BILL ANALYSIS Ó
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AJR 3|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 3
Author: Alejo (D), et al.
Amended: 5/6/13 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 61-1, 5/6/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Immigration
SOURCE : Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights of Los
Angeles
DIGEST : This resolution specifies principles for repairing
the nations broken immigration system, and urges 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.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1. 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.
2. We are a nation of immigrants, who believe in the promise of
freedom and opportunity.
3. The current immigration system is broken, antiquated and not
meeting the challenges of the 21st century; it separates
CONTINUED
AJR 3
Page
2
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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Approximately 77% of undocumented immigrants that reside in
California live with family's members that are legal United
States residents and citizens.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10.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.
11.Students should not be punished for their immigration status
but should instead be given recognition for their sacrifice,
hard work, and determination.
12.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,
AJR 3
Page
3
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.
13.Modernizing our antiquated and dysfunctional immigration
system will uphold our nation's basic values of fairness and
equality as well as access to health care.
14.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.
15.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.
16.A proposal must be comprised of the following tenets:
Establish an earned citizenship process that
requires immigrants to pay back taxes and learn English.
Enhance security in our ports of entry to secure
our nation.
Reform of immigration enforcement programs that
separate families and ensure that family unification
systems are strengthened.
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.
Uphold due process as well as the inherit rights
of all immigrants.
AJR 3
Page
4
This resolution specifies principles for repairing the nation's
broken immigration system, and urges 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.
Comments
In support of the measure the author states:
Reforming our nation's immigration policies is in the 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
AJR 3
Page
5
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 Bureau states that this resolution's
call for a workable solution to the difficult problem of
immigration reform is very timely and commendable.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/13/13)
Coalition for Humane Immigrants' Rights of Los Angeles (source)
California Communities United Institute
California Farm Bureau
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Labor Federation
California Landscape Contractors Association
Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
Employment Law Center
Equality California
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angels
MALDEF
North Bay Labor Council
SEIU
Street Level Health Project
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5
Western Growers
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 61-1, 5/6/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom, Blumenfield,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Daly,
Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez,
AJR 3
Page
6
Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Roger Hernández, Jones-Sawyer, Levine,
Linder, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Medina, Mitchell, Mullin,
Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel
Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone,
Ting, Torres, Wagner, Weber, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. Pérez
NOES: Donnelly
NO VOTE RECORDED: Allen, Bigelow, Dahle, Beth Gaines, Grove,
Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Holden, Jones, Logue, Mansoor, Melendez,
Morrell, Patterson, Waldron, Wilk, Vacancy
JG:d 5/14/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****