BILL NUMBER: AJR 3 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 2, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 10, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 1, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Alejo
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Atkins,
Bonta, Campos, Chesbro, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong,
Garcia, Gordon, Gorell, Roger Hernández,
Levine, Medina, Muratsuchi, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Rendon, Ting,
Wieckowski, Williams, and Yamada)
(Coauthors: Senators Correa, De León, Lara, Lieu,
Padilla, and Yee)
DECEMBER 3, 2012
Relative to immigration.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 3, as amended, Alejo. Immigration.
This measure would specify tenets goals
for repairing the reform of the
nation's immigration system, and would urge Congress and the
President of the United States to take a humane and just approach to
improving solving the nation's
broken immigration system using those tenets
.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, The United States of America is a nation of values,
founded on the principles that all men and women are created equal,
and the promise of freedom for all; and
WHEREAS, We are a nation of immigrants, who believe in the promise
of freedom and opportunity; and
WHEREAS, The current immigration system is broken, antiquated, and
not meeting the challenges of the 21st century. It separates
families, including same-sex couple families, creates long backlogs
for families seeking reunification, and neglects the hard work and
financial contributions immigrants make to our country; and
WHEREAS, Since 2008, more than 1.6 million immigrants have been
deported, and one in every 10 American children faces the threat of
the deportation of a parent; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that about 11 million undocumented
immigrants are in the United States, and California has the largest
population of immigrants, both legal and undocumented; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants and their children constitute nearly one-half
of California's population and live and work in all 58 counties, most
notably in the San Diego, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Ventura,
and greater San Francisco areas; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 77 percent of undocumented immigrants who
reside in California live with family members who are legal United
States residents and citizens; and
WHEREAS, One in 10 workers in California is an undocumented
immigrant, and immigrants are a vibrant, productive, and vital part
of the state's growing economy; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants are essential in keeping the American economy
strong; from technology programmers in the Silicon Valley to
restaurant owners and workers, immigrants are filling an intrinsic
need in the labor force; and
WHEREAS, Agricultural workers have been performing very important
and difficult work to maintain America's food supply, and have a role
of ensuring that Americans have safe and secure agricultural
products to sell and consume; and
WHEREAS, Students should not be punished for their immigration
status but instead should be given recognition for their sacrifice,
hard work, and determination; and
WHEREAS, The United States can do a better job of attracting and
keeping the world's best and brightest. A comprehensive immigration
reform should also grant immigrants who have received a Ph.D. or
master's degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics
from an American university the opportunity to invest in and
contribute to this great nation. For the future of our economy, it
makes no sense to educate the world's future innovators and
entrepreneurs only to ultimately force them to leave our country at
the moment they are most able to contribute to our economy; and
WHEREAS, Modernizing our antiquated and dysfunctional immigration
system will uphold our nation's basic values of fairness,
fairness and equality, as well as
opportunity access to health care , and
WHEREAS, A comprehensive, as well as compassionate, approach to
solve our broken immigration system should be one that works for all
communities and families in America; and
WHEREAS, A just immigration reform must ensure that it reflects
one of our basic values--that we all are created equal--thus
immigration reform must recognize each immigrant's full humanity; and
WHEREAS, In order to enhance federal matching resources to cover
all eligible residents in our state, the federal government should
include participation of new Americans in programs derived from the
federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and should allow
new Americans to participate in publicly funded programs to expedite
their integration into our state; and
WHEREAS, A proposal must be comprised of the following
tenets that achieve all of the following: (1)
include a direct road map to full citizenship that is inalienable,
affordable, and inclusive for the 11 million immigrants who are
currently living in the shadows; (2) establish an
earned citizenship process that requires immigrants to pay back taxes
and learn English; (2) enhance security in our ports of entry to
secure our nation; (3) reform of immigration
enforcement programs that separate families and ensures
to ensure that family unification systems are
strengthened; (3) (4) upgrade the
current visa programs , including the creation of a guest worker
program for agricultural workers, in order to have a legal
workforce and a system that better enforces labor protections; and
(4) (5) uphold due process as well as
the inherent rights of all immigrants; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and the
Congress of the United States to take a humane and just approach to
solving our nation's broken immigration system; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and the 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, to the
Governor of California, and to the author of this resolution.