ULAA APPLAUDS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE IMMIGRATION BILL 

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, Representatives Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), Nydia Vasquez (D-NY), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Mike Honda (D-CA), Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and other members of the Congressional Hispanic, Black, Asian-Pacific, and Progressive Caucuses introduced in Congress the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity (CIR-ASAP) Act of 2009."  We consider this Act a socially responsible comprehensive immigration reform bill that addresses key issues necessary for a real workable solution to the currently broken immigration reform system. It is in appreciation of this much awaited development that the National Administration of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) is issuing this statement.  

ULAA National President Anthony Kesselly throws a powerful

battle cry before commencing his thrilling speech at the

 Liberian Mass Immigration Rally in DC last March 

Congress just took its first step in beginning actual work on comprehensive immigration reform. We applaud this first step in the House and look forward to similar action in the Senate in short order. The American people are tired of government inaction on this important and pressing issue affecting all of us. 

It is clear that Representatives Gutierrez, and his Congressional allies gave thoughtful consideration to introducing a workable solution.  Congressman Gutierrez and others traveled the country and met with tens of thousands of families in churches and neighborhoods across America over the past year and a half. We expect this legislation to address the concerns of all Americans who care about the future of our families, communities, the economy and the Nation. We are optimistic that the legislation will hold true to the values and principles that America shares, including fair and workable path to citizenship and worker protections. We look forward to being able to review the legislation in greater detail.

We can never forget that the immigration reform debate is about real people.  Every day the immigration system remains broken is another day when good people fall victim to exploitation on the job and children wait hopelessly to be reunited with their parents.  The economic unease of workers and employers, and the fear that pervade too many communities underscore the urgent need for reform now.

Representative Gutierrez and some of his fellow Members of Congress have delivered on their promise to introduce a bill in time for the holiday recess.  Attention must now focus on the Senate, and Senators must now get the message that the overwhelming majority of Americans want practical solutions that work.  ULAA will persist in its contact with the office of New York Senator Charles Shumer who is leading the effort to launch similar effort in the Senate.

Americans, and certainly we in ULAA, want the immigration system fixed so that it upholds the best of American values and traditions as a nation of immigrants and as a nation of laws.  We are convinced that Americans want an immigration system that will be fair and will serve the real interests of hardworking taxpayers, workers, employers, and families across America .

The United States of America is at a crossroads as a nation in deciding what kind of country its people want to be and how they will live up to the values and beliefs about family, community, and fairness. The time is now for all Americans who care about fairness in the workplace, who care about families, who want to see the country move together toward a brighter future to engage elected leaders to push for comprehensive immigration reform that balances the best of American traditions with real and practical solutions.

The Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) is firmly committed to remaining engaged with the offices of Congressman Luis Gutierez and Senator Charles Schumer, as well as our long-standing allies in the U.S. Legislature to ensure that this effort navigates its way through the legislative process to land on the desk of President Barrack Obama.

We urge our allies to persevere in this effort till final victory is clinched.