NCLR COMMENDS CONGRESSMAN GUTIERREZ FOR INTRODUCING COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
Washington, DC-NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, joined by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Progressive Caucus, today praised Congressman Luis Gutierrez's (D-IL) introduction of the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity (CIR ASAP) Act of 2009." This legislation marks the opening of a much-needed debate to restore dignity and the rule of law to the nation's broken immigration system.
"NCLR commends Congressman Gutierrez for his tireless leadership in advancing immigration solutions and for providing a platform that will allow Congress to begin this important conversation," said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. "In reality, most Americans are in consensus about immigration and are in a much more pragmatic place than Congress has been on this issue. Fixing the system can help level the playing field for American workers, lift wages, increase tax revenues, and end the exploitation and demonization of immigrant families and anyone perceived to be immigrant."
Numerous academic and government reports have documented that a program requiring undocumented immigrants to register, become legal, and pay taxes would have a positive impact on our economy. By a margin of two to one, the American people believe that comprehensive immigration reform is better for America's economy than requiring seven million workers to leave the United States. Poll after poll demonstrates that the vast majority of Americans support a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system that restores the rule of law by including legalization and smart enforcement. Past election cycles have shown that voters reject candidates who simply demagogue this issue or adopt extreme enforcement-only approaches. And it is clear that the immigration debate has rallied Latinos, the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, who participated in record numbers in the 2008 election.
"For far too long, those who support the broken status quo have been allowed to lead on this issue, even though they do not represent the can-do will of the American public," stated Murguía. "We have a moral imperative to address immigration effectively and humanely. We have an urgent policy need to fix a system that tramples our values, fosters illegality and exploitation, and weakens our economy. And we have the public support to arrive at a solution. We applaud Congressman Gutierrez and urge presidential and congressional leadership to usher in a new kind of debate on this issue, move us forward together, and deliver workable solutions."