Wondering what you can do to help bring this callous Trump/GOP policy to an end?

Indivisible.org has a toolkit:
https://www.indivisible.org/resource/trumps-new-cruel-immigration-policy/

TRUMP’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER: MASS AND INDEFINITE DETENTION

In response to the outrage concerning the family separation policy, the Trump administration signed an executive order that he claimed would end the family separation crisis at the border. But is it an acceptable solution?

TRUMP’S EO CALLS FOR MASS DETENTION OF FAMILIES

First and foremost, the zero tolerance policy is still in place, meaning that people who cross the border are still being prosecuted. However, the executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to keep families together while their cases are being processed. That means that our government is now detaining immigrant families. The executive order additionally directs the Department of Defense and other agencies to support DHS in detaining immigrants, meaning that the U.S. government will be creating a massive family immigration detention system.

THIS VIOLATES THE LAW

Under the 1997 Flores Settlement (which has been wrongly cited as the reason for the family separation crisis by Republicans in the past), immigrant children cannot be held in detention indefinitely. This executive order is seeks to skirt around these protections and allow families to be detained indefinitely. It’s cruel and inhuman and not a solution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Trump created the family separation crisis, and his new executive order is not a solution. And like so many other Trump-created crises, Republicans in Congress are letting it happen. Some may have expressed concerns about the policy, but none have done anything about it. That’s where you come in.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Here are the best ways for you to get involved….

Family Separation: Trump’s Cruel Immigration Policy

immigration · take action

The economic benefits of fixing the broken immigration system

According to an analysis by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the President’s executive actions on immigration would boost economic output by an estimated 0.4 to 0.9 percent over 10 years, corresponding to increases in GDP of $90 billion to $210 billion in 2024.

• The President’s actions will grow the economy by increasing the productivity of all American workers. These actions will increase the productivity of American workers, in part by allowing undocumented workers to come out of the shadows and find jobs that better match their skills and potential. This shift of workers across occupations will also allow more native workers to specialize in the tasks best suited to their abilities. These effects are likely to lead to wage increases for all workers—immigrants and natives alike. In addition, by encouraging high-skilled immigration, these actions will boost the rate of innovation and patenting in the American economy, further increasing the productivity of the American workforce.
• The President’s actions will increase the size of the American workforce. CEA estimates that the economy will also grow thanks to an expansion of the American labor force by nearly 150,000 people over 10 years as a result of the President’s executive actions.
• Average wages for all workers, both U.S.-born and immigrant, will increase. Increases in productivity and innovation caused by the President’s actions will translate into higher wages for all types of workers. CEA estimates that by 2024 annual wages for native workers will rise 0.3 percent, or approximately $170 in today’s dollars. CEA also estimates that the President’s actions would neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of employment for native workers.
• A bigger economy will reduce the deficit. As the economy grows so do tax revenues, requiring the government to borrow less to finance government operations. This reduced borrowing translates into reduced spending on interest payments by the government, thus reducing overall government spending—and shrinking the deficit. CEA’s estimate of the higher economic growth associated with executive action on immigration would translate into reductions in the Federal deficit by $25 billion in 2024.

(more…)

economic growth · immigration · immigration reform

On October 20, 2014, Curtis Tate with the McClatchy Washington Bureau recently posted an article on the National Memo website. In it, he states that the Chamber “publicly identifies immigration as one of its top issues and it has pledged to support candidates who favor an overhaul that includes an earned path to citizenship for those here illegally.”

He goes on to state that the “Chambers’ spending numbers show an effort focused on increasing the Republican majority in the House of Representatives and giving Republicans a majority in the Senate. In fact, the Chamber has been pumping $28 million into races nationwide this year, according to federal data compile by the Center for Responsive Politics. The funds are supporting few candidates who favor an immigration solution …”

Just a reminder that we have an Executive Regional Director of the U.S. Chamber living here in Senate District 48. Who’s that?  Doug Loon, Jenifer Loon’s husband. They met while working for Republican Congresspersons and moved to the lobbying field.

Doug Loon · immigration · U.S. Chamber of Commerce

ISAIAH, the organization of congregations, clergy and people of faith which works to improve racial and economic equity in our state, is holding a unique event. Here’s the text of their release:

As part of a national effort to move Congress to fix our broken immigration system, from November 3-8, ISAIAH immigration leaders, in partnership with Catholic Charities Office for Social Justice, will embark on a symbolic pilgrimage to call for making citizenship a reality for 11 million aspiring Americans.

Participants in the “Pilgrimage for Citizenship” will walk from church to church in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities to pray, share stories, and to call on Rep. Erik Paulsen and other public leaders to support immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship.

Come out and support the pilgrims!  For information about the churches being visited along the pilgrimage, as well as dates and times for public gatherings at each location, please download the flyer here.  If you’d like to join the pilgrims as they walk, click here for information about each day’s route.

Plan to join us for a concluding event with the larger community to celebrate, hear stories about the pilgrims’ journey and to encourage our public leaders to support comprehensive reform.

Prayer Vigil at Rep. Erik Paulsen’s Office

Friday, November 8th; 4 pm

250 Prairie Center Drive, Suite 230, Eden Prairie

If you’re able to participate, please consider attending.

cd3 · Congressman Paulsen · Erik Paulsen · immigration · ISAIAH · pilgrimage · Third Congressional District

One day after President Obama called on the House to pass a comprehensive, commonsense immigration reform bill, Congressman Erik Paulsen’s Republican leadership has announced that they will once again oppose reasonable solutions and block immigration reform for the rest of the year.

Politico reported this morning that Congressman Paulsen’s Republican leadership has no plans to bring any comprehensive immigration reform up for a vote this year, and that they do not believe there are enough Republican votes for any immigration legislation. Independent observers have noted that the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform become even more dismal in an election year like 2014. Meanwhile, the Senate has already passed reform legislation with a broad bipartisan majority that secures our borders, protects workers, gives immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship and boosts our economy.

“Congressman Paulsen’s Republican leadership has admitted that they will block all reforms to our immigration system for the rest of the year, following in the footsteps of their failed government shutdown strategy of rejecting all bipartisan cooperation,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The Senate has already passed a commonsense, bipartisan immigration reform bill with broad support from business groups who say reform would help grow our economy, yet Congressman Paulsen and House Republicans continue to be the one roadblock to reasonable solutions, admitting today that they are abandoning immigration reform all together.”

BACKGROUND

House Republicans are Refusing to Allow a Vote on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. “House Republican leadership has no plans to vote on any immigration reform legislation before the end the year. […] Following the fiscal battles last month, the internal political dynamics are tenuous within the House Republican Conference. A growing chorus of GOP lawmakers and aides are intensely skeptical that any of the party’s preferred piecemeal immigration bills can garner the support 217 Republicans — they would need that if Democrats didn’t lend their votes. Republican leadership doesn’t see anyone coalescing around a single plan, according to sources across GOP leadership.” [Politico, 10/25/13]

• Headline: House GOP plans no immigration vote in 2013 [Politico, 10/25/13]

House Republican That Participated in Immigration Reform Talks Said Immigration Reform was Dead Because of Republican Government Shutdown. “The bad blood between House Republicans and President Barack Obama has only worsened since the fight over funding the government and paying its debts, and Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) said Wednesday that it had doomed any chances for immigration reform. After Labrador said during an event with conservative members that they could no longer trust the president on immigration, HuffPost asked him a simple question: Is it dead? ‘I think it is,’ he replied. ‘For us to go to a negotiation, to the negotiating table with President Obama after what he has done over the last two and a half weeks, I think would be probably a very big mistake.’” [Huffington Post, 10/16/13]

cd3 · Congressman Paulsen · Erik Paulsen · immigration · Third Congressional District