FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2013
Contact: Amelia McGowan, (601) 354-3408, amcgowan@aclu-ms.org
JACKSON, MS – "The immigration reform bill proposed by the so-called 'Gang of 8' has the potential to be a historic advance for the civil rights and liberties of immigrants and all Americans," said Amelia McGowan, Staff Attorney of the ACLU of Mississippi. "The bill would allow millions of immigrants who contribute immeasurably to the vitality of this country to step forward on the road to citizenship." Mississippi is home to over 61,000 immigrants, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2010.
“While this legislation is certainly a breakthrough, it will have to be improved to address severe obstacles for many aspiring citizens,” said McGowan. The roadmap to citizenship should not exclude people based on minor crimes or people who can't afford hefty fines. The bill needlessly expands wasteful border spending at a time when border communities are safe, enforcement resources are at record levels, and prior benchmarks have been met.
In Mississippi alone, unauthorized immigrants comprise nearly 3% of the state's workforce and contribute $52.4 million in state and local taxes each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy. The ACLU of Mississippi believes that the proposal's mandate to use job-killing, costly and privacy-invasive employment verification (E-verify) raises significant civil liberties concerns for all Americans, regardless of immigration status.
"Immigrants play a vital role in the culture and economy of Mississippi. The ACLU of Mississippi will fight every step of the way to ensure that immigration reform achieves citizenship and a fundamentally fair immigration system without harming anyone's civil rights and liberties,’ said McGowan.
