Bloomberg still wants a New York 'Dream Act,' and more immigration reform than Washington is up for
Bloomberg at today's press conference. Dan Rosenblum
1:54 pm Mar. 27, 20125
Mayor Michael Bloomberg today reiterated his support for a state-level Dream Act, a law that would make tuition aid available to undocumented immigrants.
He also urged national immigration reform, repeating a previous claim that to do otherwise would be gravely damaging to the American economy.
“We are committing national suicide and there’s absolutely no reason for it,” Bloomberg said.
He made his remarks during a press conference to tout the success of a city-funded business incubator.
“Well at a very minimum there’s two things you should do,” Bloomberg said, responding to a question about how immigration could fuel incubators and entrepreneurs from other countries. “One is the Dream Act, because we’ve got an issue of people who are here. It’s very contentious as to people who came here undocumented and they break the law. The answer is yes they did, but having said that, they broke the law with the complicity of the government."
He said the government "didn't enforce it so they could say to both sides, look you got what you want."
“But the truth of the matter is, for young people that were brought here it’s hard to argue they broke the law in any meaningful sense,” he continued. “They are part of our society and want to be productive and a lot of them serve in the military and they do lots of things.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo has yet to take a position on the Dream Act, and with the state budget due on April 1, its immediate fate isn't clear.
On the topic of making it easier for immigants to come to America to work, Bloomberg also said, "At a very minimum we should open up the borders to entrepreneurs and people that either get degrees here or have degrees overseas, and want to bring businesses here, scientists and all the stem things that really create jobs. Those kinds of immigrants create jobs.”
He also pitched a federal-level seasonal-workers policy that resembles the bracero program the country used to attract seasonal farm workers starting in the 1940s.)
“Also, we have to open the borders to seasonal workers that work on the farms," the mayor said. "This argument that Americans are going to go those jobs is just ridiculous. They won’t. I don’t know how many times we have to do that experiment. They will not. If you want the crops picked, you have to have a workforce that will do that, and why hurt ourselves by not letting people who want to come into this country work?
“Most of them pay taxes. The dirty little secret is that most of the undocumented, I think the numbers are something like 75 percent actually pay taxes because their employer withholds and there’s no place to send the refund. They also tend not to have criminal records because they’re worried about [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and they tend not to use the hospitals, because they’re young, they tend not to use the schools because most of them come by themselves leaving their families home and send remittances.”
The mayor said he personally would like to see the country go farther in liberalizing immigration policy than opening the borders to seasonal workers and immigrants with special skills or educational qualifications, but that he hoped measures like those could at least serve as a starting point for both parties.
“Personally I would go further than that on both sides, but I think that’s probably more politically doable today,” he said. “Both of things, you do it as a package, and I think the White House and both sides of the aisle should support exactly that.”
Yeah, but it's only been talks and rallies and walks and talks and meetings and evrything but some sensible solution. It's been a quarter of a century since Regan had some sort or reform (and one can call it amnesty or whatever one pleases). The economy is down and will continue to remain slump because with the existing members of congress aren't capable of getting things done. At best, the members of congress are only good obstructers and political players. It is ridiculous to continue to live with so many undocumented people around and we must bring about Enforcement & Reform.
We complain about the illegals but I'm willing to bet anyone that we can't have a comfortable life if they are all gone or deported. Experiment by having all the illegals stayput at home from work for a month, absolutely no shopping, driving or anything and see how things will change. And I'm not even talking about the rental and utility losses if they are all gone. Just try it and see how far we can tolerate the discomfort we'd be put through. It is absolutely retarded to live with a problem and not wanna fix it.
No one is suggesting that these people be made citizens overnight. A common sense approach would be to register all of them, screen out the bad guys, make them pay a fine & back taxes, have them learn english and then grant them 10 year conditional status, where the continue to comply with the law, pay their taxes, do not receive welfare or food stamps, and finally once these conditions have been met they can apply for citizenship.
DMV and all other revenues will go up as soon as reform takes place. Needless to state these people will travel and so our transportation and hospitality industries will do much better. Also alot of the money they send back home will them be put into use right here where it is earned.
To not want to do anything and continue to live with the issue is basically suicide.
Congress has been ignoring the growing immigration problem for too long. It's time for a change in immigration law, and the DREAM Act is an excellent way to make that change. DREAM Act beneficiaries all entered the United States as minors, many as babies, and have made their lives here. They have studied and are, for the most part, productive members of society. Many of them are incredibly intelligent, hard-working, and/or positive influences in their community. If any group of "illegals" deserves to have their status legalized, this is the group.
@we_need_reform : It's not about who deserves and doesn't. There is no single group of undocumented that is more of a priority than the other. We've got a problem that we are trying to fix and taking care of one particular segment ain't gonna solve our immigration crisis. Bits and pieces will not solve what we are trying to achieve. You may fit the category you are promoting and that is selfish by all means. As an american tax payer, I wouldn't prefer one group over the other simply because you are trying to make a point that your existance here is not your fault.
Small bits and pieces of enforcement & reform will not fix the issue. Whats required is a global solution that will once and for all secure our borders, enforce the laws strictly and simultaneously find a way to document all the illegals already here.
In my humble opinion, a farmer is just as important as a janitor or a student or for that matter any individual from any background. You may want to think the students are the best deserved and sadly I don't because they aren't the ones struggling to put the food on our tables. Everyone feels more important than the other and that is not the case. Illegal is illegal and undocumented students are just as guilty of a civil offence as is a much older undocumented person.
We are trying to fix the menace, to releive our economy of some stress and not simply to award people who broke the law, with a free ticket. Sorry if it sounds harsh but thats the truth.
Dan, that was my question at the press conference yesterday. Thanks so much for covering it. Immigration reform for international entrepreneurs is a huge issue, only illuminated for my by two interviews I did just yesterday with Ceri Koski, an immigration attorney, and Inaki Berenguer, the Spanish-born CEO of Pixable that has faced these challenges sponsoring more than have of the 16 engineers that power his company. I'm organizing a panel on this topic at Internet Week New York, featuring a rep from the USCIS (potentially Alejandro Mayorkas). Would love to get your thoughts (and vote): https://internetweekny.com/panels/41#/?filters=on
I agree with most of your opinions exept for one. Undocumented immigrants do pay taxes. the IRS provides them with a pin number, that works similar to the SS#, that allows them to fill a tax form and pay taxes.