FREEDOM Making Immigrants Relevant: Nebraska’s Role in Comprehensive Immigration Reform March 10, 2006 Midwest Biennial Social Work Conference

Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa and Nebraska Kristen Hendershot Margarita Hernandez Jenna Grotelueschen Meghan Posey

The Immigration System At A Glance Five ways for foreign people to come to the United States: –As an Immigrant –As a Refugee –As an Asylee –As a Non-Immigrant –As an Undocumented Person

Where Are They From? 53% Latin America 25% Asia 14% Europe 8% Rest of the World Source: U.S. Census Bureau

The Immigration System At A Glance l As an Immigrant: –Family-based system –Quotas and categories –Plagued by backlogs –Nuclear family definition –Unrealistic visa allotments

Preference #U.S. Sponsor RelationshipVisas Allocated N/AU.S. citizenSpouses, unmarried minor children, and parents of adult U.S. Citizens Unlimited 1U.S. citizenUnmarried adult children 23,400/year* 2ALawful Permanent Resident Spouses and minor children 87,900/year 2BLawful Permanent Resident Unmarried adult children 26,300/year 3U.S. citizenMarried adult children23,400/year** 4U.S. citizenBrothers and sisters65,000/year*** * Plus any visas left over from the 4th preference ** Plus any visas left over from the 1st and 2nd preference *** Plus any visas left over from the previous preferences Family-Based Preference System

The Immigration System At A Glance As a Refugee: l Flees their native territory out of fear of persecution or death due to political views, tribal affiliation, religious practice, or the presence of armed conflict (war) l Escapes to a neighboring country, usually living in a U.N. sponsored camp, until receiving “Convention Status,” allowing them to immigrate to a third country

Number of Refugees Allowed YearCeilingYearCeiling , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,000 In 2004, the total number of refugees allowed in this country was as small as 24,000.

The Immigration System At A Glance As an Asylee: l Flees for same reasons as a refugee, but comes directly to U.S. l Must prove fear of death l Since 2001, routinely detained

The Immigration System At A Glance As a Non-Immigrant: l 140 million visitors each year –Foreign students –Migrant workers –Tourists l Legitimate purposes –Economic asset to local communities through work, study and tourism

The Immigration System At A Glance As an Undocumented Person: l No clear legal channel, EWI l Visa Overstays (to join other family) l Some with quasi-official status –Temporary Protected Status (TPS) –Domestic Violence Survivors (VAWA)

A broken immigration system… IMPACTS ON NEBRASKA l Divides our families and communities l Encourages labor exploitation l Ignores diverse contributions l Obstructs educational, health, and other systems l Accepts immigrants’ tax dollars and contributions without allowing their full participation in society

Solutions to the Broken System Principles for Reform 1.Provide a Path to Permanent Resident Status or Citizenship 2.Reunite Families and Reduce Backlogs 3.Provide Opportunities for Safe Future Migration and Protect Worker Rights 4.Respect safety & security of all in immigration law enforcement 5.Recognize Immigrants’ Full Humanity 6.Restore Fundamental Civil Rights 7.Protect the Rights of Refugees and Asylees

What is Comprehensive Immigration Reform? At the simplest level, it is reform that addresses not only enforcement, but the whole system – including pathways to citizenship for those already here, and a safe and orderly process for future immigrants.

Current Reform Proposals The Good: l Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005 (S. 1033, H.R. 2330) l Senator Hagel’s Package –Strengthening America’s Security Act of 2005 (S. 1916) –Employment Verification Act of 2005 (S. 1917) –Strengthening America’s Workforce Act of 2005 (S. 1918) –Immigrant Accountability Act of 2005 (S. 1919)

Current Reform Proposals The Bad: l The Border Security and Interior Enforcement Improvement Act of 2005 (S. 2368) The Ugly: l The Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Act (H.R. 4437)

Areas of Growing Agreement l The system is broken l Security l Immigrant contributions l Refugees and asylees need more attention

Indications Recent polls show more than 75% of likely voters agree on these statements: l “The immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed.” l “If an immigrant has been in this country working, paying taxes, and learning English, there should be a way for them to become a citizen.” l “Fixing our immigration system to make it safe, legal, and orderly will make us more secure from terrorists.” (The Tarrance Group and Lake Snell Perry Mermin, March 2005)

Work Yet To Be Done l Help for the Undocumented l No Clear Claim to Legal Status l Law-abiding in every other aspect l Willing to be held to high standards of citizenship English Paying Taxes Absence of Criminal Record

Unique Opportunities: Nebraska’s Role in the National Debate l Our CIR Principles have shaped the dialogue –First developed here in 2003 l Nebraska has a unique context of urban/rural –No “big city” issues like extreme poverty, crime l “New Growth” State –7 th in nation in immigrant percentage growth in last census l Senator Hagel’s bill may be the compromise l We have the ability to be much more vocal if we have a single message

Essential Elements of Our Campaign l Public education l Legislative visits l Public media l Demonstrations and rallies l Public forums and conferences l Letter writing campaign l Community outreach –visits with critical leaders –Immersion activities l Connected with national efforts

Advocates want immigration reform, not just border security – 10/12/05 Government representatives all agreed the system is broken but stressed that immigration reform is a monster issue that will take years to fix. – 10/2005

Rally Urges Changes in Immigration Law – 2/03/06 Nelson Proposes Impractical Wall – 3/07/06 Like Kennedy and McCain, Hagel supports some border enforcement measures, a guest worker program and increased visas to reunite families. – 2/3/06

Opportunity Knocks l Public forum with more than 300 in attendance

Our Future: Building Bridges Social workers as change agents: – Building bridges between clients and systems – Educating clients and systems to combat misperceptions – Empowering clients to be their own advocates – Bringing local action to the national level

Action Steps l Get involved in local events that support our newest neighbors l Write a “Letter to the Editor” of local paper and express your support for immigrants/reform l Contact Members of Congress and demand fair and generous comprehensive immigration reform now!

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