American Immigration Council

The American Immigration Council Applauds Senate Passage of Historic Immigration Reform Legislation

Released on Thu, Jun 27, 2013

Washington D.C. – The American Immigration Council applauds the U.S. Senate for passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation (S. 744) by a vote of 68-32 (including 14 Republicans). This vote reflects how far the country has come in understanding the significance of immigration reform to the health and well-being of the nation as a whole. Regardless of what may come next, today’s vote reflects the irrefutable fact that the social and economic benefits of immigration reform are tangible and achievable. There will be much work ahead to continue to perfect the policies reflected in this bill. But for the moment, we should thank the Senate, led by the Gang of Eight, for the courage and vision to finally move the country forward on immigration.

“Today’s vote is a game-changer. The debate around immigration reform is forever changed, the notion that the Senate cannot act on immigration is a thing of the past, and now we know that it is possible to find bi-partisan agreement on an issue once deemed toxic,” said Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council.

“There is little doubt that today’s vote offers the country a chance to start again on immigration. While the compromises necessary to achieve a significant bipartisan vote were many, this is a lesson for us all in democracy—we can respect deep disagreements on policy grounds, yet still find a way forward. The Senate should be commended for giving us all a chance to change the conversation on immigration,” said Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center.

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For more information, contact Wendy Feliz at [email protected] or 202-507-7524

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American Immigration Council Applauds DOMA Decision

Released on Wed, Jun 26, 2013

Washington D.C. - Today, the Supreme Court unequivocally affirmed that there is no legitimate reason for the federal government to discriminate against married couples on account of their sexual orientation. The Justices struck down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, noting in their decision, “DOMA’s principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal.”

Today’s historic decision means that our immigration system must stop treating gay and lesbian families differently than other families. For far too long, gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have been barred from obtaining immigration status for their noncitizen spouses. As a result, families have been separated and spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been deported from the United States.

President Obama issued an immediate directive to the Attorney General to “work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.”

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano also issued a statement to press confirming that DHS is “working with our federal partners, including the Department of Justice, [to] implement today's decision so that all married couples will be treated equally and fairly in the administration of our immigration laws."

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AIC Executive Director Ben Johnson Published in The Hill

Published on Fri, Jun 21, 2013

Ben Johnson, the Executive Director of the American Immigration Council, recently published an article in The Hill. The article, titled "Stop using legalization of the undocumented as a bargaining chip," focused on the amendments in the Senate bill designed to put off the road to citizenship until certain benchmarks were met.

Published in the The Hill

The IPC's Mary Giovagnoli in Chicago Sun-Times

Published on Sun, Jun 16, 2013

Mary Giovagnoli, the Director of the Immigration Policy Center, was quoted in a recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times on Senator John Cornyn's proposed border amendments in the Senate immigration bill:

"Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants to halt the legalization of undocumented immigrants after a required 10-year wait if border security fails to meet potentially unattainable standards.

"He might as well say he is against immigration reform. His plan would effectively kill it, which is why some, including Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), have called his proposal a poison pill.

“'It becomes a way to say we can’t move forward,' said Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Immigration Policy Center."

Published in the Chicago Sun-Times

Fox News Latino Cites IPC Fact Sheet in Article

Published on Mon, Jun 17, 2013

A recent Fox News Latino article drew on a recent fact sheet released by the Immigration Policy Center in an article on the economic impact of immigrants in Texas.

"A Texas congressman wants to know what the economic impact on the Lone Star State would be if it lost its estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants.

"Rep. Pete Gallego, a Democrat, believes the cost to Texas would be much higher now than a 2006 estimate done by the state comptroller. So his office has sent a letter to the comptroller asking for a more current analysis.

"In 2006, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn concluded that a loss of the undocumented immigrant population would have resulted in 'a loss to our gross state product of $17.7 billion.'

"But a more recent report by the Immigration Policy Center this year put the economic loss at more than twice the last estimate, which Gallego’s office said was the first such comprehensive effort by a state.

"'If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Texas, the state would lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross state product, and approximately 403,174 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time,' said the IPC report.

Published in the Fox News Latino

Seattle Times Puts Spotlight on Winner of CEC Creative Writing Contest

Published on Sun, Jun 16, 2013

The Seattle Times put a spotlight on Erin Stark, the fifth-grader who won the Community Education Center's 2013 Creative Writing Contest. From the article:

"'There’s just a lot more people than just a basic everyday American,' said Erin, of Bellevue.

"The stories she’s heard inspired a poem titled, 'What Would You Miss About Immigrants If They Didn’t Come to America?,' which she entered in a writing contest sponsored by the American Immigration Council. The contest invites fifth-graders to submit a writing entry based on the theme, 'Why I am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants.'

"Erin’s poem won first place out of more than 5,000 entries. Her reward is an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco, where she will read her winning entry at the council’s annual benefit dinner on June 28."

Published in the Seattle Times

AIC Executive Director Ben Johnson Quoted in the New York Times

Published on Wed, Jun 12, 2013

Ben Johnson, the AIC's Executive Director was quoted in a New York Times article titled "Obama Backs Bill to Overhaul Immigration as Debate is Set." From the article:

"Other experts said Mr. Obama had learned from hard experience during the health care and budget debates about the right time to lie low and the right time to insert himself in the process.

"'There’s no question that the president has a delicate dance,' said Ben Johnson, the executive director of the American Immigration Council. 'He’s got to strike the right tone and the right balance of using the office effectively and not trampling on the process that’s currently under way.'"

Published in the New York Times

Senate Floor Debate Must Maintain Spirit of Compromise

And Adhere to Certain Principles to Ensure A Workable System

Released on Tue, Jun 11, 2013

Washington D.C. – Today, the long-awaited opportunity to reform the country’s dysfunctional immigration system moves one step closer to reality as the full Senate begins consideration of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee set a high standard for civility and transparency during its markup of the bill last month, and we urge the full Senate to continue in this vein. The bill that emerged from committee offers a workable plan that takes a balanced approach to immigration reform. Evidence, rather than grandstanding and rhetoric, should drive the debate on the Senate floor. Common sense and good policy can trump political one-upmanship, as long as Senators keep the following principles in mind.Read more...

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AIC Executive Director Ben Johnson Quoted in the Financial Times

Published on Tue, Jun 11, 2013

The Executive Director of the American Immigration Council, Ben Johnson, was quoted in a Financial Times article titled "US Senate to debate immigration." Here's an excerpt:

"In a sign of how the GOP establishment is swinging behind the effort, Crossroads GPS, the well-funded and influential political group run by former Bush aide Karl Rove, has started running newspaper ads in favour of immigration reform.

"The group has taken full-page ads in Washington newspapers declaring that 'America deserves an immigration system that works', saying reform 'presents a historic opportunity to strengthen our nation’s security and prosperity for the future'.

"However, many immigration reform advocates are holding their breath.

'This issue has proven to be difficult – beyond difficult – and I think it’s going to be a fight to the death,' said Ben Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Council, adding that it was still 'susceptible to political winds'.

Published in the Financial Times

Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Pass Immigration Bill on to Full Senate

Mark-Up Characterized by Transparency and Bipartisan Cooperation

Released on Tue, May 21, 2013

Washington D.C. - Today, on a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, out of the committe and on to the Senate floor for a full vote in the coming days. The Senate committee mark-up spanned three weeks and covered many of the 300 amendments offered on every aspect of the bill. The resulting legislation represents a concerted effort to find a workable and fair immigration policy that makes our nation stronger.

The following is a statement by Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council:

“We congratulate Senator Leahy and the entire Senate Judiciary Committee on the spirit of deliberation, collaboration, and transparency that marked the process. Many amendments added during the mark-up will strengthen the bill in the areas of high-skilled immigration, protections for vulnerable groups and due process. However, other amendments, like those attempting to deny citizenship, may have been driven more by rhetoric than reality. In addition, not providing some relief to siblings who face extreme hardships because of their separation and not ending the discrimination against same sex couples legally married in the United States is short-sighted and bad policy. Yet despite these high costs, the overall bill coming out of committee now gives the Senate an important and rare opportunity to complete the task we have been working on for years—passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that finally moves us to our goal of fixing our broken immigration system.

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