New Mexico coalition pushes for immigration reform
A group of New Mexico community, faith and business leaders formed a coalition Dec. 13 to call on the federal government to create a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
The goal of the coalition, which is an initiative of the New American Economy, a national organization made up of Republican and Democratic mayors and business leaders, is to convince lawmakers to legalize undocumented immigrants who don’t have a criminal record. The coalition also calls for securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Immigration reform is not just a political imperative – it’s also an economic one that requires empowering our immigrants so that they can fully enter the workforce and expand their own American Dream,” said Allegra Love, an immigration attorney and founder of the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, a local nonprofit organization that helps young undocumented immigrants.
The New Mexico Immigration Reform Steering Committee’s efforts come as Republican President-elect Donald Trump shapes his administration, which he said during the campaign would deport all undocumented immigrants. However, since he won the election he has softened his stance on immigration, indicating he wouldn’t deport undocumented immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Instead, he says he will continue the current policy of targeting undocumented immigrants who have a criminal background.
Trump’s election was a stunning setback for advocates who for more than a decade have pushed Congress to approve a proposal to create a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. The latest effort is a bipartisan bill called the Bridge Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., which aims to protect more than 700,000 young immigrants from deportation.
The proposal is meant to temporarily protect from deportation immigrants who are part of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump has said he would cancel the program, which allows participants to legally work with a two-year renewable work permit while they are deferred from deportation.
The New Mexico coalition asks lawmakers to recognize the economic benefits that other undocumented immigrants bring to the state.
“New Mexico heavily relies on immigrant labor,” said Kim Shanahan, executive director of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association, “and it’s time for Congress to give businesses the tools they need to stay ahead in today’s economy.”
In New Mexico, immigrants make up 10 percent of the state’s population and contributed over a billion dollars in taxes in 2014, including $394 million in state and local taxes, according to a New American Economy report.
Among successful immigrants highlighted in the study is Sergio Bermudez, president and CEO of El Mezquite Market, a Mexican carniceria with six locations in Albuquerque and Belen. Bermudez immigrated from Sonora, Mexico, to Arizona in the ’80s with his family. They opened the first food shop in 1998 and currently own six, the study says. The stores employ 220 people, the study says.
“Throughout America’s history immigrants have been central to our success, and this Congress has a great opportunity to make sure they continue to have a strong impact in the future,” said Christina Medina, associate professor and director of the masters of public administration program at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
Justin Remer-Thamert, program director at New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, is also a member of the coalition.
The Santa Fe New Mexican is a sister-paper of The Taos News. Contact Uriel Garcia at 505-986-3062 or ugarcia@sfnewmexican.com. Follow him on Twitter @ujohnnyg.
