BILL NUMBER: AJR 16 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 30, 2007
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 6, 2007
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 6, 2007
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 5, 2007
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Levine
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bass, Eng, Feuer, Coto, Keene,
Strickland, Adams, Aghazarian, Arambula, Beall, Berg, Berryhill,
Brownley, Caballero, Carter, Cook, Davis, De?La?Torre, De Leon,
DeSaulnier, DeVore, Dymally, Emmerson, Evans, Fuentes, Galgiani,
Garcia, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Houston, Huffman, Jones,
Karnette, Krekorian, Laird, Leno, Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Mullin,
Nava, Nunez, Parra, Plescia, Portantino, Price, Richardson, Ruskin,
Salas, Saldana, Smyth, Solorio, Spitzer, Swanson, Torrico, Tran, and
Wolk)
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
Relative to immigration.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 16, Levine. Immigration policy.
This measure would urge local, state, and federal government
officials, when crafting immigration policy that affects the United
States-Mexico border, to take steps related to recognizing and
protecting the human rights of immigrants and publicly denouncing
xenophobia and anti-immigrant bias as having no place in immigration
policy.
WHEREAS, The Anti-Defamation League, in monitoring extremism and
bigotry in our country, has documented cases of human rights abuses
at the United States-Mexico border, including violent attacks on
immigrants, sometimes resulting in brutal execution-style slaying.
One Anti-Defamation League report found that, "violent incidents
against illegal immigrants have been brutal and are occurring with
greater regularity, further intensifying the atmosphere of fear and
suspicion on both sides of the border." There are also instances of
immigrants being sold into drug and prostitution rings to fund covert
enterprises. The Anti-Defamation League has also seen a rise in hate
crimes, discrimination cases, and bigotry against Latinos in this
state, which occur regardless of immigration status; and
WHEREAS, As a result of concern for human rights of all, the
Anti-Defamation League drafted the Declaration of Los Angeles to
declare that human rights deserve a place in the immigration debate
that is now central in the political arena and that bigotry and
xenophobia do not. The Anti-Defamation League secured signatures in
support of the Declaration of Los Angeles from major civil rights and
community-based organizations in Los Angeles, including the
following organizations: ACLU of Southern California, American Jewish
Committee, American Jewish Congress, Archdiocese of Los Angeles,
Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Bet Tzedek Legal Services,
Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation, Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice,
League of United Latin American Citizens, Mexican American Legal
Defense and Education Fund, National Council of Jewish Women Los
Angeles Section, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Public Counsel Law
Center, Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los
Angeles, and South Asian Network; and
WHEREAS, The Anti-Defamation League, together with its partners in
this project, brought the Declaration of Los Angeles, to the City
Council of the City of Los Angeles on December 13, 2006. The City
Council of the City of Los Angeles, under the leadership of Council
President Eric Garcetti, unanimously passed a resolution
acknowledging the Declaration of Los Angeles and declaring, as part
of the city's federal legislative agenda, support for "any state or
federal legislation concerning border and immigration policy that (1)
provides resources to monitor and respond to groups who advocate
vigilantism in any form that subverts the democratic process (2)
ensures that there continues to be humane treatment of undocumented
persons by holding to the highest standards of human rights and
dignity all law enforcement and judicial processes related to
deportation, detention and immigration status"; and
WHEREAS, The Anti-Defamation League together with its partners and
with the support of the City Council of the City of Los Angeles have
asked the State of California to join them in this initiative; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature declares the following:
(1) Security precautions are necessary to protect the integrity of
the United States border and the well-being of the American people.
The United States has every right as a sovereign nation to control
its border and immigration policies. However, immigration policy must
also take into consideration and strive to protect civil and human
rights of immigrants.
(2) In response to the alleged threat that undocumented persons
pose to American society, groups have formed to put pressure on the
United States government.
(3) Additionally, groups have conducted private patrols along the
border between the United States and Mexico.
(4) Although the Legislature seeks to protect the right to free
speech in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it
neither condones nor endorses any rhetoric used to incite either
violence or intolerance toward people, regardless of race,
citizenship status, or nationality.
(5) The Legislature neither condones nor endorses groups who
engage in vigilantism or who incite violence toward undocumented
immigrants.
(6) Members of hate groups, such as neo-Nazi and white supremacist
groups, have expressed support for civilian patrol and
anti-immigration groups, through participation in patrols, protests
and rallies.
(7) Although there is a continued risk of terrorists and criminals
misusing the immigration system to illegally enter the United
States, a safe and secure border cannot be achieved through civilian
vigilantism.
(8) Coordinated efforts by federal, state, and local law
enforcement officials are necessary to monitor the activities of
civilian border patrols and extremist groups in order to maintain
safety and public order and to protect human and civil rights.
(9) Anti-immigration and anti-Latino rhetoric ignores the valuable
economic and cultural contributions these groups have made to
American society for hundreds of years; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges local, state, and
federal government officials, when crafting immigration policy that
affects the United States-Mexico border, to take the following steps
as called for in the Declaration of Los Angeles:
(1) Recognize and protect the basic human rights of immigrants.
(2) Support human rights and the humane treatment of undocumented
persons as part of the tradition of fighting intolerance and bias.
(3) Recognize and publicly denounce xenophobia and anti-immigrant
bias as having no place in the United States' immigration policy.
(4) Monitor and respond to extremist groups who advocate bigotry
or racism, vigilantism in any form, violence, or any other tactic
that subverts the democratic process.
(5) Hold to the highest standards of human rights and dignity all
law enforcement and judicial processes that relate to deportation,
detention, and immigration status.
(6) Recognize the need for a safe and secure United States; and be
it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States.