BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AJR 3
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR 3 (Alejo)
As Amended April 10, 2013
Majority vote
JUDICIARY 7-0
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|Ayes:|Wieckowski, Alejo, Chau, | | |
| |Dickinson, Garcia, | | |
| |Muratsuchi, Stone | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Specifies principles for repairing the nation's broken
immigration system, and would urge Congress and the President of
the United States to take a comprehensive and workable approach
to improving the nation's immigration system using those
principles. Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes the following findings and declarations:
a) The United States of America is a nation of values,
founded on the principles that all men and women are
created equal, and promise of freedom for all;
b) We are a nation of immigrants, who believe in the
promise of freedom and opportunity;
c) The current immigration system is broken, antiquated and
not meeting the challenges of the 21st century; it
separates families, including same-sex couple families, and
creates long backlogs for families seeking reunification;
and, it neglects the hard work and financial contributions
immigrants make to our country;
d) Since 2008, more than 1.6 million immigrants have been
deported, and one in every 10 American children faces the
threat of deportation of a parent;
e) It is estimated that about 11 million undocumented
immigrants are in the United States, and California has the
largest populations of immigrants, both legal and
undocumented;
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f) 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, and greater San Francisco areas;
g) Approximately 77% of undocumented immigrants that reside
in California live with families members that are legal
United States residents and citizens;
h) 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;
i) Immigrants are essential in keeping the American economy
strong, from technology programmers in the Silicon Valley
to restaurant owners and workers, they are filling an
intrinsic need in the labor force;
j) 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;
aa) Students should not be punished for their immigration
status but should instead be given recognition for their
sacrifice, hard work, and determination;
bb) The United States can do a better job of attracting and
keeping the world's best and brightest. A comprehensive
immigration reform shall also grant immigrants who have
received a Ph.D. or master's degree in science, technology,
engineering, or math from an American university the
opportunity to invest 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;
cc) Modernizing our antiquated and dysfunctional immigration
system will uphold our nation's basic values of fairness,
equality as well as opportunity;
dd) A comprehensive as well as compassionate approach to
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solve our broken immigration system should be one that
works for all communities and families in America;
ee) A just immigration reform must ensure that it reflect
one of our basic values - that we all are created equal -
thus immigration reform must recognize immigrant's full
humanity;
ff) In order to enhance federal matching resources to cover
all eligible residents in our state, California also urges
the federal government to include New Americans to
participate in programs derived from the Affordable Care
Act and further allow New Americans to participate in
public funded programs to expedite their integration in our
state;
gg) A proposal must be comprised of the following tenets:
(1) include a direct, attainable, affordable, and inclusive
road map to full citizenship for the 11 million immigrants
who are currently living in the shadows; (2) reform of
immigration enforcement programs that separate families and
ensures that family unification systems are strengthened;
(3) upgrade the current visa programs in order to have a
legal workforce and a system that better enforces labor
protections; and, 4) uphold due process as well as the
inherit rights of all immigrants;
1)Resolves that the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly urge the President and the Congress of the
United States to take a humane and just approach to solving
our nation's broken immigration system.
EXISTING LAW provides for the regulation of immigration
exclusively by the federal government. (E.g., LULAC v. Wilson,
908 F. Supp. 755, 786-87 (C.D. Cal. 1995).)
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : In support of the measure the author states:
Reforming our nation's immigration policies is in the
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best interest of California. Nearly half of the
state's population is made up of immigrants and their
children. The condition of the current immigration
system is unacceptable due to the fact that there are
an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the
United States - with California having one of the
largest immigrant populations, both legal and
undocumented.
One in every ten workers located in California is an
undocumented immigrant. Data released by the
University of California, Los Angeles, indicates that
legalizing the status of undocumented immigrants
working and living in the United States would create
roughly $1.5 trillion in additional GDP (gross
domestic product) growth over 10 years, and increase
wages for all workers. Moreover, a study by the
University of Southern California estimates that the
immediate and long-term effects of enacting
comprehensive immigration reform would result in a $16
billion boost to California's economy. The U.S. can do
a better job of attracting and keeping the world's
best and brightest. AJR 3 calls for the President and
Congress to take action on this issue.
The resolution's sponsor, the Coalition for Humane Immigrants'
Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), argues that AJR 3 is an
important resolution calling on the federal government to uphold
the golden promise to keep families together. CHIRLA contends
that that the current immigration system is broken and hurting
families by keeping loved ones apart through red tape,
bureaucracy and draconian enforcement tactics. CHIRLA notes
that California has one of the biggest populations of
immigrants, and that California's voice on the issue of
immigration reform is critical. The Mexican American Legal
Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) notes that there are an
estimated 10 million immigrants in California, both legal and
undocumented, who are part of the economy and contribute
significant tax dollars. However, MALDEF contends that many
immigrants continue to hide in the shadows and are therefore
unable to fully contribute to their communities and economies.
These immigrants' rights advocates are joined in support by the
California Farm Bureau, among other business groups. The Farm
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Bureau states that this resolution's call for a workable
solution to the difficult problem of immigration reform is very
timely and commendable.
Analysis Prepared by : Kevin G. Baker / JUD. / (916) 319-2334
FN: 0000131