WHEREAS, The United States was founded on the principles of freedom and opportunity, a refuge for the oppressed, the persecuted, and those looking for a better life; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants have always played an integral part in American history; and
WHEREAS, America’s infrastructure and economic viability in its formative years depended largely on the energy of immigrant laborers and immigrants continue today to add to America’s productivity, as well as its culture and economic standing in the world; and
WHEREAS, The contributions of immigrants to the United States prompted former President Lyndon B. Johnson to say: “The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources—because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples”; and
WHEREAS, Despite their undisputed contributions, immigrants continue to be vilified by some segments of our society as well as some politicians who seek to forward their ambitions through divisive and misinformed rhetoric; and
WHEREAS, Having learned the painful lessons from history that racial and ethnic discrimination hurts our residents and undermines our prosperity, California stands unified in rejecting the politics of hatred and exclusion; and
WHEREAS, Nowhere else in the nation has been more enriched by the contributions of immigrants than California, home to more foreign-born residents than anywhere else in the country, where they play a vital role in all sectors of our state’s economy; and
WHEREAS, California’s diversity is a great source of innovation and industry, making California one of the largest economies in the world and an economic engine for the United States; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants are vital to many of California’s industries such as technology, health care, agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic services. Immigrants also represent a large percentage of California’s new small business owners and create economic prosperity and needed jobs for everyone; and
WHEREAS, Approximately one-tenth of California’s workforce is undocumented and contributes $130 billion annually to its gross domestic product; and
WHEREAS, The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has reported that undocumented immigrants in California paid $2.2 billion in state and local taxes in 2010, including $1.8 billion in sales taxes, $152.1 million in state income taxes, and $302.8 million in property taxes; and
WHEREAS, California has pushed forward in the absence of federal immigration reform with dramatic steps to better integrate immigrant families into our state’s fabric by increasing access to health care, reforming our justice system, creating a cleaner environment for our children and our grandchildren, and encouraging civic participation and fair political representation; and
WHEREAS, Contrary to California’s continued push for thoughtful federal immigration reform, the President-elect has announced that he will order the increased deportation of undocumented immigrants and that doing so will be a top priority; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate condemns in the strongest terms bigoted, racist, or misinformed descriptions of the immigrant community that serve only to foment hatred and violence; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate supports a comprehensive and workable approach to solving our nation’s historically broken immigration system; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate implores the President-elect and Congress to develop rational immigration policies that recognize the contributions of immigrants to the nation, protects the economy, and are just and humane to immigrant families and children; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges the President-elect not to pursue mass deportation strategies that needlessly tear families apart or target immigrants for deportation based on vague and unjustified criteria; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate implores the President-elect to reject any expansion of the “expedited removal” process that operates without administrative oversight and robs individuals of due process; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges the President-elect to continue President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which grants “Dreamers” — people who were brought into the country as children by their parents — a temporary reprieve from deportation. Nearly one-third of the nation’s 742,000 Dreamers live in California where they have earned college degrees and found employment. California needs college-educated young men and women to fuel our economy and cannot afford to lose our Dreamers to deportation; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.