Uresti co-sponsors resolution calling on Congress to enact immigration reform
AUSTIN — State Sen. Carlos Uresti and other members of the Senate Democratic Caucus filed a Senate concurrent resolution Wednesday urging Congress to swiftly enact meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform.
SCR 15 notes that America is a nation of immigrants and that their story is woven into our social and cultural fabric. It states that we require an immigration system that “provides for public safety, national security, economic prosperity, and the well-being of all who live and work in the United States.”
Uresti, chairman of the Senate Hispanic caucus, said there is a growing consensus among the American public and elected leaders in both political parties that the time is right to address the issue. The resolution cites a January poll by the Associated Press that found 62 percent of Americans support immigration reform.
“Everyone has been waiting for a moment like this,” Uresti said. “This is an issue of national importance, and our leaders in Washington must not let the opportunity pass. We need a sound immigration policy that addresses not only the need for border security, but 21st Century economic realities and the common decencies that people owe to one another.”
As far the economic benefits of immigration reform, the resolution cites a 2012 report by the CATO Institute that said reform could lead to a $180 billion gain for American households. Closer to home, a study by the Perryman Group found that Texas would lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross state product, and approximately 403,000 jobs if all undocumented immigrants were removed from the state.
Uresti said immigration reform must reflect the nation’s sovereignty and the right to secure its borders, but should not stop there. It must also be compassionate, and address the needs of temporary and migrant workers and young people who were brought to the United States as children without their consent.
“The Dream Act must be part of any immigration reform legislation,” he said. “The senses of fairness, justice, human dignity, and mutual respect that are imbedded in America’s value system demand a pathway to citizenship for these individuals who have no other home.”
Sen. Uresti represents Senate District 19, which covers more than 35,000 square miles and contains all or part of 17 counties, two international ports of entry, ten state parks, 51 school districts, almost 9,000 miles of highways and county roads, and more than 29,000 producing oil and gas wells. The district is larger than 11 states and 124 Nations, and contains almost 400 miles of the Texas-Mexico border.
