Immigration Plank

Immigrants are people and their rights on American soil should be no different than any
citizens that lives in our country. Immigrants are to be assisted in the process of becoming an
American citizen, we also believe that it is every citizen's responsibility to do so. It is a strong
belief that the safety of American citizens lies in knowing who is entering our country.If we
provide amnesty to immigrants it further encourages illegal immigration. Jobs are an issue with
these immigrants as well. A balance must be achieved between providing jobs for american
citizens and the immigrants that live on our soil. We hold that human rights should not be denied
or abridged on the basis of nationality. We condemn massive roundups of Hispanic Americans
and others by the federal government in its hunt for individuals not possessing required
government documents. We strongly oppose all measures that punish employers who hire
undocumented workers. Such measures repress free enterprise, harass workers, and
systematically discourage employers from hiring Hispanics.
We welcome all refugees to our country and condemn the efforts of U.S. officials to
create a new "Berlin Wall" which would keep them captive. We condemn the U.S. government's
policy of barring those refugees from our country and preventing Americans from assisting their
passage to help them escape tyranny or improve their economic prospects.
Undocumented non-citizens should not be denied the fundamental freedom to labor and
to move about unmolested. Furthermore, immigration must not be restricted for reasons of race,
religion, political creed, age, or sexual preference.
We therefore call for the elimination of all restrictions on immigration, the abolition of
the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full
amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally. We oppose government welfare
and resettlement payments to non-citizens just as we oppose government welfare payments to all
other persons. We will extend the promise of citizenship to those still struggling for freedom.
Todays immigration laws do not reflect our values or serve our security, and we will work for
real reform. The solution is not to establish a massive new status of second-class workers; that
betrays our values and hurts all working people. Undocumented immigrants within our borders
who clear a background check, work hard and pay taxes should have a path to earn full
participation in America. We will hasten family reunification for parents and children, husbands
and wives, and offer more English-language and civic education classes so immigrants can
assume all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. As we undertake these steps, we will
work with our neighbors to strengthen our security so we are safer from those who would come
here to harm us. We are a nation of immigrants, and from Arab-Americans in California to
Latinos in Florida, we share the dream of a better life in the country we love.