Pennsylvania Compact

A DECLARATION OF FIVE PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE PENNSYLVANIA’S IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION AND POLICY MAKING

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—not Pennsylvania and other countries. We urge Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to ensure smart and effective enforcement of federal laws that protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies addressing immigrants in Pennsylvania.

LAW ENFORCEMENT We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.

FAMILIES Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support families and improve the health, education and well-being of all Pennsylvania residents.

ECONOMY Pennsylvania is best served by a well balanced free market that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Pennsylvania has the third oldest population in the nation and many young immigrant families have replenished our workforce and have acted as caretakers for our elderly and children. Pennsylvania’s immigration policies must be fair and friendly both to businesses and workers who choose to establish themselves here, in order to strengthen our economic role nationally and globally.

A FREE AND WELCOMING SOCIETY The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has attracted diverse groups of people from many nations and various walks of life, all seeking liberty and prosperity. It was in this spirit that the United States of America was founded – in Pennsylvania. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion—as envisioned by our founder William Penn. The way that we treat newcomers sends a message about our state to the rest of the world.

Pennsylvania Compact

Reality Check - How long do immigrant families wait in line?

Let's say you're an immigrant who has successfully become a U.S. Citizen and you want to sponsor your unmarried, adult son or daughter  to come to the U.S.  Good news --You fall into the FIRST PREFERENCE category for one of the 226,000 family-sponsored visas available annually under the Immigration and Nationality Act! 

Bad news -- So what does that really mean?  If you're from Mexico, it will be about an 18 year long wait.  From the Phillipines, 15 years.  Other countries, maybe 7 years.

Check out this article and the accompanying graphic for a breakdown of the current wait times for family-sponsored visas and employment-based visas. 


It’s no secret that applying for residence in the United States can be a complicated process. Even when all the paperwork is in, there’s still a long wait involved, a wait that is determined by a complicated equation that balances the demand and supply of employment and family-unification visas the U.S. grants. As a result, some applicants have been waiting in line for more than 10 years, others for more than 20 years, according to the State Department’s most recent count.

Read entire article at  http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/07/visa.html

Sowing Seeds of Justice in Philadelphia

Sowing Seeds of Hope and Justice for Immigrants

A Prayerful Gathering at City Hall on 15^th Street on Tuesday, July 12^th, from 4pm to 4:30pm, followed by brief visits to offices of the Mayor and District Attorney

Inch by inch. Row by row. Gonna make this garden grow! 

All it takes is a rake and a hoe, and a piece of fertile ground.
Inch by inch. Row by row. Someone bless these seeds I sow!  

Someone keep them safe below, until the rains come tumbling down.

On June 29^th, a small group from the New Sanctuary Movement hand delivered the first set of our collection of hand-written letters addressed to the mayor and the district attorney, urging the end of collaboration between Philadelphia police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although we did not meet with Mayor Nutter and District Attorney Williams personally, we left the letters at their offices along with a message that we would be back with more! 

 

On Tuesday, July 12^th, we're planning a second larger, more public delivery with our NSM congregations and members. We'll gather at 4pm outside City Hall (15^th Street side) for brief reflections and prayers led by some of our NSM congregations before walking together to deliver letters at the mayor's and DA's offices. We'll distribute the letters we have collected along with seeds for each participant to carry in our procession as a prayerful action symbolizing our work together to cultivate a city of hope and justice for immigrants.

 

• Wear your NSM t-shirt for this event! If you still need to buy one, you can purchase t-shirts on-line at www.sanctuaryphiladelphia.org.

•  Bring garden tools (rake, hoe, shovel, watering can) to carry in the procession!  We want to show Philadelphia we're counting on a harvest of justice.

• Bring your personal letters for the District Attorney and the Mayor on July 12^th if you haven't already turned those in. For more information about the letter writing campaign and how you can participate, email NSM at nsmintern@gmail.com.

Infographic: The Costs of E-Verify

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/06/e_verify_infographic.html
From the Center for American Progress -- A great summary of costs of the E-Verify program, the government’s Internet-based work authorization system. The graphic highlights the system’s known costs, such as lost tax revenue and monetary burdens on small businesses, and estimates the costs of additional fiscal burdens—to individuals verified through the system, to employers utilizing the system, and to the federal government in running the system—absent from much of the dialogue. E-Verify expands the size of government while decreasing revenue, places a crushing burden on small businesses, and imposes a “jobs tax” on ordinary Americans.

Coming Out of the Immigration "Closet"

A successful young journalist reveals that, in addition to being gay, he is an undocumented immigrant. This article in the NYTimes Sunday Magazine is his public "coming out." His well-placed supporters will most likely be able to help him negotiate a path toward legal status; nonetheless, this was a brave act. And one hopes that he will continue to advocate for passage of the Dream Act that can help other dreamers like himself.

Read the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/magazine/my-life-as-an-undocumented-immigrant.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

Freedom From Fear Award

Freedom From Fear Award Commends 15 “Ordinary People” for Extraordinary Acts of Courage on Behalf of Immigrants and Refugees

Four students from Philadelphia will receive a Freedom of Fear award for organizing against the violence at South Philadelphia High School where many immigrant students were harassed and terrorized. By standing up for their human right for a safe and non-violent place to learn, they brought the community and the Philadelphia School District to account.

Other awardees include several Dream Activists, the founders of No More Deaths, and the former Phoenix police chief

Another State Tries to Opt Out of Secure Communities

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick follows the lead of Illinois and New York governors in choosing not to participate in Secure Communities, because the program is not “accomplishing its goal of deporting immigrants who were convicted of serious crimes.” In fact, it may have the opposite effect, it “may deter the reporting of criminal activity.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/us/politics/07immig.html?ref=opinion

It is uncertain, if the state can even opt out of the program. “States like New York signed contracts with the Department of Homeland Security to enter Secure Communities, and now the administration insists that they must participate.” The need for real immigration reform is evident.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08wed1.html?_r=1&emc=eta1