January 9, 2006

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid: 

As an alliance of our country’s leading immigrant rights coalitions, organizations and allies, we thank you for all your hard work over the course of the 109^th Congress to secure comprehensive immigration reform. 2006 has been a pivotal year in advocating and organizing for truly just and humane immigration reform legislation. It is a year that is marked by the historic mobilization of immigrants and their supporters throughout the nation followed by the unprecedented increase in the civic participation of immigrant voters.

This year we look to the 110^th Congress presenting new opportunities to pass immigration reform legislation that contain the following elements:

1)      Clean, inclusive, earned legalization – including the DREAM Act and AgJOBS Bill – that is not tiered, serves all currently residing undocumented immigrants, does not include any retroactive exclusion provisions, and that does not exclude persons with outstanding deportation orders or persons who have committed document fraud

2)      Family reunification and an end to backlogs

3)      Job training resources for low-income, native born workers so the entire workforce benefits from immigration reform

4)      Clear separation of authority between federal and local law enforcement

5)      Any worker visa program must provide strong worker protections that include the right to change jobs and the opportunity to gain US citizenship

6)      Strengthen the enforcement of existing labor laws regardless of immigration status, including additional funds to the Department of Labor to enforce wage and hour laws. Until complete accuracy of data is ensured and safeguards are in place preventing discrimination and abuse, the use of SSA no match letters or other employment verification should be prohibited.  Employers should not be a proxy for immigration enforcement nor should employment verification systems be used in order to take adverse job actions where there is a labor dispute 

7)      Facilitation of immigrant integration through increased resources for English as a Second Language classes, naturalization and legal services, rolling back increases in application fees and simplifying the application process for naturalization

8)      Ensure civil rights and due process for all immigrants, and restore judicial and administrative discretion

9)      Through immigration law reform and improvements in the management of the immigration system, decrease the need for mass detention, detention centers and detention beds. Where detention is deemed necessary, keep detainees as close to families and legal representation as possible, defend against indefinite detention, support parole of detainees, codify detention standards and post 9/11 detention issues of reforming material witness laws, develop alternatives to detention, and establish clear oversight authority that includes community participation to ensure due process, civil and human rights standards are met

10)   Mechanisms for accountability that halt the escalation of militarization on the border, end the senseless death of people trying to cross, incorporate broader training for enforcement officials, reduce violence from smugglers against migrants and border residents, and protect fragile ecosystems along the border

11)   Restore the number of refugees that enter the United States to pre 9-11 levels

As comprehensive immigration reform legislation is drafted in the months ahead, we look forward to working with your offices to make sure the rights and opportunities of all immigrants are guaranteed. 

Our organizations and allies are committed to implementing a field strategy that amplifies the voice of the community in support of the principles above.

Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)