Virginia Association of Counties Supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform

At the November 2009 meeting of the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), which represents 95 counties in Virginia, approved a position statement supporting Federal Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  The statement was approved unanimously and will be part of VACo's Legislative Program for 2010.  VACo's mission is to "support county officials and to effectively represent, promote and protect the
interests of counties to better serve all the people of Virginia."  Among other things, VACo is also "an effective force representing local governments at the state and national levels in legislative and regulatory processes."

House Bill for Immigration Reform Introduced by Rep. Gutierrez (LINK)

Yesterday, Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (H.R. 4321), co-sponsored with over 90 other members of the House of Representatives.  (Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the Senate by Senator Charles Schumer of New York in January.)  In his statement, Rep. Gutierrez noted some key points:

• "This bill is not complicated...It keeps families together, but understands we must secure our borders.  It keeps people working, but understands the needs of our economy.  It gives a pathway to citizenship, but understands that immigrants must learn English, pay taxes and contribute to their communities."
• "The immigrant blame game wants us to forget that immigrants are just people...just people trying to do their best.  But immigrants are different in one important way.  They desperately want something that far too many of us take for granted.  They want to be Americans."
• "In the immigration debate, some things are constant...One is that opponents of immigration reform will use it as a wedge issue and will blame everything from unemployment to rising health care costs on immigrants."