Mexican-Amercian Political Assoc.

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CEDILLO SENATE RESOLUTION: ENF

CEDILLO SENATE RESOLUTION:

ENFORCEMENT MORATORIUM

This resolution was introduced by California Senator Gilbert Cedillo into the California Senate; and which was approved by a significant margin. It comes on the heels of some of the most intense immigration enforcement policies and practices pursued by President Barack Obama and the Department of Homeland Security headed by Secretary Janet Napolitano, former Democratic governor of Arizona. It is our hope that other state legislatures will join the Cedillo intiative and approve their own resolutions to demand an immediate moratorium of such rampant and indiscriminate enforcement until a new fair and humane immigration law is approved by the U.S. Congress, which permits the 12-15 million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to come out of the shadow (not just to be counted by the census enumerators, but permanently) and integrate into civil society as the full contributing members of America as they so deserve. Read with wonder and encouragement this resolution introduced by a courageous political leader - Senator Gil Cedillo.

Nativo Vigil Lopez

National President

Senate Joint Resolution No. 19

Introduced by Senator Cedillo

September 3, 2009

Senate Joint Resolution No. 19-Relative to immigration.

legislative counsel's digest SJR 19, as introduced, Cedillo. Enforcement of immigration laws.

This measure would condemn specified policies and practices of federal agencies regarding the enforcement of immigration laws, and would urge Congress and the President of the United States to declare an immediate moratorium on those policies and practices until a comprehensive reform of immigration laws is enacted and implemented.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, The State of California values all of its residents, whether they be citizens, legal residents, or undocumented immigrants, and strives to enable all residents to work and live free from discrimination, exploitation, and repressive federal immigration enforcement; and

WHEREAS, In California, the population of which is expected to increase to 54 million by 2040-including a Latino population of 27 million, a Caucasian population of 16 million, and an Asian population of 7 million-immigrants are and will continue to be a critical resource; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, 1 of every 8 people living in the United States is an immigrant and approximately one-third of those immigrants are undocumented; and

WHEREAS, There are approximately 8.1 million undocumented workers in the United States economy comprising 15 percent of the national labor force with an annual federal tax contribution of more than 30 billion; and

WHEREAS, There is clear evidence that undocumented workers are currently making great contributions to the national economy; and

WHEREAS, In California alone, there are 8.9 million immigrants, making up 26 percent of the total population and one-third of California's labor force, who figure prominently in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and service industries. Those immigrants pay approximately 4.5 billion in state taxes each year, significantly contributing to California's economy; and

WHEREAS, In California, the average immigrant- headed household contributes a net of 2,679 annually to social security, which is 539 more than the average household headed by a person born in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Immigrants are among California's most productive entrepreneurs, and have created jobs for tens of thousands of Californians. By 2000, immigrant owners of Silicon Valley companies created 72,839 jobs and generated more than 19.5 billion in sales. Google, Sun Microsystems, eBay, and Yahoo! are all companies that were founded or cofounded by immigrants; and

WHEREAS, In the absence of comprehensive federal immigration reform, the program initiated under the Bush administration known as "Operation Return to Sender," the federal Department of Homeland Security, through the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted aggressive raids in homes and workplaces in efforts to locate, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants; and

WHEREAS, The Obama administration, in order to take action and implement some type of enforcement while federal comprehensive immigration reform is considered, has shifted its focus to an "enforcement only" policy in the form of aggressive unprecedented enforcement against employers who hire immigrants; and

WHEREAS, In order to achieve better enforcement, the federal Department of Homeland Security and the federal Social Security Administration seek to require use of the E-Verify system, federal employment verification, audits of profiled companies that hire immigrants, and expansion of police-ICE collaboration. As a result, employers may well engage in prohibited behavior, such as using verification programs for purposes other than verifying employment eligibility or to prescreen employment candidates, resulting in discrimination against workers; and

WHEREAS, Latino workers are among the most vulnerable and have a higher likelihood of being disproportionately affected by these programs; and

WHEREAS, The employer audits and the mandatory use of the E-Verify system would affect millions of workers, and there is a concern for the broader and negative implications that an expansion of the use of E-Verify by all other sectors will have on the United States workforce during this difficult economic crisis; and

WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a mandatory E-Verify employment verification program would decrease federal revenue by 17.3 billion over 10 years because more workers would be paid "off the books"; and

WHEREAS, In light of the economic crisis our country is currently facing, excessive employer auditing and mandatory use of the E-Verify system add an additional burden to businesses and employers as they are being forced to lay off thousands of workers; and

WHEREAS, Companies such as Overhill Farms, American Apparel, Farmer Johns, and Micro Solutions, among others, have been drastically affected by the aggressive enforcement of immigration laws; and

WHEREAS, Raids, employer audits, and mandatory use of the E-Verify system harm immigrants, their employers, their communities, and our economy and are disruptive to communities where immigrants have settled and contribute to the growth of local communities; and

WHEREAS, Trying to deport 10 million undocumented immigrants would cost at least 206 billion over 5 years, according to a study by the Center for American Progress; and

WHEREAS, If workers targeted by these enforcement efforts were removed from the workforce, the effects would ripple through many industries as they would face substantial shortages of workers; and

WHEREAS, We cannot speak of resolving the current economic crisis, or important health or security concerns, without addressing the interwoven issue of immigration; and

WHEREAS, The recent actions of ICE run counter to the principles of this country, which was founded on immigration and where early Irish, Italian, Asian, and African American families founded some of the country's most important institutions; and

WHEREAS, The increase and severity of ICE's actions in our country only underscores the absolute ineffectiveness of current federal immigration policy and the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform; and

WHEREAS, Our current immigration system is broken and greatly in need of reform. In order to create real, long- lasting reform, we must create a pathway to legal status for the millions of undocumented immigrants who have made lives for themselves and their families in the United States; and

WHEREAS, After a meeting between President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Guadalajara, Mexico, President Obama announced that immigration reform legislation will have to wait until 2010; and

WHEREAS, If reform is not possible this year, relief in the form of a moratorium on employer sanctions, raids, deportations, the use of E-Verify, and prolonged detention for immigration-related offenses is absolutely necessary to maintain stability in our communities and to minimize economic disruption. A moratorium on the Obama enforcement strategy will provide temporary relief from the policies and practices that are tearing up the integrity and unity of our families and at the same time provide the federal government the necessary time to propose, debate, and enact comprehensive immigration reform; and

WHEREAS, Without a balanced approach on immigration and economic recovery, security planning, public health, and the lives of 12 to 18 million people will remain in limbo; and WHEREAS, Former federal Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently announced that one of her biggest regrets during her term of service for the Bush administration was not achieving immigration reform. She also stated immigrants were critical to the country's financial health, and that reform was needed to fuel the next round of economic growth, referring to immigrants as "one of the strongest elements not only of our national wealth, but also of our national soul"; and

WHEREAS, We are a nation of immigrants that continues to be a beacon of hope and liberty, attracting the best and brightest from across the globe who fight to start a better life in our country and take part in the American dream; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature hereby condemns the excessive employer audits, mandatory use of the E- Verify system, immigration raids, arrests, detentions, and deportations of undocumented immigrants conducted by the federal Department of Homeland Security, through the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature urges Congress and the President of the United States to declare an immediate moratorium on the aggressive, unprecedented enforcement of employer sanctions, including excessive audits of profiled companies that hire immigrants, the expanded use of the E-Verify system, the federal system of employment verification, the expansion of police-ICE collaboration, and immigration raids in the State of California, until our nation can enact and implement a comprehensive and just reform of our immigration laws with a comprehensive immigration program that recognizes the broad contributions immigrants have made to the fabric of the country; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

Join us in this prolonged campaign for driver's licenses and visas for our families. The first step in making change is to join an organization that pursues the change we desire. We welcome you to our ranks.

Other organizations leading this movement include: Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), MAPA Youth Leadership, Southern California Immigration Coalition, Liberty and Justice for Immigrants Movement, National Alliance for Immigrant's Rights, and immigrant's rights coalitions throughout the U.S..

2000 - Present

July 26, 2003 Nativo Vigil Lopez elected MAPA President January,

January, 2003 Maria Martinez is selected to be the President of MAPA.

2001 Ben Benavidez returns to finish his 1998 term. Although the 1998 stroke rendered him disabled. Ben continues his movimiento work. He continues empowerment work in Education, Police Abuse, Redistricting, Immigration and the Political Arena. 2000 MAPA Website www.mapa-ca.org launched by Jose Medeiros and Juan del Real.

The 1990's

1999 MAPA celebrates the 40th anniversary. Gloria Torres is elected president she is the third woman to hold the post of MAPA President. She is elected in August 28, 1999.

1998 Benavidez leads his last parent's bilingual dedication march in San Joaquin, the school board fires a principal and meets the parent's demands. Ben suffers a second stroke. MAPA Vice presidents step in and fill the gap. They keep MAPA moving forward as they continue to fight police harassment and brutality issues in all areas of CA. All this among the uncertainty of whether or not Ben will be back. 1997 Ben Benavidez is once again elected President of MAPA. He leads the marches protesting the wrongful shootings by police offices in Delano and Dinuba. 1996 Under the leadership of Brolo and with the help of President Emeritus, Ben Benavidez, MAPA chapters throughout CA protest the police beatings in Riverside, CA. Much of these are attributed to the result of passage of Propositions 187 and 209.

1995 As the Mexican American Community begins the year under a dark cloud of anti affirmative action siege, MAPA prepares do battle the Civil Rights initiative. Ben Benavidez joins the coalition to combat our stance in1996. The commitment to develop a strong political machine that will defeat CCRI is stronger than ever. Ben leaves office to expand AMA (Agrupacion de Madres Activas en Educacion) and Hector Brolo is elected to lead MAPA. The Hmung American Political Association (HAPA) is born with the assistance of Ben Benavidez.

1994 The year of the "anti-immigrant" furor and passage of CA Proposition 187. MAPA leads the struggle and becomes a plaintiff into Peter Shey led court suit that stops implementation of this nefarious law. Benavidez continues his grassroots involvement in social, political, economic and educational issues. Ben's ties with the Latino Issues Forum, the Green-lining Institute expands into the Super Informational Highway. Ben coordinates the development of the Inland Empire Region.

1993 Great factory in Dinuba. Far reaching effects under the Voting Rights Act. Over 61 school districts changing over to Chicano empowerment Economic Access for minorities is at an all time high, with many banks signing billion dollar economic commitments in minority areas..

1992 Benavidez has a stroke in the middle of the Dinuba movement after he is arrested. He recovers in six moths and continues his Educational and Access Issues agenda.

1991 MAPA reelects Benavides as president. His grass roots, progressive style helps change the political makeup of school districts and municipalities towards Chicano empowerment.

1990 MAPA co-sponsors with MALDEF, CRLA, SWVREP and other groups the 1990 Re-apportionment planning conference in Los Angeles, CA. MAPA celebrates its 30th Anniversary. Benavides declares the 1990 are the Decade of the Mexicano/Chicano.

The 1980's

1989 MAPA elects Ben Benavidez as its President. He brings a progressive movement and education is an extremely important issue in his agenda

1987 MAPA del Valle is established in Fresno under the leadership of Ben Benavidez.

1986 MAPA endorses Charles "Chuck" Pineda as its candidate for Governor of California.

1985 Beatriz Molina is elected President of MAPA. She becomes the second woman in the history on MAPA to lead the organization. MAPA celebrates its 25th anniversary.

1984 Chavez establishes the long-awaited regular MAPA Newsletter and MAPA Press. Disillusioned by the new leadership many Republicans members leave MAPA and will return in 1985 and 1986.

1983 Fernando Chavez, a San Jose attorney and son of Cesar Chavez is elected President of MAPA in a bitter battle with Julio Calderon. Chavez promises to continue the development of MAPA as a growing political force in California.

1982 MAPA Chapters increase and membership shoots up to over 2000 becoming truly bi-partisan with Hillary Sandoval, Republican MAPA chapters. The General Endorsement Convention in Los Angeles attracts 1500 delegates and observers. Most political candidates attend and launch strong and expensive lobbying campaigns among MAPA delegates

1981 Julio Calderon is elected President of MAPA in Sacrament. New chapters continue to be formed and the media coverage of MAPA is increased.

1980 Blanca Alvarado, MAPA State Secretary is elected to the San Jose City Council, the first Chicana to hold such office. An increase of chapters began to appear in the Central and Northern Regions MAPA seems to be gaining strength again.