Quota Group
—Document all undocumented workers, in order to equal the playing field in terms of wages
—Should family reunification be emphasized to the same extent? How should we determine skill levels for labor market, and how should we determine refugee policy
—have a ceiling and a goal about how far we want to grow through immigration
—Is an immigration policy designed in 1965 still appropriate? American exceptionalism, environmental issues, population growth—what do we want going forward? People want to come here, and we don’t want to pick winners, but still need to be aware of skills that individuals can contribute to strengthening the nation.
Q&A
Can immigration policy respond to events, i.e. war, climate catastrophes?
QG—we have responsibility to open doors for refugees that come from places where the U.S. has interests or is at war
QG—are we discussing temporary or permanent refugee status?
How to then make undocumented workers documented?
Do you have statistical support for idea that undocumented workers suppress wages of domestic workers?
Guest Worker Program
H2B—guest workers who come in and work at resorts should be abolished, need to hire domestic workers, H2B visas
3 million people incarcerated, and we should focus less on mass incarceration and more on employing people who are living in the country.
“It’s a program to benefit rich people”
There should be a bureau established to monitor and regulate foreign worker guest workers program–a W visa which would have annual caps, require employers to pay a fee, whose wages would be indexed, there should be a set time period of work, there should be vetting of employers, this should include both chamber of commerce and labor unions
There should be inspectors for this bureau
Undocumented Residency/Path to Citizenship
All undocumented persons, could receive a purple card, signify permanent residence (undocumented workers)
All purple card workers in good standing (after 10 years), or who serve the nation in the military or through another talent (7 years) can apply for citizenship.
They should have same access to welfare, resources, and services as domestic residents, and pay taxes and demonstrate good moral character,
If they violate terms, i.e. break laws, then they lose their purple card and lose their chance.
ICE
Homeland Security, reports to Executive branch
Politics of Fear
What do they do? 2/3 undocumented people have been in U.S. for over a decade
Reduce the power of ICE
- Safe communities act—safe areas for undocumented workers to go
- Amnesty—staged priorities, as to which undocumented immigrants should be left alone and allowed to work toward citizenship
implement an exemption program like the “military draft” for those who are married, those who have children, and those who are provided essential work. People who are here with their families, low priority, those who have been living and working successfully for x number of years—low priority for deportation
Employers could apply for a certificate of need for their employees
3 Take away federal power to help states help them with enforcemen
4 Enforcement and Removement Operations (ERO), ERO must go
REFUGEE AND ASLYUM
current cap: 48,000 refugees
- Increasing capacity of administrative/legal—in order to expedite, low on judges in this area, attorneys for this system.
- Consider better ways to offer social services
- No for profit detention centers, turn detention centers in non-profit community systems where refugees could find useful and productive ways to use their time while waiting for a hearing, have a community focus
DACA GROUP
No cause of their own, considered illegal aliens, but this is a “rotten deal”
- Make DACA into law, turn it from an executive order into law
- Amend DACA law to include key elements of the Dreamer Act provides a path of citizenship (going to army, getting job, passing tests) (700,000)
- Fed. Judge in Houston, TX, upheld DACA and turned down attempt to halt the program
