Principles for an Integral, Functional and Humane Immigration Policy

ese principles, developed by representatives of various sectors of our society, are a guide for Members of Congress, responsible to developing a new immigration system, to address the needs of this great nation while maintaining the respect for liberty and rights of all people.

A New Comprehensive Immigration Policy must include: Provide a Pathway to Citizenship. Undocumented immigrants are an integral part of the United States and contribute signi cantly to its culture and economy. An immigration reform program must include the opportunity for undocumented immigrants of good moral character to become legal permanent residents and eventually US citizens. If this process includes the requirement to learn English and US history, then there should be a sucient amount of time and exemptions for vulnerable populations, are the elderly. Immigrants currently under Temporary Protective Status (TPS) as well those who would have quali ed under the DREAM Act or Agricultural Jobs legislation should be aorded the same opportunity. Any program that requires a touchback clause or a temporary worker status for undocumented immigrants already in the country is unacceptable. We must strive for a program that sets forth clear and sensible requirements for undocumented immigrants and maintain the integrity of our countrys constitutional, civil and human rights. Keep Families Together. Our current immigration system tears families apart and limits the venues for legalization. A new immigration policy should establish a viable process for family reuni cation by ending the current backlogs and eliminating the 3- and 10-year bars. e Child Status Protection Act should be extended to cover children of legal permanent residents who would otherwise age out of immigration bene ts their parents submitted before they were 21 years of age. Respect Human Rights and Civil Liberties. e U.S. Constitutions upholds the protection of human rights and civil liberties. e reform of immigration laws must include the restoration of due process rights and access to courts and adequate legal representation; thus, eliminating such programs as Operation Streamline which sentences en masse undocumented immigrants as criminals for entry or re-entry in the country. New legislation should also call for the review of privately run detention centers, an end to inde nite detention and seek alternatives to detention as a means to enforce a civil administrative process. In reforming immigration policies, the creation of a national identi cation system should be avoided as well the collection of biometric information in employment veri cation, Our immigration policy must foster an environment of equality by guaranteeing equal access to education, healthcare, and housing, and protecting the economic and labor rights of all, citizens and immigrants. Promote Community Security. Requiring local police departments and jails to enforce immigration law and act as immigration agents is expensive and diverts attention and resources from curbing violence and crime. Immigrant communities are an important weapon in preventing acts of terrorism, drug violence and crime. However, immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members will be less willing to report crimes if they fear for their own safety. Comprehensive immigration reform requires a new enforcement strategy

RITA Principles

that would eliminate ICE ACCESS, an initiative that uses local criminal justice systems to identify, detain and deport "criminal aliens. e most notorious ACCESS programs, like the Criminal Alien Program, Secure Communities and 287g, have failed in achieving their purpose. On the contrary, these programs lack clear oversight and criminalized people with only minor violations. A new strategy should also end indiscriminate raids in homes and at the workplace, which only tear families and communities apart. Establish a Responsible and Accountable Border Policy. We need a new vision of border policies that bolster the safety and security of our nation and also uphold the highest regard for civil and human rights of border communities and residents. A sensible border enforcement policy must balance enforcement with regional economic prosperity and the respect for local communities by establishing clear accountability systems and transparent oversight through the creation of a Border Enforcement Review Commission. A new border strategy policy must move away from heightened military presence in border communities and focus on facilitating and expediting the entry process at the international bridges. Our national security is best sustained with reasonable and scally sound border policies that strengthen and protect the rights of border residents and immigrants. Support Immigrant Integration. With every new wave of immigration, immigrants learn to adapt the American way of life while maintaining their own language and culture. e process for integration can be accelerated through adequately nanced programs that oer a variety of services to New Americans, from English classes to the promotion of civic engagement. Supporting immigrant integration programs means greater prosperity for our nation. Develop a Process for Periodic Review of the Immigration System. Due to changes in migration ows and economic needs of the United States, our immigration system requires the creation of a commission to periodically analyze migration trends and the needs of the country to recommend changes to Congress. is process needs to establish solutions that recognize the demand for workers at every level of our economy while respecting the human rights of migrant workers. In the short term, it should immediately increase the number of visas for workers. In the long term, we need to develop a completely new program that ensures workers' economic and labor rights as well as protections for American and immigrant workers. is program should also establish a process that provides an opportunity for migrant workers to apply for U.S. citizenship. Address the Root Causes of Migration. In the long term, concrete steps must be taken to tackle the causes of migration. While some countries face internal con ict and war, others, such as Mexico and some Central American nations, are facing intense violence and insecurity. As an in uential world leader in economic and military policy, the United States can play a signi cant role in assessing and addressing the larger global structures that cause people to migrate.

e Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance is a multi-sectorial network dedicated to build support for a sensible immigration reform policy. To join the eort or for more information, please contact us at 915.577.0724 or via e-mail at reformimmigrationtx@gmail.com.

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