Senate Joint Resolution No. 2

Introduced by Senator Vidak

(Coauthor: Senator Cannella)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Lackey)

December 9, 2014

Senate Joint Resolution No. 2—Relative to immigration.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SJR 2, as introduced, Vidak. Immigration.

This measure would urge Congress and the President of the United States to work together to create a comprehensive and workable approach to reform the nation’s immigration system according to specified principles.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, This country was built by immigrants seeking a
better life; and

WHEREAS, Estimates suggest that 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 who are suffering from our dysfunctional immigration
policy; and

WHEREAS, A logical and streamlined path to citizenship for
individuals after they gain legal status would stimulate the economy
by allowing these individuals 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 the rational and effective systems
needed to maintain international competitiveness. Whether in
industries like agriculture, which requires large numbers of workers
able to perform physically demanding tasks, or in industries like
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by our outdated, inefficient, and slow-moving immigration system.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, Labor mobility is crucial to our economic
prosperity and our country’s recovery from the economic crisis.
Yet our rigid, outdated immigration policies are making it difficult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, states 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 a native-born
American worker by an average of $5,000; and

WHEREAS, California has the largest share of immigrants in
the country. These immigrants 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 individuals
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 who are already living and working in the United
States. It should also include comprehensive background checks,
require demonstrated proficiency in English and payment of all
current and back taxes, and have the flexibility to respond to
emerging business trends; and

WHEREAS, The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan
research group in Washington, D.C., estimates that in 2012, the
federal government spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement,
and since 2004, the number of United States Border Patrol agents
has doubled; 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 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, Reform should recognize the societal and cultural
benefits of keeping the family unit intact. The system should take
into account special circumstances surrounding candidates for
probationary legal status, such as those of minors who were 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 work together and create a
comprehensive and workable approach to solving our nation’s
historically 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.