Immigration Reforms in the House BBB Bill

Key Facts Regarding the Immigration Reforms in the House BBB Bill

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

Washington, DC: We are at a critical juncture. The House is gearing up to vote on the Build Back Better (BBB) bill and the House Judiciary Committee has included immigration reforms. We at America’s Voice support these reforms and urge their passage. Here are some key points that members of Congress should consider as they review the immigration provisions in BBB: The proposal gives long-settled immigrants a chance to work legally and live without the fear of deportation. The bill would grant work permits, protection against deportation and international travel authorization to an estimated 7.1 million undocumented immigrants for a period of 10 years (10 years is the window for reconciliation bills). Immigrants who arrived in the U.S. prior to January 1, 2011 and pass a background check are eligible.

Those eligible for immigration permits have lived in the U.S. an average of 20 years. They have worked, supported their families, and paid taxes – and have been mostly excluded from safety net benefits. Of those eligible, it is estimated that 1.6 million are Dreamers, 360,000 are TPS holders, 1 million are farm workers, and another 2.6 million are other essential workers.

It’s not what immigrants have earned, and it would be a big step forward. Most Americans and all Democrats support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants settled in America. However, under the arcane rules of the budget reconciliation process, the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled twice against path to citizenship proposals. This immi-

Editorial credit: Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com

gration permit proposal is designed to meet her concerns. This is from a House Judiciary Committee summary: “As many of our nation’s top economists have confirmed, the economic benefits of immigration are substantial and uncontroverted. We are confident that the budgetary effects of this new provision substantially outweigh the policy implications and we anticipate a ruling from the Parliamentarian on this provision in the near future.”

Safety net services for eligible immigrants are nothing new and are heavily restricted. Some are suggesting this proposal creates new benefits to those who are eligible. This is false. Those who receive immigration permits under this proposal would be eligible for a very restricted set of benefits that exist in current law. They would be ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are required to wait at least 5 years before becoming eligible for other major federal welfare programs (Medicaid, SCHIP, TANF, SNAP, and most won’t be able to qualify for EITC. The freedom to work, the freedom to live without fear of deportation, the freedom to travel. The immigration permit program would transform millions of lives. It would grant peace of mind and new opportunities to immigrants who have never had a work permit; to workers who have suffered exploitation because of their lack of status; to heads of family who live in fear that today might be the day they are pulled over and ripped from their home and family; to deeply-rooted immigrants who for decades have not been able to visit and hug relatives back in the home country. No, it’s not citizenship. But it’s much better than the status quo, and it is a big step in the direction of citizenship for all.

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“Pass the Bill Now!”/ continued from page 1 idence status or work authorization. In September, the City Council held a hearing on the legislation (Introduction 1867), where nearly 50 people testified for close to five hours in support of the landmark bill. Despite the overwhelming amount of testimony in favor of the expansion of municipal voting rights, and a majority of the Council signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, Council Speaker Corey Johnson has failed to call a vote on the bill in the six weeks since. After Tuesday’s election, in which nearly one million New York City residents were ineligible to vote due to their citizenship status, this legislation is increasingly necessary to ensure immigrant New Yorkers are no longer silenced in the city’s political decisions. “Immigrant New Yorkers who live, work, and raise families in our city should not be relegated to the shadows of our local democracy every election cycle,” said Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition. “They deserve a chance to be heard in how our city functions, just like the rest of us. New York just held its most important election in a generation. At stake was the makeup of our leadership from Mayor to all 51 of our Council Members. Yet nearly one million New Yorkers did not have the privilege of deciding who represents them. It’s past time for Council Speaker Corey Johnson to bring the Our City, Our Vote legislation to a vote and establish our city as a trailblazer in the national battle to expand the franchise.” "New York City just went to the polls this week, but there were nearly a million New Yorkers who were not able to vote,” said Susan Stamler, Executive Director, United Neighborhood Houses. “New York City has a duty to create a democracy inclusive of and accountable to everyone who calls it home. As COVID-19 continues to impact our neighborhoods, it has never been more important to ensure all residents living, working, and paying taxes in our city can have a voice in our government. We urge Speaker Corey Johnson to take swift action and bring Intro 1867 to a vote and to finally enfranchise those who have been left out of the political process." "Expanding the electorate that can participate to include more immigrant New Yorkers to participate in local elections would make civic engagement more representative of our city,” said Mae Lee, Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association. “Immigrant New Yorkers are part of the fabric of this City and must have the right to vote at the municipal level,” said Ahmed Mohamed, Legal Director, CAIR-NY. “Despite immigrant New Yorkers’ contributions, they are disenfranchised and do not have a say in who gets to represent them at City Hall. Speaker Johnson must do his job and schedule the vote for Intro 1867. Speaker Johnson has an opportunity to be part of one of the biggest enfranchisement of voters or he can be remembered for his efforts to silence immigrant New Yorkers.” l

Background: The Our City, Our Vote coalition supports groundbreaking legislation to expand democracy in New York City so green card holders and those authorized to work in the United States can vote in elections for city-level offices. Introduction 1867 would allow New York City residents, who are otherwise qualified to register under New York State election law, to vote in municipal elections. In September, the New York City Council held a hearing on the bill after the OCOV coalition secured a large majority of cosponsors in June. Nearly one million New York City residents cannot vote in local elections due to their citizenship status, despite paying taxes and being invested in and contributing to the city. Key Facts/continued from page 12

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice: Undocumented immigrants have earned a place at the American table. Deemed by the federal government as both ‘essential’ and ‘deportable,’ it’s time for Congress to act. The immigration permit program would transform the daily lives of millions of Dreamers, TPS holders, farm workers, and essential workers who have lived in the U.S. for an average of 20 years. No, it’s not the path to citizenship that America’s immigrants deserve. But it’s what is possible under budget reconciliation this year. After 35 years of fighting for reform, it is our view that the immigration permit program will offer meaningful protections to millions. Let’s get this done this year, and let’s continue the fight in the coming years until we win citizenship for all. l

nHEALTH nENTERTAINMENT nRELATIONSHIPS nRECIPES nSPORTS nHOROSCOPE

Jamaican Sprinter Elaine ThompsonHerah Nominated for 2021 World Athlete of the Year Award

BY STEPHANIE KORNEY JAMAICANS.COM

Elaine Thompson-Herah, 29, has received a nomination for the title of World Athlete of the Year for 2021 from World Athletics. Sprinter Thompson-Herah represented Jamaica at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and won gold in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4×100-meter competitions. She joins nine other nominees from which the title winner will be chosen by a panel of athletics experts. In addition to winning multiple gold medals in Tokyo, Thompson-Herah is the second-fastest woman in history, running the women’s 100 meters in 10.54 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. This is second only to the record of 10.49 seconds set by Florence GriffithJoyner of the United States in 1988. In addition to Thompson-Herah, nominees for the World Athlete of the Year award include American discus champion Valarie Allman; Puerto Rico’s 100meter hurdles champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn; Sifan Hassan, 5,000meter and 10,000-meter champion from the Netherlands; Kenyan Olympic 1,500meter champion Faith Kipyegon; Olympic high jump champion from Russia Mariya Lasitskene; Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Olympic 400-meter champion from the Bahamas; Athing Mu, 800meter and 4×400-meter champion from the United States; and Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, Olympic triple jump champion. Finalists for the award are selected through a three-way voting process in which members of the World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast votes via email; fans can cast online votes through the social media platforms of World Athletics. World Athletics will announce five finalists at the end of the voting period, and the award will be presented at the World Athletics Awards ceremony in December of 2021.l

Thompson-Herah Editorial credit: Celso Pupo / Shutterstock.com

Kitchen Corner Caribbean Dream Chili

The most unusual chili you will make! The flavors are sweet and spicy, just like the Islands. Enjoy with tortilla chips and a cold Caribbean beer. Cook and stir onion and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in pork and sirloin; cook and stir until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease from the pot.

Step 2 Crush tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot with their juices. Pour in beef broth. Stir in black beans, raisins, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until raisins are soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 3 Stir green olives and almonds into the pot. Simmer until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 392 calories; protein 26.3g; carbohydrates 24.1g; fat 21.7g; cholesterol 71.2mg; sodium 864.8mg. l Prep: 10 mins Cook: 1 hr 15 mins Total: 1 hr 25 mins Servings: 8

—Saveur, AllRecipes.com

Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic 1 pound ground pork 1 pound ground sirloin 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes 2 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained ½ cup golden raisins 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ cup halved green olives ¼ cup slivered almonds

Directions Step 1 Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.