The Dignity Campaign Proposal

PROPOSAL FOR ALTERNATIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BASED ON HUMAN, CIVIL AND LABOR RIGHTS FOR ALL

DRAFT – NOT FINAL, INPUT WELCOME

San Francisco, CA  10/25/10

We have compiled here immigration reform proposals based on the basic premise of dignity, human rights and equality for all.  We believe that immigrants and migrants are entitled to basic human rights, legal status, equal protection under the law, and the same right to work as the rest of the population.  Most of the proposals have been borrowed from previous legislation and from the ideas of immigrant rights groups and unions.  Some of the proposals are new, most are not.  We provide the sources to illustrate that we are not alone in envisioning better, more just and humane solutions.

DRAFT – LEGALIZATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

Residents without legal status regardless of age may adjust their status to that of legal permanent resident if the resident was physically present in the U.S. immediately preceding the passage of this Act. Alternative Legislation Group
Graduates of any U.S. high school will receive expedited processing of their applications for permanent residence status.  They will be considered in-state residents for the purposes of calculating fees or tuition for education.  Financial aid will not be denied to students because of immigration status. DREAM Act
  • Applicants for adjustment to permanent legal resident status shall not become ineligible to apply because of brief, casual and innocent absences from the U.S.
  • The number of legal permanent resident visas authorized under this Act, shall not reduce the numerical limitations available under current immigration law.
  • Deportation proceedings shall be terminated for anyone who applies for legal permanent resident status under this Act.
  • Information furnished by an applicant for adjustment to legal permanent resident status shall not be used for any purpose other than to make a determination on the application.
  • The Department of Homeland Security and any related agencies shall have appropriate funding to broadly disseminate information about the legalization program with the goal of achieving maximum participation.
HR 265 – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, January 7, 2009
Application fees will not be a barrier for adjustment to legal permanent resident status, particularly for low-income applicants. Alternative Legislation Group
Newly legalized residents shall be eligible to apply for public benefit programs one year after having received legal permanent resident status. Alternative Legislation Group
Applicants for adjustment to legal permanent resident status will receive authorization to work at the time of application. Unity Blueprint
Funds will be made available to community-based, non-profit organizations to assist applicants for adjustment to legal permanent resident status. Unity Blueprint
Applicants for adjustment to legal permanent resident status will not be restricted by the Legal Services Corporation Act from receiving legal assistance.  Immigration status or lack of it shall not be used to deny services by legal aid groups funded by the Legal Services Corporation or other government services. Unity Blueprint
Persons granted legal permanent resident status under this act will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship within 5 years of receipt of legal permanent resident status. Unity Blueprint
Bring the registry date up to January 1, 2005, and advance the date one year every year (rolling registry date) so that, in the future, any person residing in the U.S. before the date can immediately apply for permanent residence. SIREN – Uplifting our Nation’s Values

DRAFT – FAMILY REUNIFICATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

  • Raise the worldwide level of family sponsored immigrant to:  480,000 plus the unused numbers from the previous year, plus the unused numbers from fiscal years 1992 to 2007
  • Reclassify spouses and minor children of permanent residents as immediate relatives
  • Raise the per-country immigration limit from 7% to 10%
  • Increase from age 18 to 21 years of age for purposes of eligibility to be petitioned by immigrant parents.
  • Increase government discretion and flexibility in resolving barriers to family unity, or if reunification is in the public’s interest.
  • Death shall not invalidate the petition of a citizen or lPR to reunite with a wife, husband or child(ren).
  • Immediate family members of naturalized Filipino WWII veterans are not subject to numerical limitations.
H.R.2709 – Reuniting Families Act. Congressman Michael Honda,  June 4, 2009
All immigration rights will be equally available to same sex permanent partners.  (Incorporate the ‘Uniting American Families Act’ into this family reunification bill) H.R.2709
Repeal the 3 and 10-year and permanent bars that prevent immigrants from legalizing their status. Unity Blueprint
Allocate a visa outside the per-country limits and worldwide ceiling to any individual waiting for a family-based preference visa for more than one year, or permit such applicants temporary admission pending the processing of their visas. Unity Blueprint
Reduce the affidavit of support income test required of family-based immigrant sponsors from 125% to 100% of the federal poverty level. Unity Blueprint
Lower fee structures to accommodate low-income, and larger families. United Front for Immigrants (Chicago)
Eliminate the cap on the total number of family-based visas available. AFSC:  A New Path
Increase funding to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to expedite the processing of visa applications and to expedite adjustment of status procedures. AFSC:  A New Path
Applicants for admission who can substantiate that they have been displaced by NAFTA policies should be given priority for entry into the U.S United Front for Immigrants (Chicago)

DRAFT – REPEAL EMPLOYER SANCTIONS, ENFORCE LABOR AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

Repeal employer sanctions, ensure that hiring an undocumented worker is not “harboring” Draft Bill to Repeal Employer Sanctions – 2005Judith P. Miller & David Tannenbaum

Michael Wishnie, Workers Rights Project of Yale Law School and the Break the Chains Alliance, AFSC – A New Path, Unity Blueprint, Casa de Maryland, Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance, AFL-CIO (until recently)

The budgets for the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be substantially increased, including funding special programs for labor law enforcement in industries in which immigrants are concentrated. HR 265 – Jackson Lee, Unity Blueprint, AFL-CIO, Casa de Maryland, AFSC – A New Path and many others
Overturn the Hoffman and Sure-Tan Supreme Court decisions, ensuring that workers fired for union activity can be reinstated and awarded back pay regardless of immigration status. Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance
Make threats or action related to immigration status to discourage a worker from exercising rights under the National Labor Relations Act an unfair labor practice. Neither back pay nor any other monetary damages shall be denied as a result of a complainant or plaintiff’s immigration status. HR 265 – Jackson Lee, Unity Blueprint
Congress will establish and fund a commission to make a survey of the labor and employment conditions of immigrant workers. HR 265 – Jackson Lee
Proposals for future immigration policy must augment economic stimulus programs that ensure that all workers have jobs at a decent and livable wage. AFSC – A New Path
Ensure that undocumented workers are covered by Federal worker protection laws. AFL-CIO
Ensure that undocumented workers are covered by anti-discrimination laws and increase anti-discrimination protection for all immigrants:

  1. Prohibit discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment.
  2. Allow all workers to file a citizenship or national origin discrimination claim, and remove the requirement that lawful permanent residents (LPRs) must prove they intend to become citizens to be protected from discrimination.
  3. Extend the time to file a complaint to 2 years.
  4. Make back pay is available as a remedy for an unfair immigration-related employment practice and allow punitive damages.
  5. Do not require workers to prove that the employer “intended” to discriminate against them.
  6. Increase fines.
Unity Blueprint
Fees paid by undocumented workers regularizing their status will be used to establish job creation and training programs in communities with high unemployment. HR 265 – Jackson Lee
Specific money should be set aside for job growth programs targeted at communities with high unemployment.  This would include many immigrant and African American communities. Casa de Maryland
End electronic worker verification systems and other means of enforcing “work authorization” and employer sanctions. AFSC – A New Path and many others
Allow all workers to apply for and receive Social Security numbers and to receive benefits from the system to which they contribute, regardless of immigration status. AFSC – A New Path
Prohibit ICE agents from masquerading as personnel from an agency or organization that provides domestic violence services, enforces health and safety law or other labor laws, provides health care services, or any other services intended to protect life and safety. Unity Blueprint
Grant temporary visas to immigrant workers who are detained in the course of a labor dispute because their employer has retaliated against them. Unity Blueprint, AFL-CIO
Prohibit immigration enforcement activity during a labor dispute or during organizing or collective workplace activity. AFL-CIO
Keep confidential any information about workers’ immigration status discovered in the course of thei investigation of illegal conditions or the violation of labor rights Unity Blueprint, AFL-CIO
Prohibit states from enacting local employer sanctions laws or considering immigration status in determining workers compensation, disability and unemployment benefits. In all other respects, states will continue to regulate in this area. Unity Blueprint, AFL-CIO
Extend free legal services available through Legal Services Corporation funding to all low income workers, regardless of immigration status. Unity Blueprint
Unemployment benefits should be extended, and all workers should be eligible to receive them, regardless of immigration status. Casa de Maryland
No stringent language requirements will be imposed to obtain legal status or citizenship, and prohibitions of discrimination based on language will be strengthened Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales
Indigenous communities have the right to  materials in their native languages about immigration law and legal proceedings generally. Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales
Indigenous communities will have the right to use their languages and their cultural practices. Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales

DRAFT – GUEST WORKERS AND FUTURE FLOWS

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

SUNSET EXISTING GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS
At the end of five years after enactment, all H1-B, H2-A and H2-B guest worker programs will end.  From that point onward, no employer may recruit immigrants for work in the U.S., and no visas may be issued that requires an immigrant to work in order to remain in the U.S. AFSC – A New Path
REFORM EXISTING GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS
During the five years after enactment, no H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas will be issued unless the Secretary of Labor has determined that there are no workers living in the U.S. able to perform the work that workers holding those visas would perform, and that their employment would not undermine existing wages or conditions.  During that time, no guest worker visas may be issued for workers in any industry in which the unemployment rate is greater than 6%. HR 4381 – Congressman George Miller, 12/09 – here and below this bill is used as a model for provisions which apply more broadly
Any employer applying for H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas must be registered by the Department of Labor, and the Secretary of Labor must verify that the employer has made extensive efforts to attract workers for the jobs to be performed by H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa holders.  The Secretary of Labor will set the number of visa holders each employer may employ. HR 4381 – Miller
The employer must provide employment to any worker already in the U.S. who applies for the position for which the employer is recruiting H1-B, H2-A and H2-B workers. HR 4381 – Miller
The employer must provide notice to the local employment development office of available jobs, post the jobs on the internet, advertise in appropriate newspapers or professional journals, and inform the state labor federation of available jobs before applying for H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas. HR 4381 – Miller
Any worker holding an H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa shall be free to change employers, or to quit one job in order to look for another. Unity Blueprint
All costs of visa application and of transport to and from the place of employment in the U.S., including meals and lodging, must be paid by the employer in advance of the departure of the worker to the U.S. HR 4381 – Miller
All existing requirements on employers and protections on visa holders under existing H1-B, H2-A and H2-B programs, such as for housing and wages, shall remain in force unless superseded by the provisions of this bill. HR 4381 – Miller
No employer may apply for  visas if they have violated the terms of employment of for any previous visa holders, or any other Federal, State or local employment law. HR 4381 – Miller
No labor contractors may apply for H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas, only the direct employers of the visa holders. HR 4381 – Miller
There shall be a limit of 65,000 visas issued annually in each of the H1-B, H2-A and H2-B categories. HR 4381 – Miller
Each employer must pay fees for each H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa, which will be used to finance job training and creation programs in communities of high unemployment. HR 265 – Jackson Lee
Employers must offer H1-B, H2-A and H2-B holders wages that correspond to collective bargaining agreements at that employer or in that industry, or the prevailing wage level in that industry, whichever is higher. HR 4381 – Miller
No H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas will be issued to an employer if any of its employees are currently on strike. HR 4381 – Miller
All H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa holders shall have the right to organize under the National Labor Relations Act or other applicable laws, and shall have the right to strike.  No striking H1-B, H2-A and H2-B worker may be deported. AFL-CIO
No employer may hire an H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa holder for a job currently being performed by another employee. HR 4381 – Miller
H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa holders will be entitled to Workers Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Social Security and all other benefits and entitlements available to other workers. AFSC – A New Path
No employer may maintain a list of “eligible employess,” “ineligible employees,” or any other list used to blacklist or prevent the rehiring of workers from one year or season to another. Alternative Legislation Group
All H1-B, H2-A and H2-B holders must be given a document prior to their employment specifying the terms and conditions of employment.  That document must also include the name, address and telephone number of the nearest legal aid office. HR 4381 – Miller
Any H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visa holder may receive legal services from any legal aid or publicly funded legal services program, and is entitled to bring any legal action that would be available to any other person in the U.S. Alternative Legislation Group
FUTURE FLOWS
400,000 permanent residence (Future Flow – FF) visas shall be set aside each year for applicants who are not eligible for visas under family preferences.  Those visas shall allow the holder to cross the border at will, and to reside either in the U.S. or their country of origin.  These visas shall not be included in the number of visas available under family preferences, or for refugees or political asylum applicants. HR 265 – Jackson Lee
Holders of all permanent resident visas, incluidng FF visas, will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship one year after receiving their visas. Alternative Legislation Group
If the unemployment rate in the U.S. exceeds 8%, the number of FF visas issued that year will be reduced to 200,000,  If the unemployment rate exceeds 10%, the number of FF visas issued that year will be reduced to zero. Alternative Legislation Group
FF visa applicants may apply for these visas at any U.S. consulate, and their applications must be approved within six months, if eligible and visas are available. AFSC – A New Path
FF visa applicants will be given written material on receiving their visas that explains the labor and legal rights of workers and immigrants in the U.S.  Such information will include the names, addresses and telephone numbers of labor unions, immigrant rights organizations, legal aid programs, and other sources of aid and support. Jennifer Gordon –  modeled after her proposal
FF visa applicants will be required to sign a pledge that they will not work for illegal wages or under illegal conditions. Jennifer Gordon –  modeled after her proposal
FF visa holders will be prohibited from working for any employer during a strike.  Employment as a strikebreaker will be grounds for immediate revocation of the visa. Alternative Legislation Group

DRAFT – TRADE POLICY AND DISPLACEMENT

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

  • Review existing trade agreements, like NAFTA and CAFTA, to determine how they have contributed to the displacement of communities by increasing poverty and the economic pressure to migrate, in the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and in the other countries with which those agreements have been negotiated.
  • That review should include public Congressional hearings, and be open to public testimony by community organizations, unions, immigrant and human rights organizations, churches, environmental organizations, and other popular organizations from all the countries involved.
  • That review should include the impact of agreements on wages, employment and unemployment, housing, the privatization of public service, the reduction of rural credit, the prices of agricultural products, the elimination of agricultural subsidies and other subsidies on prices of food and basic services for workers and farmers, the loss of education, healthcare and other services, the loss of labor and social rights, environmental degradation, and other impacts affecting workers and farmers.
  • That review should include the displacement effects of structural adjustment, “economic reform” and similar policies promoted by international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the role of U.S. representatives in those institutions in promoting those policies.
TRADE Act, HR 6180 and S 3083, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Mike Michaud – here and below this bill is used as a model for provisions that apply the methodology used by the bill for labor rights to the causes of displacement, AFSC – A New Path
All existing trade agreements should be renegotiated to eliminate any provision that causes the displacement of communities and the increase in the economic pressure on people to migrate, including the decline in the standard of living of workers and farmers, the loss of jobs, the decline in wages and farm prices, the loss of housing, the loss of labor and social rights, the privatization of public enterprises or social services, the elimination of social services and benefits, environmental degradation, or the reduction in rural credit. TRADE Act, HR 6180, AFSC – A New Path
  • Prohibit the negotiation of any new trade agreement that causes the displacement of communities and increases economic pressure on people to migrate, including the decline in the standard of living of workers and farmers, the loss of jobs, the decline in wages and farm prices, the loss of housing, the loss of labor and social rights, the privatization of public enterprises or social services, the elimination of social services and benefits, environmental degradation, or the reduction in rural credit.
  • Prohibit U.S. representatives in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund or other similar international financial institutions from pursuing policies with the same impact.
TRADE Act, HR 6180, AFSC – A New Path
Establish a commission to evaluate existing and future trade agreements and policies pursued by the U.S. in international financial institutions.  That commission should report to Congress, and include representatives of community organizations, unions, immigrant and human rights organizations, environmental organizations, churches and other popular organizations. TRADE Act, HR 6180, AFSC – A New Path
Ensure that all existing and future trade agreements require adequate farm prices and living standards for agricultural communities, and the fair treatment of agricultural workers.  They must require prohibitions on dumping, allow any country to maintain agricultural subsidies and subsidies on prices for basic foods, and to maintain tariffs if needed to protect agricultural communities. TRADE Act, HR 6180, AFSC – A New Path
Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families. National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, AFSC – A New Path
Include the rights of migrants, as defined by the Convention, as a fifth “core labor standard,” used as a criteria for evaluating trade agreements and other international labor policies. AFSC – A New Path
Ban the inclusion of guest-worker programs in any trade agreement or treaty.  This includes defining migrants as the “providers of services” under WTO and other efforts to regulate the provision of services. TRADE Act, HR 6180, NNIRR
Prohibit any state from enacting laws that conflict with the UN Declaration on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrants, or any U.S. treaty obligation guaranteeing the rights of migrants and non-English-speaking communities, including the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.  Enforce the rights of migrant and non-migrant workers as defined in conventions of the International Labor Organization. AFSC – A New Path
Provide economic compensation to communities in developing countries that have withstood social and economic damages due to trade agreements and policies promoted by the U.S. that have led to displacement.  This compensation should respond to the needs of local communities, including providing rural credit and outright grants, infrastructure projects to improve community health, education standard of living and cultural development. AFSC – A New Path, United Front for Immigrants (Chicago)
Prohibit the use of U.S. military aid or any military intervention to pressure other countries into accepting trade agreements, structural adjustment programs or other economic mandates by corporations or international financial institutions Alternative Legislation Group
Prohibit the use of U.S. bailout funds or other subsidies to corporations, governments or financial institutions that require the closure of workplaces or mass layoffs of workers, in the U.S. or in other countries Alternative Legislation Group

DRAFT – DUE PROCESS AND DETENTION

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

Require that migrants apprehended entering the country be informed of their rights before they are deported, including rights available to victims of trafficking and violent crimes, and abused and abandoned unaccompanied juveniles. Unity Blueprint
Repeal  federal law that bars states from issuing drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants. Unity Blueprint
Make removal proceedings open to the public. Unity Blueprint
Terminate the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, and provide remedies for immigrants with technical violations of NSEERS that did no harm. Unity Blueprint
Repeal Special Registration and any future programs that single out immigrants/migrants from select countries for punitive treatment. Alternative Legislation Group
Make technical violations of  registration requirements punishable by civil penalties. Unity Blueprint
Prohibit the retroactive application of immigration laws. Unity Blueprint
Guarantee immigrants, regardless of status, the same civiland human rights as all U.S. residents by:

  • Halting the use of community sweeps, checkpoints, and roadblocks for immigration enforcement.
  • Requiring ICE agents to exercise discretion in arresting people for immigration violations, especially in cases that involve children or other vulnerable populations.
  • Ensuring the due process rights of immigrants in detention, deportation, or removal proceedings, including access to legal representation, fair trials, meaningful and expedient judicial review, and an end to racial, ethnic, and religious profiling and other forms of illegal searches and seizures.
  • Creating mechanisms to review and monitor conditions and standards in all jails and detention centers to protect basic rights such as medical and mental health care, and access to legal counsel.
  • Codifying specific and enforceable compliance standards.
  • Repealing immigration laws that mandate deportation and lead to double punishments for individuals who have served time on criminal offenses.
  • Ensuring judicial procedures that take into account the impact of deportation on family and community members as well as on the individual.
AFSC – A New Path
Prohibit ICE agents from masquerading as personnel from an agency or organization that provides domestic violence services, enforces health and safety law or other labor laws, provides health care services, or any other services. Unity Blueprint
Provide temporary visas and work authorization for detained workers when they have been retaliated against by their employer for asserting their labor rights and they agree to pursue labor claims against their employer. Expand U visas to provide for whistleblower protections with regard to worker exploitation, civil rights violations and retaliation for exercising labor rights. Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity(CIR ASAP) Act of 2009 – Congressman Luis Gutierrez
Eliminate the arbitrary 1-year bar to applying for asylum. CIR ASAP
Restore the jurisdiction of federal courts to review decisions and practices of DHS, thereby also restoring the historic role that the courts play in reviewing agency actions CIR ASAP
Preempt any state or local law that discriminates against an individual based on immigration status or imposes sanctions on any individual or entity based on the immigration status of its clients, employees or tenants CIR ASAP
Eliminate all agreements between the Department of Homeland Security and local/county/state law enforcement agencies, repealing 287g.and clarify that the authority to enforce federal immigration law lies solely with the federal government AFSC – A New Path, NNIRR, Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, CIR ASAP
Establish an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Ombudsman CIR ASAP
Eliminate detention and incarceration based on immigration status by allowing people detained for immigration violations to post bail or be released on their own recognizance. South Asian Network & Allies Immigration Statement 2007
Repeal laws that prevent release on bond or their own recognizance for apprehended migrants who are not a flight risk or risk to the community. Unity Blueprint
Limit the amount of time an immigrant is detained after being ordered released on bond. Unity Blueprint
Grant suspension of deportation and registry to immigrants of good moral character with five years continuous residence Unity Blueprint
Prohibit mass non-individualized detentions of immigrants; restrict federal agents to only questioning persons reasonably suspected based upon articulable facts of being immigrants without visas. Unity Blueprint
Eliminate arbitrary, indefinite, or mandatory detention or other forms of abusive treatment and detention practices that separate family members, and implement humane alternatives to detention that allow release on bond or their own recognizance after an individualized hearing. AFSC – A New Path
End the privatization of the detention system by tearing down existing immigration detention centers, canceling the contracts to private contractors for operating them, and requiring the federal government to exercise responsibility for respecting the human rights of those charged with immigration violations. AFSC – A New Path
Ensure that anyone detained for immigration violations receives adequate medical and mental health screenings, evaluations, medically necessary treatment, and continuing care, a review process for medical treatment requests and complete and confidential medical records, reasonable access to telephones, affordable rates, and privacy protections for calls, protection from sexual abuse, care for victims, and reports and investigations of abuse, and protection from transfers that fail to consider health and access to counsel.  Establish an independent commission to investigate and report on compliance. DHS must report the death of a detainee within 48 hours, and report annually to Congress on the circumstances of all deaths in detention. CIR ASAP
Prohibit apprehensions at community, educational, and religious locations, provide access to legal orientation programs and to counsel for any detained person. CIR ASAP
Allow refugees to apply for immediate asylum, without detention. AFSC – A New Path
Families with children may not be separated, and parents or childdren of citizens may not be deported.  Minors may not be detained. AFSC – A New Path

DRAFT – REPEAL BORDER MILITARIZATION AND ENFORCE HUMAN RIGHTS

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOURCE

Dismantle the “virtual wall” and all surveillance apparatus in our communities, including aerial drones, video cameras and radar towers (in urban, suburban and rural regions). Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Remove National Guard troops and all military personnel from border communities, and prohibit their use in immigration enforcement. National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (NNIRR), Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Prohibit private security personnel from taking any action in relation to immigration enforcement. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
End the privatization of all border control and national security operations. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Remove all walls, detention centers, surveillance posts, border patrol stations and border patrol agents from indigenous nations and lands. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Grant unrestricted crossing rights for members of indigenous nations and communities living on both sides of the border. Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Repeal legislations which would militarize the U.S.-Canada border by building walls, assigning military or National Guard troops or other means. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Repeal the purported “deconstitutionalized” zone in border communities.  Reaffirm that constitutional rights apply to all persons inside the US. and in all areas, including those on the border. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
End the use of  federal, state and local criminal laws to prosecute immigrants based on their immigration status.
End the use of  federal, state and local criminal laws to  prosecute and incarcerate migrants for crossing the border without inspection.  Abolish the Operation Streamline court. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos
End racial profiling as an official or unofficial practice of ICE and police agencies. Alternative Legislation Group
Require local, state and federal public officials to clearly and publicly declare their opposition to private vigilante groups and the hateful acts they perpetrate.  Prosecute any criminal activity against immigrants by private vigilante groups, and prohibit private vigilante groups from detaining or harassing immigrants. Alternative Legislation Group
Reduce the budget for border enforcement and detention, and redirect the funds to social, health and education services, family reunification, ending the backlog in visas and applications for permanent residency and citizenship, and enforcing civil and labor rights protections. NNIRR, Coalición de Derechos Humanos, South Asian Network & Allies Immigration Statement 2007