Florida Senate - 2014                            (NP)    SR 1722
       
       
        
       By Senator Soto
       
       
       
       
       
       14-03307-14                                           20141722__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing the need for immigration
    3         reform and expressing commitment to sustaining the
    4         American Dream.
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, common-sense, principled immigration reform serves
    7  America’s interests, promotes fairness and the rule of law, and
    8  contributes effectively to our economic well-being and recovery,
    9  and
   10         WHEREAS, to preserve our history, national identity, and
   11  culture, we must, as a nation, create a modern, 21st Century
   12  legal immigration system that reflects that legacy, and
   13         WHEREAS, immigration reform should rest on the following
   14  principles:
   15         Require the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in
   16  the United States to register with the Federal Government and
   17  pay back taxes to contribute fully and legally to our economy
   18  and earn a path to citizenship;
   19         Protect the unity and sanctity of the family, including
   20  families united by domestic partnerships, by reducing family
   21  backlogs and keeping spouses, parents, and children together;
   22         Attract the best and the brightest investors, innovators,
   23  and skilled professionals, including those in science,
   24  technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies, to help
   25  strengthen our economy, create jobs, and build a brighter future
   26  for all Americans;
   27         Incorporate “DREAMers”—those who were brought to the United
   28  States at a young age and are Americans but for a piece of
   29  paper—into the mainstream of life in the United States through a
   30  path to citizenship so that America benefits from their
   31  scholastic achievements, military service, and pursuit of their
   32  dreams;
   33         Include a balanced, workable solution for the agriculture
   34  industry which ensures that agricultural workers have a route to
   35  citizenship and employers have the workers they need;
   36         End the exploitation of native and immigrant workers by
   37  providing sufficient, safe, and legal avenues for foreign
   38  workers to fill legitimate gaps in our workforce, with full
   39  labor rights, protection from discrimination, and a reasonable
   40  path to permanency which lifts up wages and working conditions
   41  for both native and foreign workers and their families;
   42         Ensure smart and reasonable enforcement that protects our
   43  borders and fosters commerce by targeting serious criminals and
   44  real threats at our borders and that promotes the safe and
   45  legitimate movement of people and goods at our ports of entry,
   46  which is essential to our economy;
   47         Establish a workable employment verification system that
   48  prevents unlawful employment and rewards employers and employees
   49  who play by the rules, while protecting Americans’ right to work
   50  and their privacy; and
   51         Renew our commitment to citizenship to ensure that all
   52  workers pay their fair share of taxes, fully integrate into our
   53  way of life, and bear the same responsibilities as all
   54  Americans, NOW, THEREFORE,
   55  
   56  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   57  
   58         That the need for immigration reform is recognized and the
   59  commitment to sustaining the American Dream is expressed.