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Summary Background Memo On Broad Support For Immigration Reform
Summary Background Memo On Broad Support For Immigration Reform
Summary Background Memo On Broad Support For Immigration Reform
us Date: January 30, 2014 RE: Summary Background Memo on Broad Support for Immigration Reform
Over the past few months, a broad coalition of groups has shown Congress that - in addition to 73% of Americans - key leaders from the business, tech, conservative, faith and law enforcement communities support immigration reform. Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our future, and our families. The time for reform is now. The House Republicans took a critical step toward fixing our broken immigration system with the draft principles that were discussed at the conference retreat. These draft principles being discussed by the Republican conference represent an important step forward for reform efforts. While some anti-immigrant voices falsely claiming to speak for conservatives may raise concern over the draft principles, they do not represent the majority of the Republican Party: polls have consistently shown that GOP primary voters support fixing our broken immigration system. To that end, enclosed you will find a variety of resources including economic studies, polling, and statements from key stakeholders. We have also included a reminder of some of the extremist views driving many of the groups mobilizing against reform.
Immigration Studies
American Action Forum - Study: Immigration Reform, Economic Growth, and the Fiscal Challenge
Regional Economic Models, Inc (REMI) - Immigration Reform Report REMI examines how the policies will expand the economic pie for individuals and businesses across the nation. Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE): Immigrants Boost U.S. Economic Vitality through the Housing Market Immigrant workers strengthen the housing market in three ways: They directly drive housing demand through their own purchasing power. The 40 million immigrants in the United States represent a powerful purchasing classreflected by their demand for housing, as well as for other locally produced goods and servicesthat bolster the value of homes in communities across the country. They indirectly generate demand by drawing U.S.-born individuals to opportunities in growing areas. The research shows 4
that for every 1,000 immigrants settling in a county, 250 U.S.born individuals follow, drawn by increased economic opportunity. They shift demand for housing within metro areas toward neighborhoods that had fallen out of favor. The research finds that immigrants often contribute to the stabilization of less desirable neighborhoods, helping those areas become viable alternatives for middle- and working-class Americans. This opens up new opportunities for those without homes to consider purchases in areas once in declinean important trend in metro areas.
Center for American Progress - Comprehensive Immigration Reform Will Benefit American Workers The detrimental effect our current immigration system has on American workers is a problem that is not often talked about, but workers all across America see it each day. Currently, our broken immigration system creates an opportunity for some employers to use the immigration status of workers to undermine their employment protections. This has serious implications for all workers in America. Our employment laws are strongest when all employees protected under them are able to invoke their rights when faced with workplace violations. A broken immigration system that stifles immigrants employment rights ultimately undermines the workplace safety of all American workers.
Partnership for a New American Economy - Open For Business: How Immigrants Are Driving Small Business Creation In The United States Key findings of the report include: Immigrants started 28% of all new U.S. businesses in 2011, despite accounting for just 12.9% of the U.S. population Over the last 15 years, immigrants have increased the rate by which they start businesses by more than 50 percent, while the native-born have seen their business generation rate decline by 10 percent 6
Immigrants are now more than twice as likely to start a business as the native-born
Immigrants start more than 25% of all businesses in seven of the eight sectors of the economy that the U.S. government expects to grow the fastest over the next decade. These include health care and social assistance (28.7%), construction (31.8%), retail trade (29.1%) and leisure and hospitality (23.9%), among others Center for American Progress - The Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act
Basswood Research Jon Lerner On November 2-3, 2013, Basswood Research conducted a survey of likely general election voters in 20 congressional districts. These districts are widely viewed as the 20 most competitive ones currently held by Republican incumbents. The districts surveyed were: CA-10, CA-21, CO-6, FL-2, FL-10, IA3, IL-13, IN-2, MI-1, MI-7, MI-11, MN-2, NE-2, NV-3, NY-11, NY-19, NY-23, OH-6, OH-14, and PA-8. The survey was conducted by live professional interviewers by telephone. The overall sample size was 1000, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%, at a 95% confidence interval. Each district contributed 50 interviews to the sample; as such, data in individual districts is much less reliable. Conclusions: General election voters in these districts, including Republicans, support all the key provisions of comprehensive immigration reform by wide margins. Generally, the proposals regarding earned citizenship for undocumented immigrants are no less popular than the provisions regarding enhanced border security and employer sanctions. Action on these widely supported immigration reforms would be welcomed by voters who are highly dissatisfied by the dysfunction in Washington. Key Findings: The major elements of the immigration reform proposals being considered in Congress have widespread support in these key Republican districts.
E-Verify: Dream Act: Earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented: Increasing fines for employers who hire oppose; 80% support and 13% oppose; 78% support and 16% oppose; 71% support and 21% oppose; 72% support and 23%
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undocumented immigrants: Increasing border patrol and border fencing: Increasing high tech legal immigration: oppose. 67% support and 24% oppose; 62% support and 30%
The combination of enhanced border security and pathway to citizenship represents a consensus position. When presented with three options regarding the interconnection between border security to prevent future illegal immigration, and citizenship for those who are presently in the country and undocumented, the following responses were found: 17% oppose a pathway to citizenship under all circumstances; 26% favor a pathway to citizenship even without any increase in border security; 50% favor a pathway to citizenship if it also includes substantially increased border security. Voters in key Republican districts want action on immigration reform. Fixing the current immigration system is rated as very important by 70% of voters in these districts. An additional 23% rate action on immigration reform as somewhat important. Only 5% rate immigration reform as either not very important or not at all important. Voters prefer an imperfect immigration solution to no solution. When given a choice between leaving the current immigration system the way it is, and passing new laws that are not perfect, but do attempt to fix the serious flaws in the current system, voters choose imperfect solutions over the status quo by a massive 77% to 15% margin. That includes 67% of voters who consider themselves very conservative, and 72% of registered or affiliated Republicans.
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The partisan composition of these 20 districts favors Republicans. By party registration/affiliation, respondents in this survey were 39% Republican, 35% Democratic, and 23% Independent. The generic party preference for Congress was +6.7 points Republican. Public Religion Research Institute 63% of Americans favor providing a way for immigrants who are currently living in the United States illegally to become citizens, provided they meet certain requirements; An additional 14% support allowing them to become permanent legal residents but not citizens; But only 1-in-5 (18%) favor a policy that would identify and deport all immigrants living in the United States illegally. This support for a path to citizenship has remained unchanged from earlier this year, when in both March and August 2013 an identical number (63%) supported a path to citizenship for immigrants currently living in the United States illegally.
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Key Findings: Republican primary voters overwhelmingly want the current broken immigration system fixed, not ignored. A large 79% majority say it is very important to fix the current immigration system. Another 17% say it is somewhat important to do so, meaning a near unanimous 96% of Republicans want the issue dealt with. Just 4% say fixing the immigration system is not very important or not at all important. Republican primary voters prefer an imperfect immigration solution to no solution. When given a choice between leaving the current immigration system the way it is, and passing new laws that are not perfect, but do attempt to fix the serious flaws in the current system, Republicans choose imperfect solutions over the status quo by a massive 78% to 14% margin. This includes 75% of primary voters who consider themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement, and 78% of primary voters who are daily Fox News watchers. Republican primary voters broadly support the substance of the immigration reform bills presently under consideration. By 70% to 22%, Republicans support a described proposal that: 1) increases border security; 2) requires employers to verify the legal status of job seekers; and 3) establishes a pathway to U.S. citizenship for the eleven million illegal immigrants presently in the country, as long as they pass a criminal background check, pay a fine and back taxes, learn English, and wait at least thirteen years. Most Republican primary voters support a pathway to citizenship under some conditions. A solid 65% majority of Republicans support a pathway to citizenship
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for illegal immigrants if it is coupled with substantially increased border security. An additional 8% support a pathway to citizenship even without increased border security, bringing to 73% the total of GOP primary voters who are open to the concept. A 21% minority of primary voters oppose citizenship under all circumstances. Republican primary voters are concerned that promised border security will not actually happen; but those concerns can be addressed. Eighty-nine percent of Republicans say they are very concerned or somewhat concerned that immigration reform will fail to actually secure the border. However, large majorities express greater confidence that the border will be secured when they are presented with several policy options that are under consideration, including robust increases in border personnel and equipment (75%), and homeland security certification (68%). Republican primary voters support increasing legal immigration. By 71% to 25%, Republicans support increasing the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country who have advanced skills in engineering, math, science, and technology. By 56% to 39%, Republicans also support increasing the number of legal immigrants who come here as guest workers filling lower skill job openings in industries like agriculture and construction.
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Federation for American Immigration Reform [FAIR]: FAIR Founder John Tanton Admitted to Accepting $1.5 Million From The Pioneer Fund, A White Supremacist Group, For FAIR. By Dr. Tanton's own reckoning, FAIR has received more than $1.5 million from the Pioneer Fund, a white-supremacist outfit devoted to racial purity through eugenics. Before FAIRs Connection To The Pioneer Fund Was Discovered Stein, Said His Job Was To Get Every Dime Of Pioneer's Money." FAIR stopped receiving Pioneer Fund grants in 1994 due to bad publicity it received when the grants were made public. At the time, FAIR was backing California's punishing anti-immigrant Proposition 187, which would have denied education and health care to the children of undocumented immigrants in that state if it had not died as the result of court challenges. Stein and Tanton had led FAIR's efforts to win funding from Pioneer, and Stein said in 1993, before Pioneer's extremism was made public, that his "job [was] to get every dime of Pioneer's money."
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NumbersUSA: The Wall Street Journal Editorialized On NumbersUSA And Affiliated Groups Posing As Conservatives In addition to trying to stop immigration to the U.S., appropriate populationcontrol measures for Dr. Tanton and his network include promoting China's one-child policy, sterilizing Third World women
Center for Immigration Studies [CIS]: Anti-immigration group says Hispanics lack strong family values and will unmake America A spokesman for the right-wing think tank the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) said in a pair of interviews with the Washington Times that immigration reform will cause the unmaking of America. According to senior CIS policy analyst Stephen Steinlight, Hispanic immigrants are bad for the U.S. because they lack strong family values. In addition, he said, Hispanics arent natural conservatives, as some say they are, because they dont exemplify family values. Mark Krikorian Wrote That Haitis Lack Of Progress And Development Stems From The Fact That Haiti Was Not Colonized Long Enough. My guess is that Haitis so screwed up because it wasnt colonized long enough. The ancestors of todays Haitians, like elsewhere in the Caribbean, experienced the dislocation of de-tribalization, which disrupted the natural ties of family and clan and ethnicity. They also suffered the brutality of sugarplantation slavery, which was so deadly that the majority of slaves at the time of independence were African-born, because their predecessors hadnt lived long enough to reproduce. But, unlike Jamaicans and Bajans and Guadeloupeans, et al., after experiencing the worst of tropical colonial slavery, the Haitians didnt stick around long enough to benefit from it. (Haiti became
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independent in 1804.). And by benefit I mean develop a local culture significantly shaped by the more-advanced civilization of the colonizers. Krikorian Advocated For A Return Of Colonialism In Haiti. But if Haitis problem is a stunted, dysfunctional culture caused by an interrupted process of colonial development, then it follows that a solution would be to resume colonialism. In The Debate Over So-Called Anchor Babies, Krikorian Stated That The Default Position Of The U.S. Government Should Be To Deny Foreign Pregnant Women Access To The United States. You just turn people down for being pregnant," said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies. "That should be the default position and then there'd have to be some very good reason for an exception." Krikorian acknowledged that some people might find a ban on pregnant visitors "outrageous," but questions the rationality of the alternative. "Do you really think that's right that somebody here visiting Disneyland should have their children be U.S. citizens, which they'll then inevitably use to get access to the U.S.?" he asked. Krikorian and others call the offspring of birth tourists "anchor babies," as they can serve as a foothold for future legal immigration of an entire family.
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