Mediaboss Marketing

[Sun Gazette Newspapersprovides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.]

Joussell Lopez shares a lived experience with millions of immigrants in the U.S. who have found roadblocks instead of green lights.

His story illustrates the importance of providing immigrants with a clearer path to citizenship, access to higher education, and the ability to achieve the American Dream.

Estudia para que tengas una mejor vida que nosotros. Joussell first heard these words from his father as a 13-year-old boy on the border between Mexico and Texas after having been released by U.S. Border Patrol. He was on a quest to reunite with his parents, who already were in the U.S. after fleeing civil war and poverty in Nicaragua.

Joussell became the first person in his family to receive a high-school diploma, but when he enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College, he almost had to quit several times because he had to pay out-of-state tuition a cruel and almost overwhelming burden faced by many DREAMer students like Joussell, who, in many cases, know no other home and were brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own.

To this day, he thinks about what his father said to him that day when he first stepped foot on U.S. soil. The translation is, Study so you can have a better life than ours. It is this axiom that informs his every step, in a country where despite working numerous jobs and long hours, paying taxes and receiving public education for more than a decade, he still cannot call himself a U.S. citizen, and is treated unfairly based on decisions made in his childhood that were out of his control.

When Joussell reached out to the office of Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington-Fairfax) to advocate on behalf of the Virginia Dream Act, the Equity in Financial Aid Actand the entire Virginia Dreamers Agenda, Del. Lopez says he saw a familiar face (although they are not related).

Alfonso often says that the parallels between Joussells story and his fathers are striking. Del. Lopezs father came to the U.S. from Venezuela with nothing but $260 in his pocket and the dream of better life. He worked as a busboy and waiter. He learned English. He graduated from Northern Virginia Community College when his son was 5 years old and then took one class a semester every year until he graduated from George Mason University, one month before Del. Lopez graduated from high school.

Delegate Lopez has stated, My fathers determination and hard work inspired me to choose a path of public service and use this platform to advocate for immigrants and equitable access to higher education for undocumented students who were brought to the U.S. by their parents. These amazing children are the future of our nation. They are valedictorians and class presidents. They should not be denied an opportunity for an education because of decisions made by their parents or the strictures of a broken federal immigration system.

Although Joussells and Alfonsos fathers stories are generations apart, they are not unique. Undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families across the country have had to delay or forgo a college education because of antiquated immigration laws. Many of these individuals pay taxes, work multiple jobs and benefit from American public education, but they are not afforded the same access to a college degree.

Now, the Virginia has become one of 18 states that provides hardworking immigrants with this path to the American Dream: no longer will some students have to carry the weight of balancing multiple jobs to pay for out-of-state tuition, and no longer will they be denied financial-aid eligibility.

With the passage of the American Dream and Promise Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, it is imperative that the U.S. Senate also acts to provide DREAMer students with a pathway to citizenship. The gift of liberty and the promise of a good education are the tenets of a country built by immigration.

More importantly, states do not need to wait for Congress to finally pass a comprehensive immigration reform package. Instead, it is imperative that other states pass sensible legislation like Delegate Lopezs Virginia Dream Act and the Equity in Financial Aid Act (both now enacted into law).

Such reforms provide immigrants with the tools to build a better life, and it lets states and localities continue to invest in a modern workforce of economic mobility and innovation, one that ensures the American Dream remains a reality.

See original here:
Commentary: Time to take bold action in support of DREAMers - Inside NoVA

The op-ed was published ahead of Bushs interview with CBS Norah ODonnell that's set to air in clips beginning Sunday, in which he said hes ready to re-enter the debate on immigration. In his piece, Bush called for a path to citizenship for Dreamers, increased border security, working with other countries to stem the root causes of migration as well a "modernized" asylum system and higher levels of legal immigration, "focused on employment and skills."

He also said that amnesty for millions of undocumented people would be "fundamentally unfair" for others who have legal immigration status or are waiting to become citizens. But he also said that undocumented immigrants should be able to earn residency and citizenship gradually via employment, paying taxes, "English proficiency and knowledge of U.S. history and civics, and a clean background check."

No proposal on immigration will have credibility without confidence that our laws are carried out consistently and in good faith, Bush wrote.

Bush attempted to pass immigration reform through when he was in office, but failed to get the legislation through Congress. In the interview with CBS, Bush said not getting immigration reform passed was one of the biggest disappointments as president.

I campaigned on immigration reform. I made it abundantly clear to voters this is something I intended to do, Bush said.

Since Bush left office, Congress has been unable to pass significant immigration reform, with Trump and former President Barack Obama both relying heavily on executive action.

"All that means is that Congress isn't doing its job," Bush said in the CBS interview.

Original post:
Bush pushes immigration reform as GOP sidesteps a deal on it - POLITICO

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and leading labor and immigration advocates Tuesday called on Washington to pass comprehensive immigration reform amid a major uptick in migrants, particularly unaccompanied minors, illegally entering the country.

Declaring Long Island an "island of immigrants," Bellone said that moving people who are here illegally "out of the shadows" would unleash the region's economy, expanding the tax base and incentivizing employers to improve working conditions.

Bellone plans to send a letter to the region's congressional delegation calling for them to pass a bill that will include a pathway to citizenship while strengthening the border. Roughly one in five Long Islanders were born outside the United States.

"What we have now is unworkable," Bellone said at Pronto of Long Island in Bay Shore, an immigrant advocacy organization. "It is a failed system that is nothing short of a massive failure of our national government. Instead of a process that gives people the recognition they deserve to serve as productive citizens, we have a process that keeps people hidden in the shadows."

Roger Clayman, executive director of the Long Island Federation of Labor, said many of those who entered the country illegally pay taxes and contribute to the larger economy.

"We are a labor movement of immigrants," he said. "We want to do everything we can to make certain they have the same rights and protections as everyone else."

Maria Rivera, owner of Fifth Avenue Hair Styling in Bay Shore, came to Suffolk 16 years ago from El Salvador and holds temporary protected status, allowing her to remain in the country legally.

The biggest news, politics and crime stories in Suffolk County, in your inbox every Friday at noon.

By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.

"Legal or illegal, we are all human and deserve to be part of this amazing country because at the end of the day we pay our taxes and do good by our community," Rivera said. "In this country we work from sun up to sundown. We are here to make an honest living and live our dreams."

With James Carbone

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.

Excerpt from:
Bellone, advocates call for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform - Newsday

Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently maintained there is a real need for a rational immigration policy built on several important principles. I have weighed past immigration reform legislation against these principles, and have voted against immigration reform efforts that do not meet them. I continue to use them as a guide for consideration of current immigration reform proposals:

First, the United States must commit the resources necessary to have the strongest border enforcement realistically possible. Preservation of the integrity of our borders is essential to immigration policy as well as our national security.

Second, our immigration system must not grant amnesty to those who enter our country illegally or illegally overstay their visas. No person who breaks the law should obtain any benefit toward either permanent legal residency or citizenship as a result of their illegal conduct. This is unfair both to American citizens and to those who have gone through legal channels for immigration to the U.S.

Third, non-citizens must not be afforded the same means-tested, federal benefits available to U.S. citizens. Federal public benefit programs exist as a manifestation of the American aspiration to take care of our own less fortunate. In todays fiscal climate, the solvency of these programs is ill-fated at best, making it nothing less than irresponsible to exacerbate these programs financial constraints by extending eligibility to individuals who are not U.S. citizens.

Fourth, our immigration system must assure that American citizens have the first right to access available jobs. There is significant debate about whether American citizens are losing U.S. jobs to workers from other countries. However, this debate can be resolved by assuring that any jobs made available in a legal guest worker program are first available to U.S. workers. Manageable ways to assure this have already been identified.

Fifth, an efficient and workable guest worker program must be developed that will provide employers with a reliable, verifiable and legal system to identify guest workers who are legally in the country.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act last week, which is not related to the current border crisis. Nevertheless, action on this legislation has understandably made its way into current broader discussions about border security and immigration reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act aims to provide needed improvements to the agriculture-labor component of our nations immigration system to provide a more reliable supply of labor to our nations agriculture producers and an improved process for immigrants seeking to work in American agriculture.

As a country, we ask a lot of Americas farmers and ranchers. We count on them for a stable and high-quality food supply, and we expect them to keep delivering more to feed our growing world while facing increasing input costs and rising pressures on the land and water it takes to produce the food we eat.

Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic of this past year and an ongoing farm labor crisis, Idaho agriculture has kept supplying the food and goods needed across our state, country and world. Idahos 24,000 farms and ranches produce 185 commodities, according to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). And, together, the ISDA reports, agriculture and food processing generate 28 percent of Idahos total economic output in sales and 13 percent of its gross domestic product. In fact, Idaho ranks number 5 among all 50 states when it comes to the share of agricultures contribution as a percentage of a states economic output. Unfortunately, this economic engine is under threat as producers have struggled with a lack of available workers and seasonal labor rates that have increased by 25 percent in the past three years due to a flawed federal system. Producers have shared experiences of having no domestic workers apply for openings, even during the height of last years unemployment spike.

We must deal with the insufficiencies of the existing agriculture guest worker program intended to help with labor shortages. This includes addressing the year-round needs of Idahos dairy operations. I have committed to working to produce a Senate solution to bring certainty to hard-working producers and farmworkers who have sustained the nation long before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. As I work on these efforts, I will not support granting those who enter the country illegally any advantage of obtaining a green card, permanent status or citizenship over those who followed the law. Immigration reforms are long past due, and I look forward to the work ahead to fix this part of our broken immigration system for the betterment of Idaho agriculture and the Idahoans and other consumers who rely on its resiliency.

A shortened version of this column originally appeared in the Idaho Press.

Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has served in the U.S. Senate since 1999. The views and opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the Independent-Enterprise.

Read the original post:
Ideas for sound immigration reform - Ontario Argus Observer

Norah O'Donnell, anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News," talks immigration, politics, painting and more in a revealing interview with former President George W. Bush for "CBS Sunday Morning," to be broadcast on April 18.

More of the interview will be presented Tuesday, April 20, on the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell," and Wednesday, April 21, on "CBS This Morning."

O'Donnell visited Mr. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush at their Texas ranch, south of Dallas. There, the 74-year-old opened up about his life after leaving office, his thoughts on the country, his painting and his new book, "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants" (Crown).

In 2006, Mr. Bush gave an Oval Office address on immigration. He told O'Donnell he's ready to re-enter the debate on immigration, including lobbying his own party on the issue.

Here's an excerpt of the interview:

Norah O'Donnell: "Still, nothing's been done."

President Bush: "No, a lot of executive orders, but all that means is that Congress isn't doing its job."

O'Donnell: "Is it one of the biggest disappointments of your presidency, not being "

Mr. Bush: "Yes, it really is. I campaigned on immigration reform. I made it abundantly clear to voters this is something I intended to do."

The Emmy Award-winning "Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9 a.m. ET. "Sunday Morning" alsostreams on CBSN[beginning at 9 a.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. ET] andParamount+, and is available oncbs.comand On Demand.

Be sure to follow us atcbssundaymorning.com, and onTwitter(@CBSSunday),Facebook, andInstagram(#CBSSundayMorning).

For more info:

See also:

Read more from the original source:
George W. Bush calls not passing immigration reform one of his biggest regrets - CBS News