HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-023 - Comprehensive Federal Immigration Reform and Urging the 113th CongressSRC: 5/16/13
RESOLUTION NO. 2013-023
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR COMPREHENSIVE FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION REFORM AND URGING THE 113TH CONGRESS TO ENACT
REFORMS THAT SECURE OUR BORDERS, ENSURE ECONOMIC
STRENGTH AND PROMOTE STRONGER COMMUNITIES
WHEREAS, The City of Santa Ana recognizes the economic, social and
cultural contributions immigrants bring to their communities and, in particular, to
the City of Santa Ana; and
WHEREAS, since the City's founding in 1869, immigrants have had a
significant role in Santa Ana's cultural and economic vitality; and
WHEREAS, the responsibility of municipal leaders is to protect the well-
being and safety of all people residing in their cities; and
WHEREAS, it is the duty of the city to respect the liberty and civil rights of all
individuals, regardless of national origin or immigration status; and
WHEREAS, our nation's immigration and border security policies are
federal responsibilities that are in desperate need of a new, improved and
modernized legal immigration system; and
WHEREAS, a talented workforce made up of both skilled and unskilled labor
is a key driver of our local economy; and
WHEREAS, there is a need for reformed national immigration programs
that provide the City's businesses the opportunity to employ foreign workers,
when necessary, to improve economic competitiveness; and
WHEREAS, family unity is a component of a strong economy, and re-
unification of families has been a key part of federal immigration policy for almost
fifty years; and
WHEREAS, there is broad support and collaboration among both business
and labor groups to promote comprehensive immigration reform that provides
sensible and effective solutions.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of Santa Ana does hereby resolve as
follows:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana, California, urges the
United States Congress to adopt and enact comprehensive immigration reform
that includes the following principles:
Resolution No. 2013-023
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1. Providing for controlled admission, fair and just to those already in the
legal immigration process that includes a defined path for permanent
residency and/or citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented
immigrants living in the United States today.
2. Establishing an improved visa program, such as the proposed W-Visa, to
provide our businesses with the ability to hire certain categories of foreign
workers when legal residents are unavailable or unwilling to fill jobs.
3. Creating a methodology that accurately assesses labor market needs in
order to determine the number of foreign workers to be admitted for
employment purposes annually.
4. Increasing efforts to advance workforce talent outreach
internationally and strengthening programs in domestic science,
technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) training, to
improve ongoing economic competitiveness, while also promoting legal
immigration opportunities.
5. Creating a streamlined process to resolve the backlog of existing visa
applications and developing methods to ensure the efficient processing
of future immigration applications in a timely manner, which will expedite
re-unification of families.
Section 2. The Clerk of the Council is directed to send this resolution to the
President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of
Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the Honorable
Members of the 113th Congress representing the City of Santa Ana.
ADOPTED this 20th day of May 2013.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
SONIA R. CARVALHO,
CITY ATTORNEY
Mayor
Resolution No. 2013-023
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SRC: 5/16/13
AYES: Councilmembers: Amezcua, Benavides, Martinez, Pulido,
Reyna, Sarmiento, Tinaiero (7)
NOES: Councilmembers: None (0)
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers: None (0)
NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers: None (0)
CERTIFICATION OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY
I; Maria D. Huizar, Clerk of Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached
Resolution No. 2013-023 to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the
City of Santa Ana on May 20, 2013.
Date: J? y-) s
Clerk of Council
City of Santa Ana
Resolution No. 2013-023
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