Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Blog

State and Local Leaders Press Case for Commonsense Immigration Reform

As commonsense immigration reform moves from the Senate to the House, a growing coalition of elected officials from across the country is urging Congress to fix our broken system. Last month, we heard from bipartisan state and local officials from the South, Southwest, Northeast, West, and Midwest on why they support immigration reform and how it will help their communities. In the past few weeks, state and local elected officials have further intensified their efforts to urge Congressional action.

State and local elected officials understand that commonsense immigration reform is the right policy for our country and makes good economic sense for middle class families. Earlier this month, the White House released a report highlighting the numerous and varied economic benefits of fixing our broken immigration system, including helping to grow our economy by creating new business and jobs.

Yesterday, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz spoke about the local economic costs of inaction on the federal level:

"Because the crux of the matter is that, while Congress and the federal government have the authority to set immigration law and enforce it, local governments live with the results of what Congress does and fails to do."

Below are some of the elected officials who recently added their voices in support for commonsense immigration reform:

On July 17^th, Governors from 15 states sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass commonsense immigration reform and highlighting the economic benefits to their states.

"We all recognize that immigrants contribute a great deal to our economy and our culture. We should make sure they are fully integrated into the social, civic and economic fabric of American life and have access to the same opportunities to succeed as everyone else. As Governors, we encourage you to adopt bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation that reflects the values of our nation and contributes to the growth of our economies.”

After the U.S. Senate approved a comprehensive immigration bill on June 27^th, the U.S. Conference of Mayors issued the following statement:

“The nation’s mayors applaud the Senate’s decisive passage of bipartisan legislation that will repair our broken immigration system…We urge the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s strong lead and adopt comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform legislation this year. This is the right thing to do for our families, our cities, our economy, and our country.”

Local Officials Help Welcome More Than 7,800 New Citizens During Independence Day Celebrations

One week after the United States Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill, local officials helped celebrate Independence Day by participating in naturalization ceremonies to welcome new American citizens. From July 1st to July 5th, over 7,800 individuals will become new citizens at more than 100 special ceremonies across the country and around the world. These ceremonies are part of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) annual celebration of Independence Day .

“With this ceremony today -- and ceremonies like it across our country -- we affirm another truth: Our American journey, our success, would simply not be possible without the generations of immigrants who have come to our shores from every corner of the globe.  We say it so often, we sometimes forget what it means -- we are a nation of immigrants” said President Obama last year, during a July 4^th naturalization ceremony at the White House.

Across the country, local officials joined in the celebration to welcome the new citizens to the country and to their communities:

Miami, FL

On July 4th, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez delivered remarks at a naturalization ceremony at the Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida. At this ceremony, 211 citizenship candidates from 50 countries became U.S. citizens.

During his remarks, Mayor Gimenez said, "We are indeed a nation of immigrants, and with each successive generation and each new wave of new comers, our cultural fabric becomes even richer. I understand that you- soon to be our newest citizens- hail from 50 different nations and that really says it all. There's clearly an important debate going on right now about the future of immigration. And it's my sincere hope that American will always remain the 'shining city on the hill' that the great President Ronald Reagan often spoke of." 

(Photo courtesy City of Chicago)

On July 3^rd, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel participated in a naturalization ceremony at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois. At this ceremony, 71 citizenship candidates from 32 countries became U.S. citizens. 

Following the ceremony, Mayor Emanuel shared, “We are a nation of immigrants and it is fitting that we hold this ceremony to welcome all of our new citizens the day before we celebrate the 4th of July and our nation's independence. Now, after the Senate’s historic vote, it is time for all of us to call on the United States House of Representatives to take quick action to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that is true to our values as a nation and will create value for our city long into the future.”  

(Photo courtesy City of Tampa)

On July 4^th, Tampa Mayor Buckhorn delivered the key note address at a naturalization ceremony at the Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa, Florida. At this ceremony, 65 citizenship candidates from 27 countries became U.S. citizens.

Before the ceremony, Mayor Buckhorn said, “Each Independence Day, we celebrate our founding fathers, the revolutionaries who fought for freedom, and defined what it means to be an American. It is also the prefect day to celebrate the immigrants who continue to come to the United States, as they have for generations, in a similar search for a better life. A week ago, the Senate passed a bill that will fix our broken immigration system by securing our border, reforming the legal process, and providing undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. This reform honors our history and reflects the core values that we share. To the thousands of men and women across the country who will become citizens this Independence Day, I say: Welcome home.” 

David Agnew is Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.