Monthly Archives: February 2014

This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending February 21

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Immigration_reform_Updates_blueWeek Ending February 21, 2014

This week in immigration reform: members of Congress return to their home districts this week, where they hear from constituents who want to see progress on immigration reform; a new Gallup poll finds that voters think offering aspiring Americans a path to legalization is as important as intensifying border security; NCLR releases a graphic debunking the excuses offered by House Republicans for their inaction on reform; and NCLR Affiliates and partners continue pressuring Congress to get to work on immigration reform legislation by driving calls into Congressional offices and hosting roundtables to discuss the need for reform.

—Congress on recess, members hear from constituents who want action on immigration reform.  With Congress on recess this week, members of Congress returned to their home districts and took time to meet with their constituents.  Several members fielded questions about immigration reform and committed to getting reform done this year.

At a Feb. 19 forum in Cary, N.C., Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) described immigration reform as her top priority for 2014. Business, faith, and community leaders urged her to get the House working on legislation, offering various reasons why they believed that reform needs to happen. For instance, one business owner told Ellmers that, obstructed by our current broken immigration policies, he could not hire the workers he needs to stay competitive.

Out west, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) told constituents that he is “optimistic” that something can be done on immigration reform by the end of the year.  The Senator added that, were a comprehensive bill put before the House today, he believes it would pass because there are enough votes in support of reform in the House.

—Poll shows that public considers path to legalization as important as border security.  A new Gallup poll finds that American voters now consider offering aspiring Americans a path to legalization as important as expanding border security efforts.  We’ve seen similar results in nonpartisan poll after nonpartisan poll – public support for commonsense, humane immigration reform is not in doubt.  It’s high time for House Republicans to listen to the American people.

—“Reality Check” graphic debunks House Republican excuses for doing nothing on reform.  NCLR released a graphic this week debunking Speaker of the House John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) absurd claim that Congress won’t work on immigration reform legislation because it can’t trust President Obama to enforce immigration laws.  The numbers don’t lie: Obama has deported more people, nearly 2 million at this point, than any other president before him.  Speaker Boehner: we’re tired of your excuses.

For more on the Obama administration’s record levels of enforcement and on the hollowness of Republican excuses, check out NCLR’s recent blog post on the subject.

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NCLR and Affiliates in action. 

  • California:  NCLR Affiliate TODEC called voters in the 31st and 49th CA Congressional districts this Thursday, driving calls in support of reform into the offices of Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and amplifying NCLR’s national Day of Action on Immigration Reform.

Imm_reformupdate_2_21_2014TODEC volunteers prepare to drive calls in support of immigration reform into the offices of targeted House Republicans.

  • Colorado:  The NCLR Action Fund partnered with NCLR Affiliate GOAL Academy, Colorado Lt. Governor Joe Garcia, and other community leaders to host a roundtable on the impact of immigration reform on education this Thursday, Feb. 20.

America’s Multicultural Heritage: How We Can Teach about Immigrants

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ImmigrationRally_7_10_2013Not far from the U.S. Capitol, where immigration reform is a hotly debated topic, a third-grade elementary class in Prince George’s County, Md., was learning about immigration.

They practiced a skit featuring Uncle Sam hosting a dinner party for his friends, while an “uninvited guest” tries to sneak in through the window.  Not being the most subtle play, the production ends quickly with Uncle Sam berating the immigrant, saying, “You are going back to where you came from.  For the health and safety of my people, that’s how it’s got to be.”

Teaching students about immigration with “The Uninvited Guest” seems grossly out of touch, especially considering that we’re in the midst of a heated immigration debate that has resulted in the passage of a comprehensive bill in the U.S. Senate.  Moreover, 16 states offer in-state tuition to undocumented college students, and localities from California to New York City plan to offer undocumented Americans municipal ID cards regardless of immigration status.

The play was cancelled, fortunately, after a parent raised concerns about its strong anti-immigrant bent.  Still, it’s striking that a script which manages to associate undocumented immigrants with criminality, unhealthiness, drugs, and danger in four short pages was ever proposed in the first place.

While we don’t know why a teacher would propose such an inappropriate play, it could have something to do with the dearth of Latino educators in the local school system. Prince George’s County is home to a growing population of Latino families from both immigrant and native-born origins, but only 3 percent of the county’s school employees are Hispanic.

Having more Latino colleagues might have prompted a teacher to ask whether the play in question was appropriate or offensive.

MarchForDignity1Today, over 80 percent of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and public opinion has increasingly titled in favor of honoring our American tradition of welcoming immigrants rather than excluding them.  As our country continues to diversify and Latinos make up a larger share of the population, our schools and communities should find ways to foster and respect a culture of understanding toward America’s longstanding immigrant heritage.

The current immigration debate and this unfortunate incident in Maryland offer us all an excellent teachable moment.  Let us commit to teaching our children the truth about our country’s history: we are a nation of immigrants.

By teaching young students that some classes of immigrants are to be feared, schools deny the reality of the immigrant rights movement occurring today.  Immigrants are as much a part of America as any one of us, and our children deserve to know this truth.

What Happens When We Put More Money in Workers’ Pockets?

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By Alicia Criado, Field Coordinator, Economic Policy Project

Labor Day Banner Photo 3_heavy machineryIf we raise the minimum wage, workers will have more money in their pockets to spend, which would provide businesses with more customers.  And businesses with more customers need to hire more workers.  Everybody wins—business owners, workers, and especially our struggling economy.  However, thanks to a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, the debate is swirling around whether raising the minimum wage will actually create or eliminate jobs.

The bottom line is that the CBO got some things right, but it also got some things wrong.

Here is where they got it wrong.  The report contradicts the latest research that either predicts job creation or little to no job loss if we raise the minimum wage.  The CBO claims that once the minimum wage is fully increased to $10.10, total employment would be reduced by about 500,000 jobs in the second half of 2016. Continue reading →

Creating a Climate of Possibility for Latino Youth

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By Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, Assistant Principal, Glendale Middle School, National Institute for Latino School Leaders Fellow, NCLR

(Cross-posted from the National Institute for Latino School Leaders blog)

I recently watched Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk on school leadership for the fourth time. Each time I understand more deeply and clearly the role of a school leader. Robinson says the “real role of leadership” is to create a climate of possibility. As I reflect on student populations like the one at the school where I am a leader, there has not been a climate of possibility for most students for many years. Our diverse population of refugees, children of refugees, new immigrants, children of new immigrants, English learners, and generations of under-served students need us to create that climate of possibility.

Watch Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk below:

Our students need schools that provide an education that is individualized and personalized. At Glendale Middle School in Salt Lake City we work to create varied personalized programs or projects that “hook” our students to their learning so that they can see the purpose and possibility. What is more culturally relevant for a student than working on a project to improve one’s own community or making a movie about a current issue at school?

School leaders must also create a climate of possibility for their teachers. Students have been conditioned into believing that they cannot achieve at high academic levels, as have many teachers. They too believe that their students are not able to achieve at high academic levels. If teachers and students alike do not believe it is possible, then it is not possible. Our job is to create a system to support teachers to know what is possible and to develop the heart, the will and the skill to make the change necessary for our Latino students and English learners to achieve at high levels.

In addition to creating a climate of possibility is the necessity to create a well run system that insists on high quality instruction and assessment, and the use of data to drive instruction, intervention and professional development. The Common Core State Standards are a rigorous tool to focus teachers and students on high expectations. Forbes Magazine’s list of The Eight Characteristics of Effective School Leaders mirrors what is possible and what our students need: high expectations, relentlessness, personal development of every student, rich opportunity within and out of the classroom, partnerships with parents and the community, and rigorous data analysis.

As we continue the work to create climates of possibilities for our students and teachers we may find ourselves achieving things we never would have expected.

Too Many Servicers, Too Many Violations: Latino Homeowners Have Had Enough

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By Nancy Wilberg Ricks, Senior Policy Communications Strategist, NCLR

(Cross-posted from the Home For Good blog)

Sold Home For Sale Sign in Front of New HouseHomeowners throughout the nation have seen an uptick in mortgage servicing challenges that range from frustrating to abhorrent.  As banks look to specialized mortgage servicing companies to take over their loans, families are experiencing an increase in the same problems that surfaced during the financial crisis—lost paperwork, mortgage fee inaccuracies, and wrongful foreclosures that at times result from a mere computer glitch.

These mortgage servicers are lightly regulated, little-known firms that act as intermediaries between banks and homeowners.  In 2010, they provided 3% of all mortgage servicing.  After exploding in growth, today they make up a full one-sixth of the market.

While banks find it appealing to unload the burden of managing these loans and their related obligations, evidence suggests that the new firms are worse at keeping track of homeowners’ mortgages than the banks were.  Continue reading →