Exposing Myths and Lies Against Immigrants and Immigration!
According to the nonpartisan Urban Institute in 1994,immigrants and refugees pay approximately $28 million a year more in taxes than they consume in services. Considering that only 8% of the U.S. population is foreign born, the net surplus of $28 million contributed by immigrants and refugees assumes great significance. Not only do immigrants consume very little of welfare funds, they actually subsidize, as it were, the welfare of others ! In addition The Council of Economic Advisers similarly found in 1986 that "immigrants have a favorable effect on the overall standard of living."
Immigrants Create jobs and do not take jobs from US Citizens. There is virtually no evidence to support this most wide-spread misunderstanding about the immigrants. As an example couple years ago the state of New York reported that immigrants own more than 40,000 companies in New York, which provide thousands of jobs and contribute $3.5 billion to the state's economy. One study found between 1970-1980 Mexican immigration to Los Angeles County was responsible for 78,000 new jobs. Many studies demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between states who admit immigrants and employment. The current wave of unemployment and insecurity felt by many is result of restructuring and movement of multinational companies to the overseas.
America is not being overrun with immigrants. Except for the real Native Americans, we are a nation of immigrants. As of 1990, foreign-born people only make up 8% of the population. Most of those who immigrate every year are immediate relatives of the US citizens or are refugees.Contrary to popular belief most illegal aliens do not cross the border illegally, but enter legally and overstay their visitor visas. only 13% of all immigrant residing in the United States are undocumented accounting for 1% of thetotal population. A new report released by the Immigration and Naturalization Service showing that the number of legal immigrants had fallen by more than 20 percent during the last two years. According to the report, the number of legal immigrants fell from 720,461 from 904,292 -- the largest two-year drop in legal immigration since the 1930's.
The President has signed the Anti-Terrorism Bill. Unfortunately, the new law contains a number of anti-immigration provisions that have little to do with terrorism. The President noted this fact when he signed the bill and expressed his hope that the provisions would be eliminated when the major immigration bill reaches his desk. The other development is the Senate's passage of the Simpson Immigration Bill (now renamed from S 1394 to S.1664). The bill largely covers illegal immigrant issues, but contains several important provisions affecting legal immigrants. S.1664 is attempting legalize the concept that "Non citizen immigrants are not entitled to constitutional rights" and limit immigrant rights. Although the Constitution literally extends the fundamental protections in the Bill of Rights to all people (limiting to citizens only the right to vote and run for office) the federal government acts as if this were not the case. In a case last December the Federal Ninth Circuit Court ruled that Non citizens have equal first amendment rights. This ruling relates to government use of so called "anti-terrorist clause of 1990 Immigration Act. The same clause have been strengthened in the HR 2202 and S 1664. This clause may be used to deny non-citizen immigrants first amendment rights. In addition, the ACLU warns, the House immigration bill would allow American residents to be deported based on secret evidence, and -- in a throwback to McCarthy-era blacklisting -- allow the government to brand any group as "terrorists" and expel its members based on association. The courts have recently struck down several provisions of proposition 187 which attempts to deny education and medical needs to the undocumented immigrants.
ACLU warnes: Vote on Immigration Bill Nears As House and Senate negotiators prepare to iron out the last details of a bill whose chief target is illegal immigration, a battle with the White House is looming over provisions that would drastically restrict public assistance to legal immigrants, The New York Times reports the bill would allow for the deportation of legal immigrants who receive government assistance for more than 12 months and would do more to hold immigrants' sponsors financially responsible for them. Critics say the legislation unfairly punishes taxpaying immigrants by cutting them off the very programs -- child care, job training, English classes and college loans -- that enable them to stay off welfare and increase their chances of success in the United States.
"This is another example of how the anti-immigration bills go too far," said Lucas Guttentag, Director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. "If immigrants are such a drain on society, as the bills' sponsors would have us wrongly believe, why would they also deport immigrants who are seeking to become productive citizens? They're trying to have their cake and eat it, too." In the rush to appear tough on illegal immigration, the ACLU says Republicans and Democrats have fashioned bills that would severely jeopardize the civil liberties of all Americans, including provisions that would create a national identification card for employment verification. President Clinton said earlier this month that the Senate bill in particular "goes too far in denying legal immigrants access to vital safety net programs." The President has raised the possibility of a veto, although his strongest objections has been to a proposal in the House bill that would deny public education for illegal immigrants.House and Senate are set to begin working out differences in their bill thisweek.
Readers are strongly urged to contact the Senators and Representatives working on the comprimise Immigration Legislation.
These are: CALL THE CONFEREES TOLL-FREE AT 800-574-4AID !!
Senate Conferees:
Simpson (R-WY) Grassley (R-IA), Hatch (R-UT) Thurmond (R SC) Kennedy (D-MA) Simon (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Kohl (D-WI) Leahy (D-VT)
Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Howard Berman (D-CA) Sonny Bono (R-CA) John Bryant (D-TX) Charles Canady (R-FL) John Conyers (D-MI) Barney Frank (D-MA) Elton Gallegly (R-CA) Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) Henry Hyde (R-IL) Bill McCollum (R-FL) Lamar Smith (R-TX)
or Call the Capitol Switchboardat 202-224-3121 to reach any of these Senator's offices.