BILL NUMBER: SJR 8	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Correa
   (Coauthors: Senators Beall, Calderon, Cannella, De León,
Hernandez, Lara, Lieu, Padilla, Wolk, and Yee)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bonilla, Garcia, Perea, and V. Manuel
Pérez)

                        MARCH 18, 2013

   Relative to immigration.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SJR 8, as introduced, Correa. Immigration.
   This measure would specify 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.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, This country was built by immigrants seeking a better
life; and
   WHEREAS, Estimates suggest there are 11 million undocumented
immigrants living in the shadows in the United States, including
millions of children brought to this country undocumented who have
grown up here and call the United States home; and
   WHEREAS, A logical and streamlined path to citizenship for these
residents would stimulate the economy by allowing them to get college
degrees and driver's licenses, buy homes, start new companies, and
create legal, tax-paying jobs, affording them a chance at the
American Dream; and
   WHEREAS, The United States Congress last enacted major immigration
legislation more than 25 years ago; and
   WHEREAS, Since that time, fragmented attempts at immigration
reform have failed to create rational and effective systems needed to
maintain international competitiveness. Whether in an industry like
agriculture, which requires large numbers of workers able to perform
physically demanding tasks, or in technology or health care, where
the demand for employees with advanced degrees is projected to exceed
supply within the next five years, immigration policy must be
designed to respond to emerging labor needs in all sectors of the
United States economy; and
   WHEREAS, Our national interests and security are not served by our
outdated, inefficient, and slow-moving immigration system. Patchwork
attempts to mend its deficiencies undermine our potential for
prosperity and leave us vulnerable and unable to meet the needs of
the modern world; and
   WHEREAS, To help our country recover from the financial crisis,
labor mobility is crucial to our economic prosperity. Yet our rigid,
outdated immigration policies are making it difficult for our
companies and our nation to compete. Information released in a study
by the University of California, Los Angeles, stated that legalizing
the status of undocumented immigrants working and living in the
United States would create around $1.5 trillion in additional gross
domestic product growth over the next 10 years and increase wages for
all workers. A study done by the University of California, Davis,
indicates that the last large wave of immigrants, from 1990 to 2007,
raised the income of the native-born American worker by an average of
$5,000; and
   WHEREAS, California has the largest share of immigrants in the
country, and together they make up almost half our population.
Approximately 11 percent of workers in California are undocumented
immigrants. They are a vital and productive part of our state's
economy and are active in a variety of industries, including
technology, biotech, hospitality, agriculture, construction,
services, transportation, and textiles. They also represent a large
share of our new small business owners and create economic prosperity
and needed jobs for everyone; and
   WHEREAS, Keeping these families, business owners, and hard workers
in the shadows of society serves no one; and
   WHEREAS, Our state, for economic, social, health, security, and
prosperity reasons, must support policies that allow undocumented
immigrants to become legal and enfranchised participants in our
society and economy; and
   WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform should include a
reasonable and timely path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
living and working in the United States already. It should include
health and comprehensive background checks, and require demonstrated
proficiency in English and payment of all current and back taxes, and
should have the flexibility to respond to emerging business trends;
and
   WHEREAS, The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research
group in Washington, D.C., estimated that in 2012 the federal
government spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement and that the
number of United States Border Patrol agents has doubled since 2004;
and
   WHEREAS, Increased enforcement has given the federal government
the ability to prioritize the deportation of lawbreakers and
dangerous individuals and to ensure our border's security.
Nevertheless, this enforcement should not be done in an inhumane way;
and
   WHEREAS, Immigration enforcement should continue to focus on
criminals, not on hardworking immigrant families, and not at the
expense of efficient trade with two of our top three economic
partners; and
   WHEREAS, The United States loses large numbers of necessary,
highly skilled workers due to the lengthy and complicated processes
currently in place to get or keep a legal residency option; and
   WHEREAS, Reform should also include an expedited process for those
residing abroad and applying for legal visas. Additionally, reform
should offer permanent residency opportunities to international
students in American universities who are highly trained and in high
demand, and in so doing avoid an intellectual vacuum after their
graduation; and
   WHEREAS, This reform should also include a way to help families
remain together throughout the lengthy bureaucratic process. The
system should take into account special circumstances surrounding
candidates for probationary legal status, such as those of minors
brought to the country as children or workers whose labor is
essential to maintain our country's competitiveness; now, therefore,
be it
   Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and the
Congress of the United States to take a comprehensive and workable
approach to solving our nation's broken immigration system, using the
principles described in this resolution; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate 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.