the crime , the pitbulls dogs running the streets, the cars in the front yards , the house breakins , the dirty diapers in shopping carts at walmart , the homeless, the drop houses, the anchor babies, the drug cartels, the increase in free lucnches at schools, the teen pregnancies, the increase in deseases like whooping cough and TB at the higest increase of any state. the kidnapping state of the country, the car theft state of the country, adding more crimminals such as racpists and child molesters to the state( proven fact) and of course cop killers. We just had another cop killed by an illegal last week. border patrol agents killed, ranchers murdered by illegals, DO I NEED TO GO ON?? AND LETS NOT EVEN BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THE JOBS THEY TAKE FROM AMERICANS , go into any fast food restaurant and who do you see? I remember the time when OUR TEENAGERS " HAD THOSE JOBS . NOT ANYMORE.
You need to get back on your medication - you're apparently hallucinating.
oh is that what the problem is with ardent? needs their meds?
If the rest of America does not wake up and deal with this issue then each state will end up being like Arizona. Arizona is doing the right thing to try and deal with the problem. SB1070 is simply going to enforce the laws already on the books on the federal level. Since the federal government did not do its job the states must. People who think that SB1070 is so awful either have not read it or can't comprehend it.
I disagree with your solution. The basic problem with these ideas is that it's a rehash of the 1986 amnesty immigration bill. So we'll have the 1986 amnesty bill, the 2011 amnesty bill, and maybe as part of that we could write in a regularly scheduled amnesty - say - every 25-30 years, because it'll be the same thing all over again, and again, and again - deja vu all over again as Yogi Berra said.
A better solution - put the onus on the illegals to not come here -
1. Fix the border because it fixes 2 problems at once - illegal immigrants and illegal drugs thru that route.
2. Pass SB 1070 at a national level.
3. Illegals caught are automatically given 90 days confinement and deported.
4. Illegals fined large amounts of money when caught - say $100K each, or whatever they have - this removes the financial incentive.
5. Establish the guest worker program - on their side of the border - like agricultural maquiladoras.
6. Deport the Dream kids - their countries need these people - we don't.
I live in Mexico and also Tucson. The illegals that move to the US are the bottom of the barrel in both countries. Uneducated, most can't read Spanish let alone English. They are virtually unemployable here in Mexico and that why they leave. It's not that there are no jobs here - it's that they can't get hired. We don't get nurses, vets, accountants, university grads, teachers, engineers, etc as illegal immigrants - we get gardeners, car washers, dish washers, day laborers, etc. We need to be able to select what skilled people we want in the US. We don't need more day laborers.
Maybe someone will listen to your ideas. They seem quite reasonable to me.
you know 'ardent' I think your biggest problem is that you do not understand how to communicate or simply converse with others. you seem to have issues with just simply stating your opinions. I can't help but notice how you seem to think you can get on some personal level with everyone {who posts their opinions stating valid reasons for them}, and try and twist and turn what is stated. Then you add to - and try to make it about race. You need to go back to high school or middle school and take a class in communication. And you need to calm down, if you wish to have a reasonable discussion with anyone.
ardent-seems to have escaped your grasp, so I shall remind you. this is the topic we are discussing: Rejecting SB1070, States Advance Progressive Immigration Policy. if you have comments regarding the topic at hand perhaps you should communicate those comments. I realize it is easier for you to copy/paste articles than it is to try and make actual comments on the topic. Try and stay on track ardent.
My feelings about people all over the world {including America- the Appalachians,inner city kids, etc), are really not relevant to this topic of SB1070. However, you might find a discussion somewhere on the web that you could make your views known, how you blame America for the suffering and destitution of other people in other countries. I am assuming that is your point, but since you tend to ramble on and not stay on track with the topic at hand, who knows?
this: "Rejecting SB1070, States Advance Progressive Immigration Policy" is the topic. Maybe you should learn what topic means? If you want to write a blog declaring America as the enemy of all third world nations and their poverty, please do so. If you want to discuss this topic: "Rejecting SB1070, States Advance Progressive Immigration Policy", then please do that here.
I am concerned that perhaps others who have said you need your medication are correct. Do you normally take lithium? Depakote? Do you need to go see your Physician and get a new prescription? {I tried so hard not to make the preceding - but just could not help myself. You are just so obnoxious.}
First I would like to say that I am for SB1070, after all it is pretty much the same law as the Federal Government has. Only exception is that the Arizona police officers will be enforcing - what the federal government should have been doing.
To Ardent and Louise - looks like that you are both for SB1070, Louise -going by what she has written- because she feels that the current economy can not support all of these illegal aliens coming over, and Ardent -going by the article that Ardent has posted- because it is devastating to the countries and families that men who desert their families to come to America leave behind. You two just need to communicate better, since you appear to be on the same side.