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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its markup of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013” (S.744), a welcome sign that immigration reform is moving forward and will hopefully bring relief to America’s 11 million undocumented aspiring citizens. Today’s markup will offer up a number of amendments that will potentially improve or impair the immigration bill. Immigration reform is a chief concern among Latino families in this country who will be vastly affected by a number of issues being considered in this legislation. NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will closely follow the amendment process in several areas that will determine whether legislation lives up to its name by maximizing the economic opportunity that reform brings while modernizing our nation’s immigration policy.
Yesterday, NCLR sent a letter to Senate committee members highlighting important areas in the bill that can be improved upon in this process as well as voicing concern over potential pitfalls that would hinder reform.
“The ultimate goal of immigration reform is to preserve and restore the rule of law,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “To do that, we must create a fair and affordable legalization process that encourages as many eligible undocumented families as possible to come out of the shadows and begin applying for citizenship. Amendments that deter eligible applicants from coming forward or delay implementation jeopardize our success in achieving the overall objective of this legislation.”
“In order to preserve the rule of law, this bill must also modernize our legal immigration system,” Murguía added. “Improving the accuracy of the employment verification system and ensuring that all workers can exercise their labor and employment rights will be crucial elements in this bill. We also strongly back measures that maintain family unity as a cornerstone of our immigration system and that provide much needed funding to integration efforts for newcomers to this country. Finally, we welcome amendments that preempt states’ efforts to create their own immigration laws, which have resulted in racial profiling bills such as Arizona’s SB 1070 and Alabama’s HB 56.”
“The Latino community is immensely invested in seeing immigration reform passed this year,” concluded Murguía. “Reaching the markup process is another important milestone, and we strongly encourage Congress to build upon this momentum and continue pushing forward with this process. At the same time, we must make sure that any amendments added to this bill work towards our goal of preserving and restoring the rule of law, so that we can see effective legislation passed in 2013.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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