S. R. No. 90 As Introduced

As Introduced

130th General Assembly

Regular Session

2013-2014

S. R. No. 90

Senator Tavares

Cosponsors: Senators Kearney, Brown, Turner, Schiavoni, Sawyer, Skindell

A RESOLUTION

To urge the Congress of the United States to enact 1
comprehensive immigration reform. 2

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       WHEREAS, America has a long and rich heritage of immigration, 3
but our current immigration system is broken, as immigrants face 4
an insufficient number of visas for workers to support the United 5
States labor force; arbitrary visa caps, which create backlogs and 6
separate families; exploitation by employers through wage and 7
workplace violations; and inadequate government infrastructure to 8
support the immigrant population; and 9

       WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must provide 10
law-abiding, tax-paying immigrant workers and their families with 11
an opportunity to obtain legal permanent residency, and eventually 12
United States citizenship, through fair and reasonable 13
requirements; and 14

       WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform should reduce 15
immigration backlogs so that United States citizens may be 16
reunited with family members requesting to immigrate; and 17

       WHEREAS, Any new worker visa program must provide workers 18
with all the rights afforded by the United States Constitution, 19
portable visas that allow workers to change jobs, and the ability 20
to petition for permanent residency; and 21

       WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform should include a 22
meaningful opportunity for immigrant students to pursue a college 23
education after high school graduation; and 24

       WHEREAS, United States immigration policies must actively 25
promote the civic integration of newcomers in order to decrease 26
the barriers immigrants face in acquiring the necessary skills to 27
participate in our nation's civic life, such as providing access 28
to English instruction and civics proficiency courses; and 29

       WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must include a 30
discussion of the fundamental causes of migration to the United 31
States, such as the need for sustainable social and economic 32
development in migrants' communities of origin. Further, our 33
nation must more actively pursue partnership opportunities with 34
sending nations in order to identify feasible development 35
strategies to enable those nations better to meet the economic 36
needs of their populations; and 37

       WHEREAS, The federal government must take action to reform 38
our immigration laws in order to continue our heritage of 39
immigration by making permanent President Obama's Deferred Action 40
for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants work permits and 41
permission to stay in United States to certain individuals who 42
were brought into this country before they were sixteen years of 43
age; by establishing a path to citizenship for all immigrants who 44
have not committed criminal offenses; and by protecting the unity 45
and sanctity of the family; and 46

       WHEREAS, The federal government has the exclusive authority 47
to develop, implement, and enforce immigration policy under the 48
United States Constitution, and the regulation of immigration is 49
solely the responsibility of the federal government; and 50

       WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must strengthen our 51
national security and the safety of our communities and 52
neighborhoods because the United States, like every sovereign 53
nation, has the right to secure its borders through laws that 54
regulate the entry of persons from other countries; and 55

       WHEREAS, The United States must provide resources for 56
immigration enforcement and must implement enforcement measures 57
that will accomplish these goals in an effective and humane 58
manner; now therefore be it 59

       RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Ohio calls upon the 60
United States Congress promptly to enact comprehensive immigration 61
reform; and be it further 62

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 63
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President and 64
Vice-President of the United States, to the Majority and Minority 65
Leaders of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and the 66
Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and 67
to the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation. 68

WHEREAS, America has a long and rich heritage of immigration,	3
but our current immigration system is broken, as immigrants face	4
an insufficient number of visas for workers to support the United	5
States labor force; arbitrary visa caps, which create backlogs and	6
separate families; exploitation by employers through wage and	7
workplace violations; and inadequate government infrastructure to	8
support the immigrant population; and	9

WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must provide	10
law-abiding, tax-paying immigrant workers and their families with	11
an opportunity to obtain legal permanent residency, and eventually	12
United States citizenship, through fair and reasonable	13
requirements; and	14

WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform should reduce	15
immigration backlogs so that United States citizens may be	16
reunited with family members requesting to immigrate; and	17

WHEREAS, Any new worker visa program must provide workers	18
with all the rights afforded by the United States Constitution,	19
portable visas that allow workers to change jobs, and the ability	20
to petition for permanent residency; and	21

WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform should include a	22
meaningful opportunity for immigrant students to pursue a college	23
education after high school graduation; and	24

WHEREAS, United States immigration policies must actively	25
promote the civic integration of newcomers in order to decrease	26
the barriers immigrants face in acquiring the necessary skills to	27
participate in our nation's civic life, such as providing access	28
to English instruction and civics proficiency courses; and	29

WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must include a	30
discussion of the fundamental causes of migration to the United	31
States, such as the need for sustainable social and economic	32
development in migrants' communities of origin. Further, our	33
nation must more actively pursue partnership opportunities with	34
sending nations in order to identify feasible development	35
strategies to enable those nations better to meet the economic	36
needs of their populations; and	37

WHEREAS, The federal government must take action to reform	38
our immigration laws in order to continue our heritage of	39
immigration by making permanent President Obama's Deferred Action	40
for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants work permits and	41
permission to stay in United States to certain individuals who	42
were brought into this country before they were sixteen years of	43
age; by establishing a path to citizenship for all immigrants who	44
have not committed criminal offenses; and by protecting the unity	45
and sanctity of the family; and	46

WHEREAS, The federal government has the exclusive authority	47
to develop, implement, and enforce immigration policy under the	48
United States Constitution, and the regulation of immigration is	49
solely the responsibility of the federal government; and	50

WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must strengthen our	51
national security and the safety of our communities and	52
neighborhoods because the United States, like every sovereign	53
nation, has the right to secure its borders through laws that	54
regulate the entry of persons from other countries; and	55

WHEREAS, The United States must provide resources for	56
immigration enforcement and must implement enforcement measures	57
that will accomplish these goals in an effective and humane	58
manner; now therefore be it	59

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Ohio calls upon the	60
United States Congress promptly to enact comprehensive immigration	61
reform; and be it further	62

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly	63
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President and	64
Vice-President of the United States, to the Majority and Minority	65
Leaders of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and the	66
Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and	67
to the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation.	68