President Obama’s new DREAM relief policy would allow undocumented youth who qualify to request temporary relief from deportation, making them eligible to receive work permits and a social security number.
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Good for Workers and Honest Employers
Legalization Would Level the Playing Field for Workers and Honest Employers
- Most undocumented immigrants in this country are working outside the system in a shadow economy that artificially depresses wages, allows unscrupulous employers to cheat the system, and exposes workers to abuse and labor violations. One of the most horrific examples of this underground system is the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant: after the plant was raided in 2008, the public discovered that the undocumented workers employed there had been exploited by low wages, health and safety violations, and even physical abuse.
- Reports have shown that under the Bush Administration, these unscrupulous employers have not been penalized for unfairly exploiting workers. A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified cases in which the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor inadequately investigated complaints about employers who failed to pay minimum wage and overtime. Another GAO report found a marked decrease in Wage and Hour Division enforcement actions during the Bush administration.
- Under a legalization program, undocumented workers would be made legal and subject to all wage and labor laws that govern the workplace. This would result in improved wages and labor standards for all workers.
Legalization Would Lift the Wages of All Workers
- According to a report released in December 2009 by the Center for American Progress and the Immigration Policy Center, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization program would increase the real wages of less-skilled legalized workers by $4,405 per year. Higher-skilled workers would see a yearly wage increase of $6,185 per year.
- These increased wages would result in increased consumer spending which would support 750,000 to 900,000 jobs in the U.S.
- This report found that the alternative to comprehensive immigration reform, mass deportation, would result in widespread job loss.
- An analysis done by the Drum Major Institute of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act, found that the bill’s legalization program would allow undocumented workers to earn legal status, creating a workplace that enables effective enforcement of U.S. wage and hour laws, workplace safety standards and other labor regulations. This would ultimately benefit all working people who rely on these protections.
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Now that the Senate Judiciary Committee has passed the Gang of 8 immigration bill out of markup, it is now in Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)’s hands, and Reid has said that he will bring the bill to a vote in June. And, Reid recently promised, “I will do everything in my power to help [...]
Learn MoreThis week, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Gang of 8’s immigration bill with a bipartisan vote (13-5), clearing the first official legislative hurdle for final passage in 2013. After a robust debate featuring over 200 amendments—141 of which were adopted—the bill heads to the Senate floor with the core provisions intact. At the same [...]
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Learn MoreUpdate: He’s doing it! Tom Tancredo said that he will soon officially announce his bid for Colorado Governor. From the Denver Post: Tancredo last week indicated he is strongly considering a run for governor in 2014. As of Wednesday night, Tancredo had not filed the necessary paperwork with the secretary of state’s office. Tancredo did note, however, [...]
Learn MoreUpdate: And then there’s this, from Steve King. Wow–referring to young immigrants who want to participate in their political process as “illegal aliens” to keep out. Keeping it classy, Rep. King: #Immigration: Illegal aliens in House Judiciary Committee room during hearing today. How can we secure border if we can’t secure our room? — Steve [...]
Learn MoreBloomberg: Reid Says Immigration Measure to Come to Senate Floor in June By Heidi Przybyla and Kathleen Hunter OUTLOOK New York Times: Allies of Immigration Bill Aim for Added Support By Ashley Parker and Julia Preston Bloomberg: Immigration Reform Brightens After Senate Vote By Elizabeth Dwoskin U.S. News and World Report: Immigration Reform Proponents Optimistic [...]
Learn MoreLa reforma migratoria ganó su primera batalla, pero no la guerra. Todavía quedan grandes obstáculos que superar. El acceso a salud es uno de ellos. “El senador Orrin Hatch (R-UT) tiene algunas enmiendas y le prometí que trabajaríamos juntos. Entre las propuestas de Hatch está prohibir el acceso de las personas que se legalicen a [...]
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