May 5, 2006

A Closer look at Immigration reform

Thoughts on Immigration Reform and the Presence of Both Documented and Undocumented Immigrants - by William Shuey

The proper place for immigrants - especially those deemed “illegal” (I prefer the term “undocumented” or “out of status” when characterizing the between ten and thirty thousand such residents of our state) - has again become a major issue in public discourse, especially in the political arena.  This spring Congress is making an effort to “reform” our system of processing and classifying immigrants. Whether this effort will result in “comprehensive reform” or not remains to be seen. Here at the International Institute of Rhode Island, we have known for a long time that our current immigration system needs to be fixed.  We serve thousands of individuals every year who simply want to realize their “American dream.”  Part of the American dream is becoming a U.S. citizen.  Being a U.S. citizen gives a person the ability to fully participate in U.S. civic life: vote, run for political office, and travel abroad with greater access to services from American embassies. 

There have been many proposals in the U.S. Senate in the last few months regarding immigration reform. None of them would provide “amnesty” of undocumented residents and all of them require undocumented residents to take a series steps including paying fines and fees to legitimize their status. The proposal that the International Institute and its constituency support is the McCain-Kennedy bill, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005.  In this bill, undocumented residents would have to pay a large fine, apply for a temporary work authorization for three years, and then apply to renew this work authorization for another three years.  After six years, a person could apply to become what’s called a permanent resident (a.k.a. green card holder).  Once a person becomes a permanent resident, they can’t apply for citizenship for another five years unless they obtain their permanent resident status through marriage or if they are serving in the armed forces.  Therefore, under this proposal, it would take a minimum of eleven years for most eligible persons to become U.S. citizens. 

We ought to remember who the immigrants of Rhode Island really are.  Maybe you are an immigrant, or your neighbor, or co-worker. Quite probably - if you aren’t an immigrant yourself - your parents or grandparents were immigrants.  Immigrants built Rhode Island and continue to do so.  Our 16,000+ clients who walk into our agency every year come from 105 nations around the world; 85% of them are employed.  Our students come to us to learn English, get their GED or Pre-CNA certificate, or take citizenship classes. We have 680 people on our waiting list just for our English classes.  Immigrants make great contributions to Rhode Island and, if we are looking at their presence in strictly financial terms, it is well documented that they pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits. 

In short, we feel strongly that Rhode Islanders should stand up and demand that immigrants receive basic protections and human rights: the freedom to travel as they please, see their families, choose their jobs, and have equal protection under the law... read full article here.

Respectfully,


William Shuey
Executive Director
International Institute Rhode Island