By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Wednesday, August 3, 2016, a coalition of business and community leaders from across Alabama will come together in Montgomery to launch the Reason for Reform campaign.
The event is hosted by the Partnership for a New American Economy (NAE) and a coalition of Alabama higher education, business and community leaders who will highlight the need for immigration reform and present new Alabama-specific data on the contributions of immigrants.
The Reason for Reform campaign will kick off with the release of 51 new reports (one for every state + Washington DC) and 55 events in all 50 states urging Congress to take action on immigration reform.
Participants in the Montgomery event include: Dr. Judson Edwards, Troy University; Dr. Mark Davis, University of West Alabama; Sue Tang with Tangs Alterations, a legal immigrant and NFIB member; the Dean of the Confucius Institute, Eric Yang, Auburn University MGM; Jay Reed with the Associated Builders and Contractors, AL Chapter; Yu Pueng Psai, the CEO of Regitar in Montgomery; Isabel Rubio with the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama; Jefferson County Constable Jonathan Barbee; the Birmingham Business Alliance; the Alabama Contractors Association; the Alabama Egg & Poultry Association; and the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association.
The Reason for Reform Alabama Day of Action will be August 3rd at 1:00pm CST on the steps of the Alabama Statehouse at 11 South Union Street in Montgomery.
The Partnership for a New American Economy brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms, which they claim will help create jobs for Americans today. The Partnership’s members include mayors of more than 35 million people nationwide and business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more than 4 million people across all sectors of the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media to Manufacturing. The Partnership members claim that they understand that immigration is essential to maintaining the productive, diverse and flexible workforce that America needs to ensure prosperity over the coming generations.
This remain a deeply controversial subject and there is strong opposition from many conservatives.
Former Public Service Commissioner Terry Dunn (R) told the ‘Alabama Political Reporter’: “My opinion has always been that we have immigration laws already on the books, and if followed correctly, gives a clear path to US citizenship. Many of the do-gooders who want amnesty want to act like they are self-righteous, but deprive would be immigrants of the pride of earning their way into the U.S. They need to conform to US laws and speak English. And this way they can become a viable part of the US work force. The problem with amnesty is that everyone who came here illegally have no respect for what being American is. They want to keep their language, their customs, and do not want to melt in. What has made America great in the past is that we are a melting pot of different nationalities and races, but the one thing that binds us is the sacrifice we made to give up something to become part of something much greater. That something is a Citizen of the United States of America!”
Whether to open the borders to more legal immigration and give amnesty to an estimated 12 million illegal aliens already living in this country or to deport more illegal immigrants and slow the rates of legal immigration and better vette those immigrants who are permitted to enter and/or stay in this country is perhaps the issue that most divides the two presidential candidates: Hillary R Clinton (D) and Donald J. Trump (R).
On Sunday, July 31 former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ‘Fox News Sunday’, “When it comes to immigration, I believe strongly that comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship is not only good for people living under the shadow of deportation, it’s good for the economy. So I think this is on the must-do list.” Clinton said that if Congress failed to pass her immigration reform package that she would continue President Obama’s executive actions on immigration and reminded interviewer Chris Wallace that she will get to appoint the next Supreme Court Justice, if elected.
New York City businessman and former reality TV star Donald Trump wrote in a statement on his website, “When politicians talk about “immigration reform” they mean: amnesty, cheap labor and open borders. The Schumer-Rubio immigration bill was nothing more than a giveaway to the corporate patrons who run both parties.”
Trump continued, “Real immigration reform puts the needs of working people first – not wealthy globetrotting donors. We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own. That must change. Here are the three core principles of real immigration reform: 1. A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border; 2. A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced; 3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.”
For more information about the Partnership for a New American Economy and their plan go to: www.RenewOurEconomy.org
(Original reporting by Fox News Sunday and CNS News contributed to this report.)
