AZMEX POLICY 11-12-17

AZMEX POLICY 11 DEC 2017


Comment: What they really want is naturalization of illegal immigrants. Legal immigrants have the choice if they should want to become citizens of the USA. Legal immigrants with residency status, i.e. "Green Cards", have most rights as citizens, except for voting.
thx

Arizona mayors endorse campaign for immigrant naturalization
The National Conference on Immigration Integration (NIIC) began this Sunday at the Phoenix Convention Center and brings together hundreds of activists from across the country. The mayors of Phoenix and Tucson highlighted that the naturalization process contributes to the local economy.

By: Univision and EFE
Posted: Dec 11, 2017 | 10:55 AM EST

https://www.univision.com/arizona/ktvw/noticias/inmigracion/alcaldes-de-arizona-respaldan-campana-para-la-naturalizacion-de-inmigrantes

They look for solutions in the National Conference of Integration for Immigrants held at Arizona Univision
The mayors of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, and of Tucson, Jonathan Rothschild, expressed their support for an initiative to promote naturalization among immigrants with permanent residency and eligible for US citizenship.

During the tenth edition of the National Conference on Immigration Integration (NIIC), which began this Sunday at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona, the mayors highlighted that the process of naturalization contributes to the local economy.

Currently 708,638 applications are in process of residents seeking naturalization, an increase of 35.23% over last year and 77% in taking into account the last two years, according to data from the campaign.

"Cities for Citizenship" is an initiative chaired by the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, and the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Currently there are 8.8 million legal permanent residents eligible for citizenship, 52% of whom remain low income.

The campaign highlights that immigrants who achieve their naturalization have access to better paid jobs (up to an 11% increase in personal earnings), academic scholarships and other benefits.

Stanton, who will be part of the opening plenary of this conference, said that citizens and local governments should "show respect" and "see with dignity the contribution of immigrants and refugees who come to this country."

For his part, Rothschild stressed the importance of the commercial relationship that should be kept with Mexico and recalled that when Law SB1070 was approved, at the time the strictest anti-immigrant law in the country, the income from local taxes fell by a third.

"There were many losses, there are currently 33,000 people with [permanent] residency in Tucson who for some reason have not become citizens," he added.

Although in the last year the refugees have suffered the effects of laws that drastically reduce their entry into the US, Rothschild said that since 1970 Tucson has been a city that has received refugees from various places and will continue to do so.

During three days, some 1,000 activists, experts, authorities and spokespersons of pro-immigrant groups participate in the National Conference on Immigration Integration (NIIC), which under the slogan "And justice for all" wants to develop strategies to strengthen and integrate immigrants and refugees in the country.

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