Mexican Organizations in US Propose 10 Points for Immigration Reform Ciro Perez Silva - La Jornada
go to original February 16, 2013

Immigrant deportations in President Obama’s administration now exceed one million people. As these deportations continue and the Department of National Security’s budget triples, emphasizing the strengthening of the Border Patrol, Mexican organizations in the US have proposed 10 points for the debate on the immigration reform.

The Alliance for Immigrant Rights, the United Front for Immigrants, The March 10th Movement and the Binational Migrant Organization of Aztlán, among others, propose that the immigration debate, aimed at legalizing undocumented people, not criminalize them, so that immigration may be discussed in the context of labor mobility and the conditions of the host countries’ and countries of origin of the migrant workforce.

They ask that steps be taken to slow down the militarization of the Mexico-USA border, that the Border Patrol stop harassing bordering communities and that the anti-immigration laws remain suspended in each state, giving federal government back the control of policy.

Also among the suggestions is ending the controversy around considering undocumented immigration as an issue of illegality, in order to analyze it as a phenomenon of the workforce flow between the countries that have the highest demand for labor and those countries of origin whose workforce needs are greatest.

Regulating legalization must be realistic with the widest benefit for those who find themselves undocumented in the country at the time of it being brought into effect. As it is currently stands, immigrants must fulfill certain tax requirements, have a good moral character and study English and citizenship, among other conditions.

They suggest that the worker documentation process should guarantee them access to health services that ObamaCare offers, the right to join trade unions and occupational organizations, as well as the protection of the rights that the US constitution guarantees.

Young students that have been approved for Deferred Action be able to apply for permanent residency and their cases should be processed immediately.

Parents of American children over 21 years old should automatically be able to apply for permanent residency without having to leave the country or apply for a pardon.

Those under the status of temporary protection should be able to apply for automatic permanent residency under the legalization program.

Those who wish to migrate to the US after this reform must apply for work from their country of origin.

Those workers with five years of temporary work will be able to apply for permanent residency based on their work or family condition.

The reform on the immigration law must give preference to the fundamental principle of the family unit.

See Spanish original

Posted by Reed Brundage at Mexico Voices

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