This country was founded on immigration. With the exception of American Indians, we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Yet, there are several bills at the state and national level that will be devastating to immigrants, as well as to lower-income U.S. citizens. These bills discriminate against those least able to afford and obtain documentation of legal residency status, whether they be immigrants, or citizens of the United States. Hostile anti-immigrant laws, walls along the border, workplace raids, and armed vigilantes have put an ugly face on our nation. America at its best welcomes those who come here for economic security, political asylum, and escape from ethnic, sexual, and religious discrimination. Hawkins opposes those who seek to divide us for political gain by raising ethnic and racial hatreds, and by blaming immigrants for social and economic problems.
If we're really concerned about the flow of new immigrants into the U.S., we'd address the damage cause by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has drained the Mexican economy, destroyed small Mexican businesses, dispossessed farmers from their land, uprooted workers, and depressed wages for the benefit of U.S.-based corporations. International trade authorities have allowed transnational corporations to slash wages, disrupt other nations' economies by dumping U.S. products on their markets, privatize water and other public goods and services, and pollute the land. So, many new immigrants, especially those who arrive impoverished and without documentation, are fleeing nightmares in their home countries.
Immigrant Rights
Immigrants don’t drive down wages; employers do. Raise the minimum wage to a living wage for all Americans. Establish equal rights for all immigrants so they can’t be exploited to undercut that wage.
No to Hegel-Martinez
The enormous protests from this spring showed that the issue of immigrant equality is going to be the civil rights movement of this generation. The so-called “Hegel-Martinez compromise”, supported by Sen. Clinton, is woefully inadequate. The bill would offer only a small minority of undocumented immigrants the eventual chance to become citizens. The rest would either be deported or turned into second-class “guest workers", who would be deprived basic workers' rights.
Permanent legal residence, with the option of citizenship, for all immigrants.
Undocumented immigrants are some of the most exploited people in this country. Amnesty is not a “free ride”; it’s something they’ve earned through the kind of hard work that few Washington politicians would understand.
No guest-worker program
Guest-workers programs create a second class of workers who are denied to right to organize unions. All workers should have the right to form unions. (see Labor Law Reform)
No border wall
Our borders are neither out of control not a threat to national security. Out of the 250 million people who cross the U.S.-Mexico border each year, less than one percent are unauthorized. Furthermore, not a single “terrorist” has been found to have illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico.
Border enforcement does nothing to make us safer, but it has deadly consequences for migrants by forcing them to cross the border in deserts and mountains far from populated areas. Since 1995, over 3,600 men, women, and children have died along our border. That’s more than 10 times the number of people who died trying to cross the Berlin Wall.
Repeal NAFTA and similar trade pacts
Oppose Real ID act in New York
In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act, which would deprive millions of immigrants of basic rights, including access to a driver’s license. New York State should exercise its right to not participate in this attempt to drive immigrants further underground.
Immigrant Voting Rights
The Voting Rights Act must be renewed to ensure that we don’t go back to the days of segregation. On a local level, we should pass initiatives such as the Voting Rights Registration Act in New York City, which would allow documented non-citizens to vote in municipal elections.
Additional Immigration Issues
Preferential quotas based on race, class, and ideology should be abandoned for immigration policies that promote fairness, non-discrimination and family reunification. The Greens support policies that reflect our constitutional guarantees of freedoms of speech, association, and travel. Particular attention should be given to those minorities who are political exiles and refugees.
Immigrant workers, even if they are undocumented, should be given all the fair-labor standards and all the rights and benefits of American workers. In addition they should be allowed to get a drivers license in order to reduce hazards on the highway and allow them to function in our culture, e.g. get to work, get their children to school. If this country doesn't like that, maybe it will do something about the immigration laws. But we cannot treat undocumented immigrants as subjects for inhumanity.
Our relationship with our neighbor to the south, Mexico, needs to be given added attention due to the special historical and cultural relation it has with the southwest portion of the United States. Our border relations and reciprocal economic opportunities should be a central concern of a government that is looking to improved economic, environmental, and social conditions for all.
Howie Hawkins and the Green Party support permanent border passes to all citizens of Mexico and Canada whose identity can be traced and verified. Work permits for citizens of Mexico and Canada must be easily obtainable, thereby decriminalizing the act of gainful employment. This action would help eliminate exploitation of undocumented persons by criminals engaged in human contraband (coyotes) and unethical employers. It would also help ensure that taxes will be paid in each corresponding nation per its laws. These measures will also help temporary residents from Mexico and Canada to secure driving privileges and liability insurance.
Labor laws must be adjusted to take into account seasonal foreign workers. Employers must provide full rights to wages and health benefits to immigrant workers who make voluntary contributions to pension plans and pay Social Security taxes.
The Green Party advocates an end to employer sanctions, which have been shown to hurt not only undocumented workers but also U.S.-born workers (especially those of color). A fair and equitable legalization program will provide equal access to working people of all nationalities, not tied to a specific employer or guest worker program. Programs involving temporary worker status must include the option of permanent residency for immigrants already in the U.S. and protection of migrant worker savings.
Hawkins opposes "English-only" legislation. Instead, Hawkins supports legislation to ensure that federal funds marked for communities to provide ESL (English as second language) training, and health and social support services to immigrants actually go to them. When funds are spent in other areas, immigrants are being deprived of benefits that they earn as productive workers in their communities.
Hawkins opposes the use of racial profiling. He is concerned about reports of illegal raids and traffic stops based on ethnic appearance and not probable cause of a traffic violation. Hawkins advocates funding or education programs designed to reduce racism and bias against ethnic minorities.
Hawkins supports the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) (HR 3006/S .1278), which allows same-sex partners to be united legally through the U.S. immigration process. The bill adds the term "permanent partner" to the law’s definition of family members; therefore, same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible for green cards and immigrant visas.
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