AS/COA Commends Senate Passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform

New York, June 27, 2013—Americas Society and Council of the Americas welcome today's historic passage of the Senate's bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The bill will fundamentally update our immigration system so that the U.S. can attract and retain the workers needed for our nation's competitiveness while ensuring a path to citizenship for those without documentation and reinforcing that the U.S. is a nation of laws.

With 68 Senators voting in favor of the bill, it is clear that this compromise legislation has overwhelming momentum as the debate shifts to the House of Representatives. AS/COA urges the House to bring forward bipartisan legislation that reflects the basic compromises of the Senate bill so that we can enact immigration reform this year.  

"The broad support for this bill once again shows that immigrants and immigration reform are fundamental to our nation's economic competitiveness and to the social fabric of cities across our country," said AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal. Since 2007, AS/COA has established itself as a leader on immigration issues through its research, off-the-record roundtable meetings, and public forums in New York City and in new immigrant gateway cities across the country.

Members of the AS/COA Immigration Advisory Group celebrated passage of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744):

• Antonio Garza, a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico during the Bush administration and now counsel in the Mexico City offices of White & Case, emphasized that "it amazes me that something so obviously necessary to the health and well-being of our country has had to traverse the arduous path faced by comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate. The 'Gang of Eight' is to be applauded for its leadership but, that said, it's now over to the House where more tough work begins."
• James Jones, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico during the Clinton administration as well as a congressman from Oklahoma and is now Chairman & CEO of ManattJones Global Strategies, called the bill "an excellent example of bipartisanship" and said that "while the House doesn't need to adopt the Senate bill, it does need to act expeditiously and responsibly. The Senate has shown this can be done."
• Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. and Chairman of Global Solutions/A Podesta Company, said the legislation is "a chance to fundamentally enhance the security, prosperity, and well-being of North America." Still, he cautioned that "border security cannot come at the expense of a $1 billion-plus a day trade relationship with Mexico, of the border infrastructure needed to expand that trade, and of ignoring that immigration from Mexico today is at net zero."

AS/COA, through new research with Partnership for a New American Economy on immigrants and the housing market and through its Get the Facts series, continues to raise public awareness of the economic contributions that immigrants bring to cities across the United States, through business start-ups, job creation, tax revenue, new innovations, and ensuring a steady flow of workers as baby boomers retire. AS/COA Director of Policy Jason Marczak emphasized that "through our work in cities across the U.S. we have seen the challenges that local leaders face in maximizing the socioeconomic contributions of immigrants without federal reform. Today’s vote is an important step forward."

Read more about AS/COA's Immigration and Integration Initiative.

For further information, please contact Adriana La Rotta at alarotta@as-coa.org or (212) 277-8384.