CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY-FIRST COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. M-15-10 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa Peña & Ken Sanchez
MEMORIAL
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Reaffirming The City Of Albuquerque's Commitment To Civil Rights, Recognizing The Contributions Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Workers And Families, And Urging Congress To Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Peña, Sanchez)
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REAFFIRMING THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE'S COMMITMENT TO CIVIL RIGHTS, RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS, WORKERS AND FAMILIES, AND URGING CONGRESS TO PASS COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM.
WHEREAS, the Albuquerque City Council re-affirms its commitment to immigrant integration and inclusion exemplified in R-00-151 which states that "the Council welcomes and encourages immigrants to live, work, and study in Albuquerque and to participate in community affairs, and recognizes immigrants for their important contributions to our culture and economy."; and
WHEREAS, R-00-151 committed that "the City will include in its legislative agenda requests that Congress enact just and humane immigration reforms that provide immigrants and their families with rights in this country that are commensurate with human dignity and their status as taxpayers and contributing members of our community."; and
WHEREAS, R-00-151 states that the "City shall not discriminate on the basis of a person's national origin and will treat all persons with respect and dignity, regardless of immigration status."; and
WHEREAS, this Council believes in the human dignity of all Albuquerque residents, regardless of immigration status, and recognizes the importance of immigrants' many contributions to the social, cultural, intellectual and economic fabric of the City; and
WHEREAS, immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and significantly contribute to the State's and City's economy; and
WHEREAS, immigrants are twice as likely to start a business as U.S. born citizens and immigrant-owned businesses generated approximately $389 million dollars each year in economic activity in New Mexico between 2006 and 2010, according to the Partnership for the New American Economy; and
WHEREAS, immigrants play a vital role in New Mexico's workforce, and comprised 12.7% of the state's workforce in 2011 (125,569 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau; and
WHEREAS, unauthorized immigrants in New Mexico paid $101.5 million in state and local taxes in 2010, according to data from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy; and
WHEREAS, 85.2% of children with immigrant parents in New Mexico were U.S. citizens in 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute; and
WHEREAS, The current immigration system is broken, outdated, and has had a devastating impact on New Mexico's families resulting in family separation, labor abuses and exploitation of workers and has not permitted immigrants to fully integrate into the broader community; and
WHEREAS, due to Congress' inaction on comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama issued a series of executive actions on November 20, 2014, including the expansion of the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the creation of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), allowing qualified immigrants to apply for protection from deportation and work authorization for a period of three years; and
WHEREAS, expanded DACA applies to qualified immigrants who came to the United States when they were children who have lived in the U.S. for more than five years, and DAPA applies to qualified immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have lived in the U.S. for more than five years; and
WHEREAS, the immigration executive actions will grow New Mexico's GDP by $490 million to 1.2 billion over the next ten years and will translate into increased revenue for New Mexico's budget, according to the Council of Economic Advisors; and
WHEREAS, although the City of Albuquerque recognizes the positive impact that DAPA and DACA will have on the well-being of children and families, it recognizes that it falls short of fixing the broken immigration system and that comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship is vital for the full inclusion and integration of new and aspiring American workers and families; and
WHEREAS, it is similarly important for the City to support diversity and to provide services to all persons in the City regardless of their race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic or immigration status (in addition to any other protected classes under local, state, or federal law).
BE IT MEMORIALIZED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. The City Council reaffirms its commitment to policies established under R-00-151 including but not limited to its commitment to "treat all persons with respect and dignity, regardless of their immigration status" and that "to the fullest extent allowed by federal and state law, immigrants who live within the city limits of Albuquerque and their families shall have access to all City services and programs."
SECTION 2. The City Council encourages the City to work with private, non-profit, and public sectors to support the implementation of DAPA and DACA to the best of its ability.
SECTION 3. The City Council calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.
SECTION 4. The City Council supports the equal treatment of all persons and states that all persons who live within the City should have full access to all city services with respect and dignity, including public safety services and programs, regardless of their race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic or immigration status (in addition to any other protected classes under local, state, or federal law).
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