Lulac opposes immigration "compromise"

LULAC Opposes Senate Immigration Compromise

Punitive proposal would exploit temporary workers,
separate families and institute draconian enforcement
measures without offering a meaningful legal pathway
for immigrants.

May 21, 2007

http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/press/2007/immigrationreform4.html

Washington, DC The League of United Latin American
Citizens National Board of Directors has voted
unanimously to oppose the Senate immigration compromise
finding the bill unacceptable in its current form. The
LULAC Board cited the imposition of a temporary worker
program without a meaningful pathway to permanent legal
residence, the elimination of four out of five family-
based green card categories, and the implementation of
an untested "merit-based" point system in place of our
current employment-based immigration system as
unacceptable components of the proposal.

"The Senate compromise is a radical departure from our
current system that is rooted in family and employment-
based immigration," stated Rosa Rosales, LULAC National
President. "If enacted, the temporary worker provision
alone would create a new underclass of easily exploited
workers who would be forbidden from realizing the
American Dream. This bill will dehumanize workers,
short-change employers and lead to wide-spread
undocumented immigration as many workers inevitably
overstay their visas rather than return home."

LULAC has consistently advocated for comprehensive
immigration reform that unites families, allows
hardworking immigrants already here to earn their way
to permanent residence, and allows future workers to
immigrate legally to the United States. While the
Senate compromise does provide a chance for
undocumented workers to earn permanent residence and
includes the DREAM Act and AgJOBS, the bill falls
woefully short at reuniting families and fixing our
broken immigration system with a legal pathway for
future immigrant workers.

"LULAC cannot support a bill that will separate
families and lead to the exploitation of immigrant
workers while resulting in widespread undocumented
immigration in the future," stated Brent Wilkes, LULAC
National Executive Director. "We will continue to urge
Congress to enact fair and just immigration reform that
unites families, protect human rights, creates an
avenue for undocumented immigrants to legalize their
status and allows future workers to come in legally
while providing a pathway to permanent legal residency
if they want to stay."

The League of the United Latin American Citizens, the
oldest and largest Hispanic membership organization in
the country, advances the economic conditions,
educational attainment, political influence, health and
civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-
based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC
councils nationwide.

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