Issue Position: Security

Issue Position

Comprehensive immigration reform is essential to ensure there is a sensible enforcement strategy that keeps America and Americans safe. This means prosecuting dishonest employers who are exploiting vulnerable workers and preventing misuse of the immigration system by those who seek to do the country harm. This strategy must be coupled with enforcement of civil rights and labor laws. An effective strategy cannot include the continued use of local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law by raiding neighborhoods and workplaces indiscriminately. Border enforcement must reflect American values while creating a balance between enforcement and civil rights.

Protecting Fundamental Rights for All People

Our immigration system needs to reflect the American values of due process and civil rights for all people. Comprehensive reform must include the right of individuals to a fair trial and their day in court. Enforcement measures need more accountability mechanisms. We must consider alternatives to mandatory detention and add in special protections for the most vulnerable of populations. We should always use voluntary deportations when possible
and instate an enforceable detention standard.

Creating and Enacting a Reasonable and Humane Approach to Undocumented Americans

For the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in this country, we must create a process that leads to lawful permanent resident status and an eventual pathway to citizenship. Undocumented immigrants working and living in the US must be counted through a registration program that includes reasonable submission to background checks, paying an appropriate fine and paying taxes. Once these criteria are satisfied permanent alien status should be issued.

Keeping America's Families Together

Outdated family immigration channels keeping close family members separated for decades must be reformed to restore our commitment to promoting family unity. People stuck in endless "backlogs" should have the process expedited, and those admitted on work visas should be able to keep their families intact.

Ensuring Appropriate Ways for Workers to Come Here Legally with Rights and Labor Protections

We must protect all workers' right to organize and bargain collectively, regardless of whether they were born in the US or abroad. Any employment verification system should determine employment authorization accurately and efficiently while protecting workers and good-faith employers and must contain sufficient due process and privacy protections.

Removing Incentives to Immigrate Without Documentation

Currently, many undocumented workers illegally immigrate to the US because there are employers willing to hire them. We must prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers by actively prosecuting unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of undocumented workers and vulnerable employees. If we stop the hiring of undocumented workers we can not only work to ensure that all members of our workforce are paying taxes and following the law, but also ensure that all workers receive the same civil rights, labor and employment protections that citizens do.

Allocating Enough Visas to Close Unlawful Migration Channels

A great failure of our current employment-based immigration system is that the level of legal immigration is set arbitrarily by Congress without regard to real labor market needs. The resulting extra-legal migration channels have created a shadow economy that has allowed dishonest employers to manipulate the system to the detriment of workers and reputable employers alike. Any reform package must allocate employment visas through an independent commission that can assess labor shortages and determine the number and characteristics of foreign workers to be admitted, with Congressional approval.

Protecting our Border While Balancing Human and Civil Rights

We must create a comprehensive border strategy that protects our citizens from genuine threats and eliminates trafficking and drug smuggling as well as prevents terrorists from entering our country. We must work with border communities and law enforcement agencies to determine the best policies to protect our national security while balancing human and civil rights along the border.

Source