Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) Webinar:
General Overview
May 30, 2013 at 3:00 EDT
for every woman
Qudsia Jafree, Senior Policy Associate, YWCA USA
Capitol Hill Day Webinar 3 out of 3
0
Agenda
for every woman
• Why is Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) a
Priority for YWCAs?
• Brief Overview of CIR timeline: Senate and House
• Issue Area: Women’s Health and Safety
• Issue Area: Economic Impact
• Issue Area: Family Reunification
• Issue Area: Education
• Issue Area: Racial Profiling
• Take Action Before Capitol Hill Day 2013
1
Why is CIR A Priority for YWCAs?
• Impact of CIR bill on immigrant
women, families, and larger
community
• History working with immigrant
communities since early 1800’s
for every woman
• One of 3 legislative issues
identified as top priorities for
YWCA in national survey
• YWCAs across the country have
strong presence providing services
for immigrants
2
Current Reform Proposals See Some Consensus
Parties Still Disagree on Whether to Provide Pathway to Citizenship
Republicans
Many, though not all,
Republicans oppose granting
illegal immigrants amnesty,
arguing that this may create an
incentive for more
undocumented immigrants to
come to the U.S.
Source: National Journal Research, 2013.
Democrats
Both GOP and
Democratic
politicians want to
make more H1-B
visas available to
attract skilled
foreign workers to
the U.S.
Many Democrats support
creating a pathway to earned
citizenship for undocumented
immigrants to naturalize the 11
million undocumented workers
currently living in the U.S.
3
Bipartisan “Gang of 8” Introduce Senate Immigration
Reform Legislation
Michael Bennet
D-Colo.
Dick Durbin
D-Ill.
Jeff Flake
R-Ariz.
Lindsey Graham
R-S.C.
John McCain
R-Ariz.
Bob Menendez
D-N.J.
Marco Rubio
R-Fla.
Chuck Schumer
D-N.Y.
The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration
Modernization Act of 2013 (S.744)
Title I: Border Security
for every woman
Title II: Legalization (Registered Provisional Immigrant
program) and Legal Immigration
Title III: Interior Enforcement
Title IV: Reforms to Non Immigrant Visa Programs.
4
Senate Bill Language and Summaries
• Full Text of Bill (Sen. Schumer’s website)
• Shorter Summary of Bill (DPCC)
for every woman
• Bill Overview and Other Resources (Sen.
Menendez’ website)
• YWCA USA Analysis on Senate Bill
5
YWCA Position on CIR
• Path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants
• Inclusive of the particular needs and challenges faced by
immigrant women and families
for every woman
• Any legislation must ensure that immigrants are able to fully
integrate into the nation’s social and economic fabric, with all of
the rights and responsibilities that entails.
6
Path to Citizenship: Senate Proposal
13-15 year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
for every woman
• Individual apply, if eligible, for registered provisional immigrant
status (RPI)
• In six years, individuals apply for a renewal of RPI status,
which requires a new background check, payment of processing
fees, back taxes, a $500 fine, and proof of employment and
financial resources that illustrate that the individual will not
require federal benefits.
• In three years, RPI’s may apply for lawful permanent residence
status (LPR). Eligibility includes: additional $1,000 fine per adult
applicant, proof that all applicants are learning English, payment
of any previous taxes owed, background check, and proof of
employment.
7
Issue Area: Women’s Health & Safety
Access to Affordable Healthcare
• 63% of Americans agree that
immigrants pursuing legalization should
be eligible for Medicaid and 59% believe
that they should be eligible for premium
assistance on the exchanges.
for every woman
•Since 2009, states can opt to provide
Medicaid and Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to
children and pregnant immigrant women.
•While groundbreaking, the ACA denies
coverage or benefits for aspiring
Americans, which translates to roughly 11
million people in the U.S. without access
to affordable health care options.
8
Issue Area: Women’s Health & Safety
Reproductive Health
• 61% of foreign-born women in the U.S.
have received a pap smear test in the
past three years, compared to 83% of
women born in the U.S.
for every woman
• Incidence and rates of mortality due to
cervical cancer for immigrant women
have risen over the years, while we have
seen a steady decline amongst women
born in the U.S
• It costs between $13 to $66 to get a
Pap test done, in comparison to $20,000
to $37,000 spent on cervical cancer
treatment.
9
Issue Area: Women’s Health & Safety
Immigrant Victims of Sexual and
Domestic Violence
• The Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) has historically provided key
protections for immigrant victims of
domestic and sexual violence.
for every woman
• Creation of U and T visas to assist
victims of domestic violence and sexual
trafficking
• While VAWA provisions critical, there is
room for improvement: work
authorizations, housing options, and an
increased cap of U-visas.
10
Legislative Asks: Women’s Health & Safety
• Access to affordable health care throughout RPI
status without waiting periods
• Access to affordable reproductive care coverage
throughout RPI status without wait periods
for every woman
• Added protections for immigrant victims of sexual
and domestic traffic, including work authorizations
and increased cap of U-visas
11
Issue Area: Economic Impact & Safety Nets
Immigrants Contribute to the Vitality of the U.S. Economy
for every woman
• Aspiring Americans paid $11.2 billion in taxes in 2010
• $1.6 billion in property taxes; $1.2 billion in personal income taxes; and $8.4
billion in sales taxes
12
Issue Area: Economic Impact & Safety Nets
Immigrants Supplement the U.S. Job Market
• Myth: Immigrants are takers - they displace native born workers
for every woman
• Myth: Every immigrant that enters the U.S. means another job lost for
native born workers
13
Issue Area: Economic Impact & Safety Nets
Access to Economic Safety Nets
• All immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay taxes in some
form: personal income taxes; property taxes; and sales taxes.
• Delaying or prohibiting access to federal public benefits will result in millions
of aspiring Americans to wait 13-15 years without access to vital economic
safety nets
14
for every woman
• Current Senate legislation, immigrants with RPI status will NOT be eligible
for any form of federal public benefits such as: SNAP; TANF; CHIP; or SSI
Legislative Asks: Economic Impact & Safety Nets
• Access to economic safety nets such as SNAP, SSI,
TANF, and CHIP throughout RPI status without wait
periods
for every woman
• Immediate access to work authorization provisions for
immigrant victims of violence
• Added labor protections for immigrant workers in lowskilled labor industry, such as through proposed Wvisas
15
Issue Area: Family Reunification
Family and Employment Visa
Backlogs
• Proposed Senate legislation outlines an
end to family and employment based visa
backlogs with 8 years of implementation
for every woman
• Senate proposal will now exclude
siblings and married children from
entering the U.S. through a family based
visa (Hirono amendment)
• Definition of children and spouse now
‘immediate family’; cutting out 3-8 yearS
in the waiting period. Relevant for
immigrant victims of violence with a
partner that has provisional status
16
Issue Area: Family Reunification
Deportations and Detention
• In President Obama’s first term alone,
the U.S. has deported 1.5 million
immigrants, the highest ever.
for every woman
• Most immigrants in detention centers or
deportation process have no criminal
record - often detained for minor traffic
violations, drug offenses, or DUI.
•Impact on immigrant families is
devastating. Many immigrant households
are complex, often made up of
undocumented and documented family
members.
•Urgent need to fix broken system deportation is not the solution.
17
Legislative Asks: Family Reunification
• Immediate end to all deportations and detention until
CIR legislation is passed
• Include siblings and married children as part of
family visa category
for every woman
• Tier detentions and deportations by the seriousness
of the crime committed
• Deportation and heightened borders are not the
solution to the U.S. unemployment rate - there is no
correlation
18
Issue Area: Access to Education
DREAM Act Eligibility
• Entered the U.S. before the age
of 16
for every woman
•Have a high school diploma or
GED from the U.S.
•Have attended at least 2 years
of college or served 4 years in
the military
19
Legislative Asks: Education
• Support the inclusion of the DREAM Act in the larger
CIR bill
• Access to affordable health care and reproductive
care coverage without wait periods for all DREAMers
for every woman
• Access to economic safety nets such as SNAP, TANF,
SSI and CHIP without wait periods for all DREAMers
20
•
Race and physical appearance is only
a descriptor– not a predictor
•
Racial profiling has a chilling impact
on immigrant communities
•
SB1070, 287g have resulted in an
uptick in reporting of hate crimes
amongst racial and religious
communities, racial profiling
•
Senate proposal prohibits the use of
racial profiling in matters of border
security and enforcement.
for every woman
Issue Area: End to Racial Profiling
21
Legislative Asks: Racial Profiling
• Inclusion of religious communities in federal data collection
process regarding racial profiling
• Ban the use of any sort of profiling as a method to address border
security and enforcement
for every woman
• Strict enforcement and clear consequences outlined for violations
of federal prohibition of racial profiling
22
Rebranding Immigrants
Change the Frame
DO SAY: Aspiring citizens,
New Americans, New
American Immigrants
DO SAY: Freedom to
Move, Land of Freedom
and Opportunity, People
Move
DON’T SAY: Illegal Aliens,
Illegal Immigrants,
Undocumented Workers
DON’T SAY: Rule of Law,
Broke the Law, Secure our
Borders
for every woman
Winning Messages
23
Take Action Before Capitol Hill Day 2013
• Urge your Member of Congress to support fair, comprehensive reform
for all immigrants – click here to send your email.
• Join the YWCA USA on May 30 for a blog carnival on common sense
immigration reform. To participate in the blog carnival, contact Qudsia
Jafree.
for every woman
• On June 6, the YWCA USA will host What Women Want: A National
Day of Action for Immigration Reform, which will coincide with the
YWCA USA’s Capitol Hill Day the needs and challenges faced by
immigrant women and their families.
24
for every woman
Question and Answer (Q&A)
25