Democrats Introduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation, Including Provision for LSC Grantees to Help Immigrant Workers Adjust Status
Monday, May 17, 2004
- Organization: Brennan Center's Legal Services E-lert
Democrats Introduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation, Including Provision for LSC Grantees to Help Immigrant Workers Adjust Status
On May 4, 2004, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), John Conyers (D-MI), and Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) introduced the Democrats' proposal for immigration reform entitled the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004 (SOLVE). This bill would provide for a comprehensive legalization program, family reunification, and an expanded temporary worker program with enhanced legal protections for the immigrant workers with the option of eventual adjustment to permanent residence status. One provision, drafted by the Brennan Center for Justice, would provide for LSC grantees to assist people seeking to adjust immigration status under the earned adjustment program. A broad spectrum of labor, immigrant advocacy and other organizations applauded the introduction of this bill. Katherine Culliton, an attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), says, "MALDEF has continually advocated for an 'earned legalization.' Immigrants who demonstrate that they pay taxes, have a job, and pass a security test should be able to qualify for legal status. We have pushed for a reduction of the backlogs that prevent families from staying together. Finally, MALDEF could only support a temporary worker program that provided immigrants with basic labor rights, along with family unity and a clear path to permanent status. The SOLVE Act effectively addresses all of these issues in a broad and fair manner."
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Press Release: MALDEF Applauds Introduction of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); National Immigration Forum, Press Release: Advocates Praise Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); American Immigration Lawyers Association, Press Release: Statement of the American Immigration Lawyers Association on the Introduction of the SOLVE Act of 2004 (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); H.R. 4262, 108th Cong. ยง 2 (2004).
On May 4, 2004, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), John Conyers (D-MI), and Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) introduced the Democrats' proposal for immigration reform entitled the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004 (SOLVE). This bill would provide for a comprehensive legalization program, family reunification, and an expanded temporary worker program with enhanced legal protections for the immigrant workers with the option of eventual adjustment to permanent residence status. One provision, drafted by the Brennan Center for Justice, would provide for LSC grantees to assist people seeking to adjust immigration status under the earned adjustment program. A broad spectrum of labor, immigrant advocacy and other organizations applauded the introduction of this bill. Katherine Culliton, an attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), says, "MALDEF has continually advocated for an 'earned legalization.' Immigrants who demonstrate that they pay taxes, have a job, and pass a security test should be able to qualify for legal status. We have pushed for a reduction of the backlogs that prevent families from staying together. Finally, MALDEF could only support a temporary worker program that provided immigrants with basic labor rights, along with family unity and a clear path to permanent status. The SOLVE Act effectively addresses all of these issues in a broad and fair manner."
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Press Release: MALDEF Applauds Introduction of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); National Immigration Forum, Press Release: Advocates Praise Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); American Immigration Lawyers Association, Press Release: Statement of the American Immigration Lawyers Association on the Introduction of the SOLVE Act of 2004 (May 4, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); H.R. 4262, 108th Cong. ยง 2 (2004).
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