BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 37
Author: De Leon (D), et al
Amended: 6/15/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE : 3-2, 6/10/10
AYES: Corbett, Hancock, Leno
NOES: Harman, Walters
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 44-25, 4/29/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Immigration
SOURCE : Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los
Angeles
DIGEST : This bill specifies principles for repairing the
nation's immigration system and urges the President of the
United States and the Congress to take a comprehensive and
workable approach to improving the nation's immigration
system using those principles.
ANALYSIS : This resolution declares that the United
States of America was founded by immigrants who came from
around the world seeking a better life.
This resolution finds that the current immigration system
is broken, separates family, reduces the effectiveness of
national security programs, contributes to labor abuses,
and creates long backlogs for families seeking
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naturalization. This resolution further finds that the
current immigration system neglects the hard work and
financial contributions immigrants make to our country.
This resolution finds that about 11 million undocumented
immigrants are in the United States; that California has
one of the biggest populations of immigrants, both legal
and undocumented; that immigrants and their children
constitute nearly one-half of California's population and
contribute to local economies; and, that approximately 77
percent of undocumented immigrants that reside in
California live with family members that are legal United
States residents and citizens.
This resolution finds that one in eleven workers in
California is an undocumented immigrant, and immigrants are
a vibrant, productive, and vital part of the state's
growing economy, diverse cultural fabric, and changing
demographics. This resolution further finds that immigrant
worker populations in California are concentrated in a
variety of sectors, including leisure and hospitality,
construction, food and agriculture, service,
transportation, and textile sectors.
This resolution declares that the integration of immigrants
and the development of a comprehensive approach to solve
our broken immigration system are critical to ensure that
our state continues to have a strong economy. This
resolution further declares that fixing our broken
immigration system would have a positive impact on the
economy because moving workers out of a vulnerable
underground status produces both short- and long-term
economic gains.
This resolution finds that recent 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. This
resolution further finds that a study released 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
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California's economy.
This resolution declares that modernizing our antiquated
and dysfunctional immigration system will uphold our
Nation's basic values of fairness, equal opportunity, and
respect for the law.
This resolution declares that a comprehensive approach to
solve our broken immigration system, one that works for all
communities and families in America, should include the
following elements: 1) a plan for providing legal status
with a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants who
are working and living in the United States, which should
include the AgJOBS Act of 2009 and DREAM Act of 2009; 2)
improvement of the economic situation of all workers in the
United States; 3) the reform of visa programs in order to
keep families together, protect workers' rights, and ensure
that future immigration is regulated and controlled rather
than illegal and chaotic; 4) the implementation of smart,
effective enforcement measures targeted at the worst
violators of immigration and labor laws; 5) prioritizing
immigrant integration into our communities and country;
and, 6) respect for the due process rights of everyone in
the United States.
This resolution 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 foregoing principles.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/15/10)
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
(source)
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment
Anti-Defamation League
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Landscape Contractors Association
California Partnership
California Teachers Association
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles
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Chapter
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
Japanese American Citizens League, Pacific Southwest
Division
Jewish Community Relations Council
Los Angeles Metropolitan Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
PUEBLO Action Fund
Service Employees International Union
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles writes:
It is imperative for California to voice its support
for comprehensive immigration reform because a
significant number of its residents are undocumented
and businesses in this state are being affected by the
lack of a legal workforce.
Our current immigration system is in peril and
directly affecting the growth of business in the
United States and California. While Congress has
attempted to reform our broken immigration system, the
only policies that continue to be implemented, thus
far are enforcement-only policies. As a result,
employers are trying to mitigate potential damages to
their companies by hiring lawyers, accountants and
other professionals. Furthermore, employers that in
good faith have verified the employment eligibility of
their workers, but are audited and found to have hired
unauthorized workers are faced with stiff penalties.
A more punitive approach towards law-abiding employers
could result in a decrease in the nation's G.D.P. In
addition, worksite enforcement outside of a reformed
immigration system has led to undocumented workers
being fired through I-9 audits, affecting business
owners and workers alike, and sending a chilling
effect to local economies already hurting from the
State's budget crisis and double-digit unemployment.
Lastly, the current punitive approach towards
employers in a long-run would result in a reduction of
2.2 [percent] in the total number of jobs by 2019 ?
[California's immigrants] contribute not only to its
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diversity and its economy but also to its legacy as a
state welcoming of immigrants. The immigration
enforcement practices of the past administration,
pursued to this day by the Obama Administration,
continue to tear California families apart.
Unprecedented numbers of immigrants are locked up in a
network of detention centers in the state, and a
greater number are deported on a daily basis.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, Eng, Evans,
Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Hall, Hayashi,
Hernandez, Hill, Huffman, Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Monning,
Nava, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,
Yamada, John A. Perez
NOES: Anderson, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee,
Conway, Cook, DeVore, Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Harkey, Jeffries, Knight, Logue, Miller,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, Silva, Smyth, Audra
Strickland, Villines
NO VOTE RECORDED: Adams, Bass, Caballero, Fletcher, Huber,
Jones, Bonnie Lowenthal, Norby, Torrico, Tran
RJG:nl 6/16/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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