immigration system in State of the Union address
United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez issued the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union address.
We are pleased to see that during his first State of the Union speech, President Obama reiterated his commitment to pass an immigration reform legislation that would bring out of the shadows the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants who current live and labor in the United States.
President Obama was right on target in calling for an immigration reform as a way to help our nation’s economy get back on track.
“We should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system,” President Obama said, “to secure our borders, enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.”
According to a 2010 study by UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization plan for undocumented workers could result in a cumulative $1.5 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product over ten years, as more tax revenues are collected, wages increase for U.S.-born and legalized workers, and immigrant workers spend more in our economy.
An immigration reform bill would allow hundreds of thousands of undocumented farm workers, who comprise more than 50 percent of the U.S. agricultural workforce, to continue to provide a steady food supply for American families. That is why the UFW has worked together with the agricultural industry for the last 10 years to craft a bipartisan approach, called AgJOBS, that would ensure a legal work force for U.S. agriculture.
It was clear from his speech last night that President Obama understands the positive economic impact that a reform would have for all Americans. Now, we must demand that Congress drafts and passes an immigration reform legislation that works for American workers, businesses, and taxpayers. Our broken immigration system is a national crisis, and we urged our lawmakers to work on a bipartisan effort to solve this pressing problem.