TESTIMONY BY THE LATINO ACTION NETWORK BEFORE THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY LABOR COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 24, 2019

TESTIMONY BY

THE LATINO ACTION NETWORK

BEFORE THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY LABOR COMMITTEE

JANUARY 24, 2019

DELIVERED BY:

Christian Estevez, President

Latino Action Network

2560 U.S. Highway 22, Suite 322

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Phone: (973) 418-7012

esteveznj@gmail.com

Good morning, my name is Christian Estevez and I am President of the Latino Action Network.  We are a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to mobilizing New Jersey’s Latino community to seek greater social, economic and educational justice. The Latino Action Network has been working with a broad coalition of organizations that are committed to helping New Jersey’s working poor by getting the minimum wage raised to $15 per hour.  

I thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of Assembly Bill A-15 which raises the minimum wage to $15 per hour within 5 years for most workers.

While we believe that it would be more beneficial to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour immediately, the pace set forth in this bill for the implementation of the increase is a compromise that we feel we can live with.  It is imperative that we achieve a living wage posthaste.

We also remain concerned about those that will be left behind by this bill, especially farm workers and those that work for small businesses.  The bill collectors do not treat people differently based on where they work.  A gallon of milk costs the same for the person that works for the big corporation and the person that works for the small business or on a farm.  No discounts are given because you earn less.

While this bill is not perfect, we feel that we must support it because the status quo cannot be allowed to continue.

It is unacceptable that hard-working people, including a disproportionate number of Latinos, continue to struggle to meet the most basic of needs.  A person earning the current minimum wage in New Jersey of $8.85 per hour would barely earn $18,000 per year if they worked full-time.  That is below the poverty line as set forth by the federal government for a family of three.  The reality is that the average family in New Jersey has 2.7 children.  That means that in a family with 2 children, both parents would have to work full-time jobs just to keep their heads barely 

above the poverty line if they were both earning the minimum wage. Given that New Jersey is one of the most expensive states to live in, earning just above the federal poverty line is just not enough.  Unfortunately, this is a reality for far too many New Jersians.

Latinos are overrepresented amongst low wage earners:

Latinos constitute 17 percent of New Jersey’s population, yet account for 29 percent of low-wage earners that would benefit from a raise in the minimum wage according to a report issued by New Jersey Policy Perspective, an independent nonpartisan think tank that promotes shared prosperity and widespread economic opportunity in the Garden State.  According to the National Employment Law Project, almost 60 percent of Latino workers make less than $15 per hour. 

These numbers speak to the scope of the problem that low wages pose to Latino working families.  While low wages negatively impact workers from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, Latinos are the group that is most disproportionally impacted by this problem.  

The scale of the impact that low wages have on the Latino community can be seen in our schools where Latino parents have a difficult time participating in their children’s education since many have to work two or three jobs just to keep their families above water.  As a result, many Latino students fall further behind academically, making it harder for them to get into college so that they can compete for the high-skilled, high-wage careers that are in demand in New Jersey. Instead, far too many young Latino workers are relegated to low-skilled, low-wage work just like their parents.  

We have an opportunity to break this cycle by passing common-sense legislation that raises the minimum wage in New Jersey to $15 per hour within the next five years.  If we do not act now, we will relegate too many of our working families to poverty and foreclose on the futures of more generations of the children of the working poor.  

Raising the minimum wage will not only help Latino working families, but it will also help Latino owned small businesses and local economies since it will put more money in the pockets of consumers that will spend those dollars on their families’ necessities.  This additional economic activity will lead to job growth and increased profits in communities that are still struggling to recover from the recent economic crisis that was caused by wild speculation on Wall Street.  Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will deliver economic stimulus to Main Street where it is needed the most.

We at the Latino Action Network urge you to vote Assembly Bill A-15 favorably out of committee and we hope that your colleagues will support all of New Jersey’s working families by voting in favor of this bill when it reaches the floor of the Assembly.

Thank you.

Latino Action Congratulates Assemblywoman Caride on Cabinet Appointment - Urges Appointment of Latino to Fill Vacant Assembly Seat

Assemblywoman Marlene Caride (LD 36) selected by Governor-Elect Murphy to serve as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.

 The Latino Action Network [LAN] today endorsed the appointment of Assemblywoman Marlene Caride [D-36^th District] as the new Commissioner of the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance. The appointment marks the first major Latino appointment by Governor-Elect Phil Murphy.

“We consider this an important first step by the Governor-Elect to select a diverse cabinet and administration reflecting the demographics of New Jersey.  Assemblywoman Caride is an incredible role model and this is a proud day for the New Jersey Latino community,” said Christian Estevez, LAN President. “We expect the incoming governor to fulfill his promises to a community that strongly supported him and which makes up about 20 percent of the state’s population.”

The appointment of Caride leaves a vacancy in the State Assembly in a district with a large Latino population including the City of Passaic. During the 2011 redistricting process the LAN worked to insure that a Latino was selected in that district because of the relatively light representation of Latinos in the State Legislature.

There are currently only 3 Latino State Senators out of 40 and 7 Assembly members out of 80.

“We expect the legislative leadership in the district, and specifically Senator Paul Sarlo, to work with LAN to insure Latino representation in the 36^th District,” Estevez concluded. Latinos make up 35 percent of the population of the 36^th District.

The Latino Action Network was founded in 2009 to fight for political empowerment and defend civil rights.

LATINO ACTION NETWORK - POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

 

LATINO ACTION NETWORK - POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2016

Christian Estevez, Chair, LAN-PAC – 973-418-7012

Javier Robles, LAN-PAC Member – 732-887-8722

 

Newark, NJ – The Latino Action Network - Political Action Committee [LAN-PAC] today announced its support for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States of America and urged Latinos to vote in the upcoming presidential election in November.

The Latino Action Network Political Action Committee was established in 2012 to promote candidates working on behalf of the issues of greatest importance to the Latino Community on the national level.  

Citing her extensive experience as a U.S. Senator (D-NY) and Secretary of State, Christian Estevez, Chair of LAN-PAC said that, “Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate running and we must do everything we can to elect her as our next President”.  

“Hillary Clinton has a realistic plan to create new jobs starting with a major initiative to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure that will put thousands to work right away”, continued Estevez.   “She has a balanced approach to taxes that will ask the wealthy to contribute more to help create opportunities for all through job development and education.  Her approach will particularly help Latinos who are struggling to become a vital part of the middle class.”

“The stakes could not be higher for Latinos in the United States given the hateful pronouncements being made on the campaign trail by the Republican nominee Donald Trump,” added Estevez. “Besides his preposterous promise to build a giant wall along the southern border with Mexico and his anti-Latino rhetoric, including his attacks against Mexican-American Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Donald Trump represents a real threat to Latino communities throughout the United States due to his support for racist and xenophobic policies like 287g and the creation of a ‘deportation Taskforce’”.

Estevez also cited the U.S. Supreme Court as a reason that Latinos must take this election seriously.  “With the current vacancy on our highest court and more potential vacancies to occur during the next term it is scary to think who Donald Trump would appoint”, said Estevez.  “If Trump were allowed to stack the U.S. Supreme Court with people that are as racist and hateful as he is, he could set back civil rights in this country by over 100 years.”

Javier Robles, who also serves on the board of the LAN-PACcautioned that low turnout in November amongst Latino voters could favor Trump. “It is imperative that Latinos register to vote and turn out in high numbers in November if we hope to have a president in the White House that we can work with to promote policies that embrace Latinos and other immigrant groups as integral to the success of our nation”, said Robles.  “A win for Trump would be disastrous for our community.”

###

LAN FYI: White House eases path to residency for some undocumented immigrants

latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-illegal-immigration-residency-20130102,0,181647.story

By Brian Bennett

9:28 AM PST, January 2, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration eased the way Wednesday for illegal immigrants who are immediate relatives of American citizens to apply for permanent residency, a change that could affect as many as 1 million of the estimated 11 million immigrants unlawfully in the U.S.

A new rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security aims to reduce the time illegal immigrants are separated from their American families while seeking legal status, immigration officials said.

Beginning March 4, when the changes go into effect, illegal immigrants who can demonstrate that time apart from an American spouse, child or parent would create “extreme hardship,” can start the application process for a legal visa without leaving the U.S.

Once approved, applicants would be required to leave the U.S. briefly in order to return to their native country and pick up their visa.

The change is the latest move by the administration to use its executive powers to revise immigration procedures without Congress passing a law. In August, the Obama administration launched a program to halt the deportation of young people brought to the U.S. unlawfully as children.

The new procedures could reduce a family's time apart to one week in some cases, officials said. In recent years a few relatives of U.S. citizens have been killed in foreign countries while waiting for their applications to be resolved.

“The law is designed to avoid extreme hardship to U.S. citizens, which is precisely what this rule achieves,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in a statement. “The change will have a significant impact on American families by greatly reducing the time family members are separated from those they rely upon,” he said.

Until now, many immigrants who might seek legal status do not pursue it out of fear they will not receive a "hardship waiver" of strict U.S. immigration laws: An illegal immigrant who has overstayed a visa for more than six months is barred from reentering the U.S. for three years; those who overstay more than a year are barred for 10 years.

The new rule allows those relatives to apply for the waiver without first leaving the U.S.

brian.bennett@latimes.com
Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

Hispanic Bar of New Jersey Disappointed with Governor Christie's Lack of Latino Nominations to Supreme Court

Opposition is growing to Governor Christie's plan to leave the state Supreme Court without Latino representation.  Please read the story that ran today in PolitickerNJ.com regarding the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey's statement on the matter.  

"The Latino Action Network announced shortly after the governor’s nominations that it opposes the governor’s plan to leave the Supreme Court without either an African-American or Latino member."

Hispanic Bar of N.J. joins ranks of Latino groups disappointed with gov's Supreme Court nominations

By Politicker Staff | December 19th, 2012 - 4:44pm

A nonprofit representing the state’s Hispanic legal community expressed disappointment earlier this week over Gov. Chris Christie’s decision not to nominate a Latino to the state Supreme Court.

The Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey issued a statement earlier this week criticizing the governor for failing to nominate a person for the high court who would better reflect the state’s diversity.

“The HBA-NJ considers it imperative that the leaders of our state appoint individuals that proportionately reflect the residents of New Jersey in order to instill public trust in our government and the justice system,” the association said in a statement.

“As the largest minority population in the state of New Jersey, and the largest growing minority population throughout the United States, Latinos have undeniably made significant contributions to the state,” reads the statement.

The association, which declared it is not currently taking a position on Christie’s two nominees, said the governor’s failure to nominate a Latino candidate has “been perceived by many as dismissive of the Latino community’s growth.”

Christie nominated Board of Public Utilities President Robert Hanna and Judge David Bauman to the state Supreme Court earlier this month.

The Latino Action Network announced shortly after the governor’s nominations that it opposes the governor’s plan to leave the Supreme Court without either an African-American or Latino member.

Read more at http://www.politickernj.com/61900/hispanic-bar-nj-joins-ranks-latino-groups-disappointed-govs-supreme-court-nominations#ixzz2FXTitMwP

LAN FYI: Star Ledger - Christie introduces 2 new nominees for N.J. Supreme Court

The article below, which appeared in today's Star Ledger, shows the initial reaction to Governor Christie's nominations to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Latino Action Network Vice President, Christian Estevez was quoted in this article. [See pull out quote below]

“We’re definitely disappointed that the governor has nominated five people to the Supreme Court and not one of those nominations was a Latino,” said Christian Estevez, a Democrat who is executive vice president of the Latino Action Network.

You can see LAN's full statement on the announcement at:

http://latinoaction.blogspot.com/2012/12/five-nominations-no-latinos-christie.html?m=0

Christie introduces 2 new nominees for N.J. Supreme Court

Star Ledger

By Jenna Portnoy/Statehouse Bureau
December 10, 2012

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/christie_press_conference.html#incart_flyout_politics

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie yesterday nominated a Japanese-American judge and the Board of Public Utilities chief to the state Supreme Court, hoping to finally win over Senate Democrats who landed their strongest punch against the Republican governor by rejecting his last two nominees earlier this year.

If confirmed, David Bauman, presiding judge of the state Superior Court’s Monmouth County civil division, would be the first Asian-American on the court and the first immigrant in modern history. BPU President Robert Hanna’s 16-year stint as a federal prosecutor overlapped with Christie’s time as U.S. attorney.

“These are two men whose careers are marked by a commitment to public service and dedication to the law that gives both of them unique perspectives and great opportunity to make a major contribution to the New Jersey Supreme Court,” Christie said.

Bauman, 56, who was born in Japan, thanked Christie as his family looked on from front-row seats at the Statehouse news conference.

“Service on the highest court is an extraordinary honor,” he said. “It’s also a solemn obligation, which I promise to discharge to the best of my abilities should I be privileged enough to be confirmed.” Hanna, 54, quoted Thomas Paine when describing the importance of an independent judiciary.

“If confirmed I will discharge my duties without fear or favor, my fidelity will be to the law, to the noble and enduring cause of justice and to the people of the state of New Jersey,” he said.

A similar scene played out almost one year ago, when Christie introduced Philip Kwon, a Korean-born son of immigrants who was first assistant state attorney general, and Chatham Mayor Bruce Harris, an openly gay African-American, as his court nominees.

But the Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee rebuffed both — and the governor. In votes along party lines, lawmakers rejected Kwon, citing questions about his family’s business and his political affiliation. They said Harris lacked courtroom experience.

As a result, the seven-member court has operated with only five justices since March.

Christie, who has attacked the high court as a bastion of liberal activism, said yesterday he conceded to Democrats’ demands for partisan balance and diversity but had “no idea” if the confirmation process would go more smoothly.

“I don’t really know what more they can ask for at this point,” he said. “No one, and I mean no one, could possibly doubt the qualifications of these two men.”

Through the selection process Christie said he was in “constant conversation” with Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

But Sweeney only issued a short statement: “The governor has made his nominations, as is his right. At this point in time, however, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) was noncommittal even though he joined his colleagues in unanimously confirming Hanna for BPU president less than a year ago. Bauman received the same endorsement in 2008 when former Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, nominated him to the bench.

“Being confirmed for the BPU,” Scutari said, “I don’t know whether that has anything to do with whether you’d be confirmed for the Supreme Court.”

Christie and Senate Democrats have scrapped over party affiliation on the high court, which has two Democrats, two Republicans and an independent. Democrats say Jaynee LaVecchia, the independent, should be considered a Republican because she worked under GOP governors. Christie considers LaVecchia an independent, and said these nominations are “a compromise” that should break the logjam.

Christie initially described Kwon, a previously registered Republican, as an independent, This summer he began referring to Kwon as a Republican.

Just as when Kwon became the first Asian-American nominated to the court, the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey applauded the move. “I think this is a proud day ... for the Asian community,” president Paul Yoon said.

But representatives of other minority groups took aim at Christie.

“We’re definitely disappointed that the governor has nominated five people to the Supreme Court and not one of those nominations was a Latino,” said Christian Estevez, a Democrat who is executive vice president of the Latino Action Network.

State Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex), who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said, “We’re basically right back where we started with this governor as to how he relates to the Supreme Court and minorities across the board.”

SCHOLARSHIP: Bill Gates Scholarship Program For Minority Students

SCHOLARSHIP: Bill Gates Scholarship Program For Minority Students

Deadline: Jan. 16, 2013

Every year, the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program selects 1,000 talented minority students to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. The program provides scholars with personal & professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support through-out their college career. Administered by the UNCF, the program was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since 1999, it has funded the education of more than 16,000 students, awarding them more than $614M to pay for tuition, fees, books and housing.

The program aims to reduce financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic & leadership promise who have significant financial need; increase the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health & the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented; develop a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; and provide seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.

The deadline for submission is January 16, 2013.

Click HERE for more information:

http://www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/08/the-gates-millennium-scholars-program.html

Services for Dr. Daniel H. Jara

Services for Dr. Daniel H. Jara

There will be a brief service followed by a final viewing on:

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

10:00am-12:00pm

Gentile Funeral Services  

397 Union Street

Hackensack, NJ 07601 

(201) 487-4568

  

http://www.gentilefuneralservice.com

[Thank you to the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey for providing this information.  www.shccnj.org]

LATINO Leadership Coalition Calls on Bergen County Executive to Ensure Diversity on the Board of Trustees of Bergen Community College

The Latino Action Network has joined together with local and statewide Latinos to call upon Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan to appoint more Latinos to the Board of Trustees of Bergen Community College. The LATINO Leadership Coalition of Bergen County expressed our serious concerns regarding the lack of diversity on the Board of Trustees at Bergen Community College (BCC) and Ms. Donovan's decision to not re-appoint Germaine Ortiz to the Board. Bergen Community College has a very diverse student population. 52% of the student body is non-White. However, with the non-renewal of Germaine Ortiz, only two of the nine members of the college's Board of Trustees will be non-White. Our coalition is calling on County Executive Donovan to appoint members of the Board of Trustees that better reflect the diversity of the the student body of the college. You can read a copy of the letter that was sent to Ms. Donovan yesterday below. To get involved in our fight for diversity at Bergen Community College send an email to LAN at:

LatinoActionNetwork@gmail.com

Please forward to all of your contacts who are concerned about the lack of diversity in the leadership of Bergen Community College.

LATINO Leadership Coalition of Bergen County

November 30, 2012

The Honorable Kathleen Donovan Bergen County Executive
1 Bergen County Plaza Hackensack, NJ 07601

Dear County Executive Donovan:

We write to express our serious concerns regarding the lack of diversity on the Board of Trustees at Bergen Community College (BCC) and your decision to not re-appoint Germaine Ortiz to the Board. Mrs. Ortiz is unquestionably qualified to serve on this board as her eight years of services on the Board has help earn the institution the recognition that it currently holds. On November 21, 2012, the Bergen Record reported that you are making four appointments to the BCC Board of Trustees, of which two are new appointments and two are re-appointments.

Of the four names mentioned in the article, none represent diverse communities. Additionally, counting the two appointments made by you last year, you will have made a total of six appointments to the BCC Board of Trustees in your tenure as Bergen County Executive and none of the appointments represent diverse communities.

If the four names you have submitted for appointments are approved by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, onlyCid Wilson, Trustee Vice Chairman (who is Afro-Latino) and Dorothy Blakeslee, Treasurer (who is Asian American) would be Non-Caucasian among the eleven appointed members to the Board of Trustees. We consider this to be unacceptable for an institution where 52% of the student enrollments are from diverse communities.

According to the 2010-2011 BCC Fact Book, 32.4% of the students are Latino, 10.8% are Asian American, 7.6% are African-American, 1% is from other ethnicities, and 48.1% of the students are Caucasian. Non-Caucasian students are contributing 39.2% of the total annual revenues at BCC; the County of Bergen's share of the BCC annual budget is only 10.7% (using the Fiscal Year 2012 budget).

We believe that it is unjust and biased that BCC, which has 52% student diversity and contributes nearly 40% to the annual revenues, lacks an appropriate and comparable level of diverse representation on the Board of Trustees. We are asking that you please reconsider your appointment decision by re-appointing Germaine Ortiz and/or appointing another Latina/o to the BCC Board of Trustees to better mirror the diversity of the student enrollment.

BCC has a rich history of diversity. It's what makes BCC one of the greatest community colleges in the United States. We are sure you agree that diversity strengthens learning at the campus.

Diversity helps to prepare students for a globally-competitive workforce. Diversity helps to create a better understanding of one another's cultural and racial heritage.
Diversity promotes multicultural and racial unity. Diversity strengthens Bergen County given that most of the students, faculty, and staff live in Bergen County.

However, BCC must show diversity through leadership and that begins with the Board of Trustees which is the governing body of the institution. BCC cannot be a beacon of diversity when the representation on the Board of Trustees lacks diversity.

Four years ago, five of the eleven trustee appointees represented diverse communities on the Board of Trustees. As Bergen County Executive, you have the ability to restore the balance of diversity that better reflects the diversity of the student enrollment.

Accordingly, we are calling on you to please reconsider your recent appointment decision ahead of the December 5, 2012 Bergen County Freeholder meeting and nominate more diverse trustees. As Latinos are the largest percentage of students, we feel it's appropriate to call on you to use this year's appointment opportunity to nominate more Latinos.

We thank you for your consideration and are available to meet with you to discuss further, please contact Arline Mateo at 347-242-1893.

Respectfully,

Latino Organizations of Bergen County:

Club Colombia USA, Julio Salcedo President
Dominican American Organization, Inc., Lucilo Santos-President
Fundacion Casita de Legui, Inc., Nick Matos (Garfield)
Hispanic USA, Jesus Galvis-President
Latin American Community Action, Neida Colon
NJ coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leader (CONLAMIC-NJ) - Rev. Miguel Rivera, Board President
Pastor Herando Ruiz
Pastor Ana Guerra
Pastor Israel Torres
Pastor Jose La Luz, Hackensack
U.R.G.E.N.T. (United Residents of Garfield Engaging Neighborhood Transformation)- Miguel Reyes, President
YOBILU, Yolanda Naranjo-President

NJ Latino Organizations with Bergen County Delegates:

New Jersey Conference on Dominican Affairs- Maria Treresa Feliciano, President Latino Action Network, Frank Argote-Freyre, President

NJ Latino Elected Officials:

Marlene Caride, Assemblywoman, District 36
Councilman Carlos Aguasvivas, Bergenfield
Councilman Elect Hernando Rivera, Bergenfield
Councilman Evaristo Burdiez, Bogota Councilman Jorge Nunez, Bogota
Councilman Jorge Meneses, Hackensack

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Spells Out Principles on Immigration Reform

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced today their principles on immigration reform.  The CHC issued a document titled: "ONE NATION: Principles on Immigration Reform and Our Commitment to the American Dream" that spells out nine (9) principles for immigration reform including a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.  It also includes protections for same-sex couples.   A copy of the document appears below.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus

The Honorable Charles Gonzalez, Chair

November 28, 2012

ONE NATION:

Principles on Immigration Reform and Our Commitment to the American Dream

Today, we declare our commitment to the American people to work tirelessly toward common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform that serves America’s interests, promotes fairness and the rule of law and contributes effectively and meaningfully to our economic well-being and recovery.

America has always been a nation of immigrants. In order to preserve our history, national identity and culture we must create a modern, 21st century legal immigration system that reflects our legacy. Therefore, we commit to fighting for principled, comprehensive immigration reform that:

1. Requires the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to register with the federal government, submit to fingerprinting and a criminal background check, learn English and American civics, and pay taxes to contribute fully and legally to our economy and earn a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship;

2. Protects the unity and sanctity of the family, including the families of bi-national, same-sex couples, by reducing the family backlogs and keeping spouses, parents, and children together;

3. Attracts the best and the brightest investors, innovators, and skilled professionals, including those in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies, to help strengthen our economy, create jobs, and build a brighter future for all Americans;

4. Builds on the extraordinary success of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and incorporates DREAMers—those who were brought to the U.S. at a young age and are Americans but for a piece of paper—into the mainstream of life in the United States through a path to citizenship so that America benefits from their scholastic achievements, military service and pursuit of their dreams;

5. Includes a balanced, workable solution for the agriculture industry that ensures agricultural workers have a route to citizenship and employers have the workers and American agriculture continues to lead in our global economy;

6. Ends the exploitation of U.S. and immigrant workers by providing sufficient, safe, and legal avenues for foreign workers to fill legitimate gaps in our workforce, with full labor rights, protection from discrimination, and a reasonable path to permanency that lifts up wages and working conditions for both native and foreign-born workers and their families;

7. Ensures smart and reasonable enforcement that protects our borders and fosters commerce by targeting serious criminals and real threats at our northern and southern borders and promotes the safe and legitimate movement of people and goods at our ports of entry and which are essential to our economy;

8. Establishes a workable employment verification system that prevents unlawful employment and rewards employers and employees who play by the rules, while protecting Americans’ right to work and their privacy; and

9. Renews our commitment to citizenship, to ensure all workers pay their fair share of taxes, fully integrate into our way of life and bear the same responsibilities as all Americans and reaffirms our shared belief that the Citizenship Clause of the Constitution is a fundamental freedom that must be preserved.

Our immigration laws ought to reflect both our interests and our values as Americans and we believe these principles are consistent with our nation’s commitment to fairness and equality. We commit to adhering to the above principles as we negotiate on behalf of all Americans in good faith with both parties and all stakeholders in the immigration reform debate. We acknowledge that the time to reform the system is long past due. We ask all sides to set aside the vitriol and gamesmanship that is often a part of this debate and that blocks our ability to truly solve the problem. The American people deserve nothing less.

[A copy of this document can be found on Congressman Gutierrez' website at:
http://gutierrez.house.gov/sites/gutierrez.house.gov/files/One%20Nation_Principles%20on%20Immigration%20Reform.pdf]