Says “Executive leadership on immigration reform will bring much needed relief to millions”
City Hall- New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito urged President Obama in a letter today to take swift and decisive Executive Action on immigration. In the letter, Speaker Mark-Viverito urged President Obama at a minimum to accomplish the following in the executive order:
1. Broadest possible expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
2. Relief for as many parents of U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident and DACA eligible children as possible.
3. Reform of Secure Communities and ICE enforcement procedures so that only those undocumented immigrants that pose a real threat to public safety are targeted.
4. Relief for immigrants that have been in the U.S. for over ten years.
“Broad executive leadership on immigration reform will bring much needed relief to millions of immigrants,” said Speaker Mark-Viverito in the letter. “By stopping deportations and allowing immigrants to work and pay taxes without fear you will be keeping families together, building communities and strengthening our economy.”
As Congressional Republicans continue to block comprehensive immigration reform, the New York City Council has been a leader on immigration matters. This year the Council passed a landmark municipal ID program which is open to all, passed legislation that ends New York City’s cooperation with federal authorities that seek to detain immigrants without probable cause and announced a public-private partnership to fund lawyers for unaccompanied minors.
The full text of the letter is below
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
It is apparent that Congress will not act on comprehensive immigration reform. This failure has had tragic consequences across the nation and particularly in New York City. Families, the very fabric of our community, have been needlessly torn apart, children are suffering and we’ve lost our moral compass.
In New York City we’ve taken desperate legislative and policy measures to blunt the harsh impact of congressional inaction, but local action has limited reach. I therefore respectfully urge you to take broad Executive Action to provide desperately needed relief for our country’s immigrants and I urge you to do so now.
It is imperative that that your Executive Action include, at a minimum, the following:
1. Broadest possible expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
2. Relief for as many parents of U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident and DACA eligible children as possible.
3. Reform of Secure Communities and ICE enforcement procedures so that only those undocumented immigrants that pose a real threat to public safety are targeted.
4. Relief for immigrants that have been in the U.S. for over ten years.
There is also an urgent need to address the influx of unaccompanied minors at our southern border. These children come here to escape unspeakable violence and abuse in their home countries. Yet they are greeted with by the U.S. with detention and expedited deportation. I respectfully urge you to end this program.
Broad executive leadership on immigration reform will bring much needed relief to millions of immigrants. By stopping deportations and allowing immigrants to work and pay taxes without fear you will be keeping families together, building communities and strengthening our economy.
This Executive Action is essential because Congressional Republicans have refused to act. Under Speaker Boehner’s leadership, the U.S. House of Representatives has had four years to introduce a bill, but instead of working constructively to fix our immigration laws, House Republicans led by the Tea Party have endlessly fear-mongered and blocked any and all realistic chances at reform. Now, with the possibility of finally taking action to break the deadlock and begin to fix of our immigration laws, some in the House have incredibly suggested impeachment as a viable option. Simply put, House Republicans have no desire to see immigration reform happen and their only goal is to impede Presidential action.
I urge you to take action now and I stand ready to use all the tools at my disposal to defend your action.
Sincerely,
Melissa Mark-Viverito
Speaker, New York City Council
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