NDN Blog

Kristian Ramos Op-Ed In NBCLatino: "Arizona Sheds Anti-Immigrant Policies; House Should Take Note"

One of the more interesting developments in the national immigration debate is the retreat of anti-immigrant politics in Arizona, a state which helped bring it to the nation.   A combination of real improvements along the border, a series of high-profile legal and political defeats, and a rallying of business and community leaders against the social and economic costs of anti-immigrant politics is ushering in a new, post-SB1070 era in Arizona.  As House Republicans in recent days have committed to SB1070 style anti-immigrant politics, it would be wise for them to pay attention to what has happened in Arizona in recent years:

Supreme Court Once Again Strikes Down Arizona Law: In 2010, Arizona passed SB1070, creating copy cat laws all over the country. The Obama Administration sued Arizona and took the case to the Supreme Court. The Court struck down most of SB1070, curtailing the rise of state passed immigration laws. This week a conservative Supreme Court struck down another Arizona law which came from the same style of SB1070 politics.  For the second consecutive year a conservative Supreme Court has handed Arizona’s anti-immigrant leaders a significant legal defeat.

The Legislative Architect of SB1070 was Recalled, and is Now Out of Politics: In 2010 Russell Pearce, the then-majority leader of the state Senate pushed SB1070 through the state legislature. In 2011, a coalition which included Republican business leaders became alarmed by the damage to the state’s reputation. It backed a moderate GOP candidate, who defeated the sitting majority leader in a recall election.  A year later, Pearce ran in a newly-redrawn district and was handily defeated in a primary by a moderate Republican candidate.  Embracing virulent anti-immigrant politics ended the political career of Russell Pearce.

Arizona Senators are Now Leaders on Immigration Reform: The weakening of the SB1070 forces has given Arizona’s Senators McCain and Flake the ability to be among immigration reforms most important champions.  Senator McCain now defends progress made on the southwest border, recently taking to the Senate floor to note: “I have been on the border in Arizona for the last 30 years, to somehow say there have not been significant advancements in border security defies the facts.”  These kinds of statements were hard to imagine in the build “the dang fence” frenzy of 2010.

Democrats are Making Significant Political Gains: Despite the reputation of the state as a conservative bastion, the Congressional boundaries have produced a Congressional delegation that is 5-4 Democratic, and is likely to stay so for years.  In 2011, Tucson and Phoenix both elected Democratic mayors, the first time these cities have had Democrats in some time.   Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has become an important opponent to local Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and is among the most spirited advocates for comprehensive immigration reform in the country.

Arizona State legislature rejects Anti-Immigration Laws: After years of legislative sessions dominated by anti-immigrant/SB1070 style politics, this year’s session has seen very little of this type of legislation, and none have passed.  One of SB1070’s most important leaders, and one of President Obama’s most virulent critics, Governor Jan Brewer, recently accepted the new health care law’s Medicaid provisions, something rejected by most other Republican governors in the country and put her on the receiving end of scorn from the state’s Republican Party.  These new provisions will disproportionately help low income Hispanic residents of the state. Brewer’s actions would have been unthinkable at the height of the anti-immigrant political movement. Today they are further signs of the weakening hold that this movement has on Republican lawmakers in Arizona.

Arizona’s Republican Party, once the nation’s greatest champion of anti-immigrant politics, has largely moved on to other matters, not wanting to absorb the costs and losses they were suffering.  The state’s two most important Republican politicians have become important leaders of a new wave of comprehensive immigration reform advocacy.   Democrats have made significant gains in the state in recent years, bringing Arizona much closer to being a purple state than ever before.

As someone who grew up in Arizona, I have watched the weakening of SB1070 style politics among the Arizona Republicans with both amazement and joy.  House Republicans ignore their journey at their own peril.

This was originally posted in NBC Latino and can also be read here.

Perspectives From Southwest Border Mayors on Immigration Reform

NDN/NPI's 21st Century Border Initiatve hosted a conference call with Southwest Border Mayors to discuss the real life impact of immigration policies on border communitties.

On the call NDN/NPI unveiled the following Southwest border mayors will be available to provide context to the ongoing immigration debate and how it impacts real people and the economic vitality of border communities. 

They include, but are not limited to, the following Mayors:

  • Arturo Garino - Mayor of Nogales, Arizona
  • Raul Salinas - Mayor of laredo, Texas
  • Greg Stanton - Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona
  • Tony Martinez - Mayor of Brownsville, Texas
  • Ken Miyagashima - Mayor of Las Cruces, New Mexico

Following the call Simon Rosenberg, President, NDN and the New Policy Institute led a conversation with
Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona and Tony Martinez, Mayor of Brownsville, Texas talked about how the border communities are dealing with the immigration bill.

To listen to full call please click here.

Also as the Senate Border/Immigration bill moves to the Senate floor, the team at NDN/NPI offers up its most relevant background materials, and key press clips, updated daily. To view this please click here.

Daily Border Bulletin: Mexican Trade/Tourist Boon, Math of House Immigration Reform, Critics Exaggerate Visa System Holes

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up:

Mexican Trade — and Tourists — Are Boon for U.S. Businesses As the recent NDN and NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative report "Realizing the Strategic National Value of our Trade, Tourism and Ports of Entry with Mexico" http://ndn.org/sites/default/files/blog_files/NPI%20U%20S%20-Mexico%20Trade%20Tourism%20POE%20Report_0.pdf states, U.S. trade with Mexico is at an all-time high, creating vital jobs on both sides of the border. 

The Basic Math of Immigration Reform in the House True positions on immigration reform are difficult to determine as House Republicans negotiate district opinions, congressional politics, the future of their party, and the future of U.S. immigration. Jonathan Bernstein thinks it unlikely that the Republican-led House will attempt to pass an overly conservative immigration bill that would turn away all Democratic and some Republican support.

Critics Exaggerate Holes in Visa System Updated data shows that visa overstays have decreased in the last decade and suggests that alarm from immigration reform critics is overstated. Improved DHS records, as well as increased cooperation at the northern and southern borders, have made significant strides toward ensuring that people are not staying beyond their legal limit.

Simon in the McAllen Monitor "Mexican trade — and tourists — are boon for U.S. businesses"

NDN and NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative is proud of our new report, "Realizing the Strategic National Value of our Trade, Tourism and Ports of Entry with Mexico." This new report built upon two previous papers produced with NPI by ASU's Erik Lee, "Realizing the Value of Crossborder Trade With Mexico" and "Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to The United States." 

In our new report we make recommendations on how to realize the extraordinary value of the deepening economic relationship between the US and Mexico. Simon recently sat down to chat with the McAllen Monitor to talk about thre report and the incredible power of our economic relationship with Mexico. The full story is below. Also be sure to read about Simons work in helping to draft a new border strategy in Brownsville, TX here

Mexican trade — and tourists — are boon for U.S. businesses

As the Congress debates immigration reform legislation, millions of tourists and billions of dollars continue to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in both directions.

A study released earlier this month by NDN, a center-left think-tank based in Washington, D.C., shows trade and tourism between the two countries is at an all-time high.

Trade between the two nations in 2012 was estimated at $535 billion. That number is up from $300 billion in 2009, a number that’s projected to double by this year, said Simon Rosenberg, the president of NDN.

Texas leads all states with almost $200 billion in imports and exports with Mexico.

Trade with Mexico sustains almost 6 million U.S. jobs, the NDN study said. In the Rio Grande Valley, tourists provide the biggest Mexican boost to the economy.

“We really rely heavily on the Mexican market,” said Nancy Millar, the director of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The economic downturn in 2008 — which coincided with a spike in cartel violence — hurt Mexican tourism to the Valley, Millar said. Prior to those phenomena, 35 percent of income to McAllen’s tourism industry came from Mexico, she said, and it remains a vital part of McAllen’s economy.

“There’s no doubt we have a much stronger economy than we would without them — 35 percent stronger,” she said.

The NDN report called on lawmakers to use the immigration reform bill to increase the number of ports of entry and staffing of Customs and Border Protection officers at the border to expedite travel from Mexico to the U.S.

“The customs department of (the Department of Homeland Security) is going to have to grow with trade and legal tourism,” Rosenberg said. “We’ve got to invest more in border infrastructure. We’ve got to cut down on wait times.”

Doing so would also help eliminate barriers to further trade between the two countries, said Shannon O’Neil, a senior policy fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. And further trade means growing economies on both sides of border, particularly in areas near the border.

“When a Ford plant opens in Mexico, it increases employment in the U.S.,” O’Neil said. That is because manufacturing companies take advantage of the free-trade laws that allow easy passage between North American nations to produce different parts in different places for the same finished product.

“Up to 40 percent of a product that’s ‘made in Mexico’ actually comes from here originally,” she said. That’s a departure from just 10 to 20 years ago when most Mexican exports to the U.S. were natural resources like gas, she added.

But reducing waiting times for Mexican tourists to enter the country is only one part of a formula to further improve trade. Border violence has to be controlled.

“What’s been interesting is you’ve seen economic growth in Mexico even as security has worsened,” O’Neil said. But she doesn’t see that trend continuing.

“In the long term, I don’t see how prosperity and growth that people hope for can continue if you can’t guarantee safety,” she said. “Economic growth and security have to go hand in hand.”

Rosenberg believes economic growth can help bring security.

“Improving the economy on both sides of the border has to be seen as part of the strategy to weaken transnational criminal organizations,” he said. “One of the ways to attack the cartels is to show that Mexicans have good jobs.”

That the trade relationship has flourished in a period of heightened security risks “shows just how resilient and deep and broad this all is,” Rosenberg said.

“And it shows that if the security situation improves, my God, what is going to be possible?”

NDN in Voxxi - Reasons for Optimism on Border Section of Immigration Legislation

With the first week of the Senate Judiciary Mark-Up behind us, it is clear the Senate Immigration Bill (S.744) retains significant bipartisan momentum. While there were many amendments offered to the Title I Border Enforcement section of the Senate legislation, the “Gang of Eight” was able to retain the balance of enforcement and investment in the critical needs of staffing at our ports of entry at the border. In the House, the Committee on Homeland Security, has quietly been marking up their own Border Enforcement legislation, and thus far has kept the balance of enforcement/investment at the border established by the Senate intact.

These developments can be attributed to a couple of very important developments at our southern border.

Border Communities Are Safer: Since 2008, the budget for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has grown from $9.3 billion to $11.8 billion in 2012. That is 2.5 billion dollars invested in the the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol alone. Within CBP, the amount of money allocated to the U.S. Border Patrol grew from $1.5 billion in FY 2003 to $3 billion in FY 2010 and continues to grow today. As a result of greater investment, cooperation with Mexico and better strategy has also resulted in an increase in apprehension rates in high traffic crossing areas. A December report from the Government Accountability Office reported that of the Border Patrol’s nine southwest-border sectors, five had more than 30,000 apprehensions in fiscal 2011, making them a “high traffic” corridor. Of these five, San Diego, CA had a 92 percent apprehension rate, El Centro, CA 91 percent, Tucson, AZ 87 percent, Laredo, TX 84 percent and the Rio Grande corridor in Texas was 71 percent. As such the Senate legislation acknowledges these gains in security by balancing enforcement and economic investment in the region.

The U.S.-Mexico relationship is essentially a commercial one: For years the U.S. has viewed our relationship through the prism, today while there are certainly security issues on the Mexico side of the border, there is now an equally compelling economic story to be told. In a new NDN/New Policy Institute report “Realizing the Strategic National Value of our Trade, Tourism and Ports of Entry with Mexico” we note: Six million U.S. jobs depend on our trade with Mexico. Mexico is our nation’s number two export market in the world and our number three trading partner overall. Mexico is our nation’s second most important foreign tourism market as well as the fourth-ranked in terms of spending by tourists.

The bipartisan “Gang of Eight’s” Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 proposes the addition of 3,500 additional Customs and Border Protection officers to staff the ports of entry on the southern border. Twenty-three states have Mexico as their number one or number two trading partner. As such it should come as no surprise that after the first week of markup the additional staffing has remained in the legislation and is likely to be included or enhanced in the House version of the bill.

Bottom line: there is fairly broad bipartisan agreement in Congress on the need to improve our land ports of entry with Mexico, which are responsible for screening and facilitating legitimate trade and travel. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is sponsoring a bill in the Senate that enables public-private partnerships at the ports of entry; in the House, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX 28) is sponsoring an identical bill.

This additional staffing is badly needed to relieve commercial, passenger and pedestrian congestion at our ports of entry with Mexico. A continued shift in attitude and approach, a bit of investment and some creative thinking on how to most efficiently and safely move people, goods and services between our two countries through our numerous, highly congested land ports of entry would greatly improve this already robust economic relationship.

A version of this piece was orginally published on VOXXI and can be read here

Daily Border Bulletin: Hatch on Immigration Overhaul, Immigration Officials Say Safeguards Added, AZ Desert Swallows Migrants

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up: 

Veteran Senator Emerges as Player on Immigration Overhaul Supporters of immigration reform look to Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah for needed Republican support as the markup of the Senate bill continues. Gaining that support may mean making compromises with Senator Hatch on issues of finance and H-1B visas.

Immigration Officials Say Safeguards Were Added DHS and the Obama administration push back on erroneous reports that security requirements were insufficient for adequately checking the backgrounds of millions of immigrants in the Senate immigration legislation.

Arizona Desert Swallows Migrants on Riskier Paths Despite declining apprehension rates in recent years, the numbers of migrant deaths along the US-Mexico border have remained high. As border security has increased, migrants have sought more dangerous paths to cross the border, with more fatal results. The difficulty of identifying the bodies found points to the complexity of the immigration issue.

At NDN Event, Senator Michael Bennet Optimstic About Immigration Reform's Prospects

With the Senate Judiciary Committee continuing its third week of markup on S. 744, The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, NDN and NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative hosted a special lunchtime keynote address today featuring Senator Michael Bennet (D-Col.), joined by Congressman Joe Garcia (D, FL-26), on the progress of immigration legislation in Congress. 

Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the “Gang of Eight” that drafted the Senate border and immigration bill, began by reflecting on experience from his own state: “I don’t think this is a Democrat or a Republican issue at all. I think it is a big Colorado issue, and a big issue for our economy.” He emphasized that immigration reform is important to all economic sectors across the United States and should be a nonpartisan unifying issue. He complimented the “extraordinary leadership” of the four Republican members of the Gang of Eight, Senators Rubio, McCain, Graham, and Flake. Passing the proposed immigration reform legislation would create a “new architecture” in gridlocked Washington. Senator Bennet also established the importance of creating a pathway to citizenship: “We created a chance for people who pass a background check and pay taxes to have a chance for lawful status in the United States, to work and pay taxes and come out of the shadows.” He expressed every expectation that the Senate bill will leave committee this week, commended the work and transparency of Judiciary Committee, and hoped the House will strongly consider the Senate proposal.

Congressman Joe Garcia, member of the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Immigration and Border Security, echoed Senator Bennet’s praise for bipartisan action, sense of the importance of immigration reform, and optimism that legislation will pass in the House as well as the Senate. Even if the House must go through its own process, “we all want immigration reform.” He compared the current situation with the failed reform of 2007 saying Congress has advanced to “more substantative debate” because, in addition to all other reasons, comprehensive “immigration reform makes sense on an economic basis.” He concluded saying, “This is something huge, something that needs to be done, and the alternative is unacceptable.”

Simon Rosenberg, President of NDN and the New Policy Institute, introduced the event and Congressional members and gave a 21st Century Border Initiative presentation entitled “Immigration Reform: How The Landscape Has Changed Since McCain Kennedy Was Introduced in 2005.” The report uses statistics to narrate how the improvements in the US immigration system, US politics, and Mexico’s economy make this the ideal and necessary time for comprehensive immigration reform. Firmly supporting the Senate bill, he concluded, “It would be a reminder that Washington can do big things.” For the a copy of powerpoint presentation Simon gave at the event please see below. The presentation, Immigration Reform: How The Landscape Has Changed Since McCain/Kennedy Was Introduced in 2005 can be seen HERE.

For background on the event be sure to read NDN and NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative new report, "Realizing the Strategic National Value of our Trade, Tourism and Ports of Entry with Mexico." This new report will build on two previous papers produced with NPI by ASU's Erik Lee, "Realizing the Value of Crossborder Trade With Mexico" and "Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to The United States." Simon’s recent Huffington Post Op-ed, “The Border is Safer, Our Immigration System is Better;” Kristian's recent NBC Latino Op-Ed "Want to make the border safer? Pass common sense gun violence legislation;" see our round-up of our most important work on these issues; and stay in touch with us via our website 21border.com. 

Daily Border Bulletin: House Group Immigration Agreement, Small Businesses Want IR, Immigration Vote Looms in Sen. Judiciary


Your Daily Border Bulletin is up:

House Group Agrees on Immigration Reform The House’s own bipartisan “Gang of Eight” has announced that it reached an “agreement in principle” on immigration reform legislation.

Vast Majority of Small Businesses Want Immigration Reform When surveyed, the majority of American small businesses favor immigration reform and an E-Verify program that does not affect their bottom line.

Immigration Vote Looms In Senate Judiciary Committee The Senate Judiciary Committee hopes to finish markup on S. 744, The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, by the end of this week. However, disputes over amendments on high-skilled immigrant visas and green cards for foreign-born gay spouses are yet to be resolved.

 

NDN/NPI Pleased STEM Fund Amendment Passed On Day Two Of Senate Judiciary Markup

So we are two days into the Senate Judiciary Committee mark-up of its border and immigration bill, S744, and the strong bi-partisan and pragmatic sensibility which helped draft this thoughtful bill continues to win the day. 

Of the votes yesterday, one was of particular interest to us – Hatch Amendment 9, which called for more funding of STEM education here in the US.  The idea is simple – why we need to fill high tech jobs with skilled immigrants today, as a matter of national strategy, it would be better to fill these jobs with Americans.   This strategy will help do that over time, and we are pleased that it passed. 

Of the Amendments we took positions on this week, the following remain to be voted on later this week:

NDN Does Not Support the Following Amendments:

Senator Orin Hatch’s Amendment # 19:  would exempt employers of temporary workers from complying with labor and employment laws.

Senator Orin Hatch’s Amendment # 20 would strike the term “any person’’ and insert the following: ‘‘an aggrieved applicant, employee, or non-immigrant (or a person acting on such person’s behalf).

Senator Grassley's Amendments #73 & #74  would restrict temporary workers (new "W" visa recipients) from renewing their visas, and would require all temporary workers to provide proof that they can and are paying for their own health insurance, which could effectively prevent almost all temporary workers from entering the U.S.

NDN Does Support the Following Amendments

Senator Blumenthal’s Amendment # 13 Would provide whistleblower protections for temporary workers.

Senator Blumenthal’s Amendment # 17 would ensure that workers have the right to a pay stub so that they can prove employment status for the pathway to citizenship.

Senator Schumer's Amendment #5  Would help workers change employers without the risk of losing their visa, and would provide an electronic monitoring system for the program.

Hatch Amendment #10 corrects the current H-1b escalator formula, increasing the number of H-1b visas, job creating U.S. innovators are seeking.

Hatch Amendment #11 leaves in rules regarding the management of the foreign professional, but also do away with attestation, and replace it with a fee that contributes to training U.S. workers.

Hatch Amendment #12 achieves the goal of protecting U.S. job creation AND U.S. workers by stripping out burdensome regulation from job creators.

Hatch Amendment #13 fixes ambiguous standards for job creators by changing language penalizing innovators by not allowing them to hire any foreign professionals for 6 months if they have had net layoffs.   

Hatch Amendment #17 accounts for hiring delays caused by onerous processing applications, improves the system for good employers, by pointing out the practical application of the law.

And you can find our previous takes on the SJC markup process here.

 

NDN's Take on Day Two of Judiciary Mark Up of Senate Immigration Bill

On Tuesday, May 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be considering amendments relating to employment-based visas in the bipartisan immigration bill, S. 744. Judiciary.  After a thorough review of the purposed Amendments, NDN urges adoption and defeat of the following 13 Amendments:  

We do not support the following:

Senator Orin Hatch’s Amendment # 19:  would exempt employers of temporary workers from complying with labor and employment laws.

Senator Orin Hatch’s Amendment # 20 would strike the term “any person’’ and insert the following: ‘‘an aggrieved applicant, employee, or non-immigrant (or a person acting on such person’s behalf).

Senator Grassley's Amendments #73 & #74  would restrict temporary workers (new "W" visa recipients) from renewing their visas, and would require all temporary workers to provide proof that they can and are paying for their own health insurance, which could effectively prevent almost all temporary workers from entering the U.S.

We support

Senator Blumenthal’s Amendment # 13 Would provide whistleblower protections for temporary workers.

Senator Blumenthal’s Amendment # 17 would ensure that workers have the right to a pay stub so that they can prove employment status for the pathway to citizenship.

Senator Schumer's Amendment #5  Would help workers change employers without the risk of losing their visa, and would provide an electronic monitoring system for the program.

Hatch Amendment #9  creates a STEM fund focused on K-12, post-secondary, and continuing education programs that will help reverse trends contributing to today's STEM shortages, making our long-term economic needs a priority.

Amendment #10 corrects the current H-1b escalator formula, increasing the number of H-1b visas, job creating U.S. innovators are seeking.

Amendment #11 leaves in rules regarding the management of the foreign professional, but also do away with attestation, and replace it with a fee that contributes to training U.S. workers.

Amendment #12 achieves the goal of protecting U.S. job creation AND U.S. workers by stripping out burdensome regulation from job creators.

Amendment #13 fixes ambiguous standards for job creators by changing language penalizing innovators by not allowing them to hire any foreign professionals for 6 months if they have had net layoffs.   

Amendment #17 accounts for hiring delays caused by onerous processing applications, improves the system for good employers, by pointing out the practical application of the law.

Hatch Amendments 9-13 and 17 are particularly important as they ensure that the high-skilled visa reform envisioned in the Senate Gang of Eight bill is workable, and does not become too difficult to implement for well-intentioned US companies.  

And be sure to review NDN’s take on the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee Mark-Up.

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