Today’s Good News: States Push Back On Anti-Immigrant Policy
A number of leaders on the state level have found proposals that bring people together to solve problems, rather than dividing them through scapegoating vulnerable immigrant populations.
Progressive States Network has made a report on what states are doing on immigration. Some highlights:
Wage Enforcement vs. Employer Sanctions:
- Instead of promoting sanctions against employers of undocumented workers, New York State has created a new Bureau of Immigrant Workers’ Rights, which sends a van out to churches and community groups to encourage immigrant workers to come forward to report wage law violations. Virginia Delegate Dwight Jones has introduced HB 1038, which would enhance enforcement of the state minimum wage law. Other states are considering proposals to significantly increase penalties for violating minimum wage and other workplace standards for all workers.
- Virginia and Illinois have established offices to help immigrant parents and children integrate into society and get on a citizenship path, while school leaders in Arizona rallied to demand more funds for English instruction. In Wisconsin, community groups and churches are working together to provide help with English and naturalization.
Root Causes of Immigration:
- Advocates and legislators are increasingly arguing for solutions that deal with core problems of bad trade deals lowering wages and poverty in other countries, and driving desperate people to emigrate. As Gladys Gould of the Providence Presbyterian Church said at a Rhode Island rally, the “global economy…and free trade agreements like NAFTA” are hurting workers’ wages on both sides of the border. In Oklahoma, state Representative Rebecca Hamilton, has filed a bill which would make it illegal for the state of Oklahoma to contract with any company that has closed American facilities and opened new factories outside the country, unless they operate those factories in compliance with United States wage, safety and human rights guarantees. This is in line with efforts by state and local governments across the country to adopt Sweatfree Government Purchasing rules. Governors from the states of Maine, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have signed onto the idea, to help raise wage standards both at home and abroad.
There’s lots more good stuff on this issue here.
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