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RESOLUTION URGING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT AND ENACT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM DURING THE 113TH CONGRESS

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WHEREAS, the United States has long prided itself as being a nation of immigrants; and
WHEREAS, currently, there are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, often in the shadows; and
WHEREAS, few Americans are satisfied with the arbitrariness of the current immigration system; and
WHEREAS, recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans favor comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently living and working in the United States; and
WHEREAS, over the past decade, a number of efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform have come close to passing but fallen short; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as president, President George W. Bush supported passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill; and
WHEREAS, in 2006, a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 62-39, but thereafter died in the U.S. House; and
WHEREAS, when he was elected in 2008, President Barack Obama campaigned on passing comprehensive immigration reform, but faced difficulties getting such a bill through Congress in his first term; and
WHEREAS, stymied by Congress in his attempts to address immigration, President Obama issued an Executive Order on June 15, 2012 allowing illegal immigrants to avoid deportation and obtain work permits who were under the age of 30, were brought to the United States as children and met certain criteria, such as having a high school diplomas and no criminal record; and
WHEREAS, since his reelection, President Obama has indicated his strong support for passage of a comprehensive immigration bill in 2013 that includes strengthening border security, imposing penalties for employers that hire undocumented workers and providing a pathway for illegal immigrants already in the United States to gain citizenship; and
WHEREAS, advocates that support comprehensive immigration reform include a broad range of groups across a wide spectrum of political views, including religious leaders, who want to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants living in the shadows, and business interests, such as the Chamber of Commerce, which want to improve the current immigration system that creates minefields for employers; and
WHEREAS, Senator Charles Schumer (D � New York) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R � South Carolina) already have resumed talks on a comprehensive immigration reform bill, building on a blueprint for such a bill that they first negotiated in 2010; and
WHEREAS, the timing is now right for the United States Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to support and enact comprehensive immigration reform during the 113th Congress that includes strengthening border security, imposing penalties for employers that hire undocumented workers and providing a pathway for illegal immigrants already in the United States to gain citizenship.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to President Barack Obama, the Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Lindsey Graham and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal lobbyists to advocate for the action set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2013 and 2014 Federal Legislative Packages.