California Opportunity And Prosperity Act Would Let Undocumented Immigrants Work Legally

LOS ANGELES -- A measure to allow close to one million undocumented immigrants to live and work openly in California without fear of deportation could be on the state's November ballot.

Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) filed the proposal, called the California Opportunity and Prosperity Act (COPA), on Friday. The proposed program seeks to create a "safe harbor" for the employment of undocumented immigrants who "have lived in California for four years, have no felony convictions, are not suspected terrorists, pay a fee to administer the program and can speak English or are learning it."

In exchange, the undocumented workers in the program would pay state income taxes. "We know that a million tax filers in California don't have Social Security numbers," Fuentes told The Huffington Post. "Our estimate is that this program would add another million tax filers, which we estimate would bring in more than $300 million a year in revenue to the state."

Fuentes emphasized that the measure, which he proposed alongside John Cruz, a Republican who formerly served as an appointments secretary for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, is not amnesty and does not grant legal status. As the Contra Costa Times clarifies, rather than guaranteeing protection from deportation, the program would authorize the state to simply ask Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make these cases their lowest priority in enforcement of federal law. Of course, this means the program would only work if the federal government complies.

"Understanding that the federal government is beginning to rank priorities in immigration enforcement, it seemed like a good idea to guide them in this way, saying that we have a pilot program and want to advocate on behalf of these individuals," Fuentes said.

The assemblyman is optimistic about getting the 504,760 voter signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot and predicts that it will ultimately pass. "Our focus group testing shows that both Democrats and Republicans would support the program because of the collection of additional revenue through taxes and because of the strict criteria to be eligible to the program," he said.

"California has revenue problems, an underground economy and criminalization of workers," he added. "There's a consensus that we need to figure out how to decriminalize their hard work and also make sure they're paying their fair share."

As with most proposed laws that involve undocumented immigrants, however, COPA has its fair share of opponents. Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly spoke out strongly against the measure to the Contra Costa Times. "Not only will the state give you free medical care and free K-12 education, heck, now with the Dream Act, we're giving away free college tuition. We're nuts!" He added, "We don't want any more incentives for people to come here illegally."

The proposed measure comes a month after Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1236 into law, prohibiting the state, cities and counties from mandating that businesses "e-verify" the legal status of new hires. Several cities in Orange County, including Orange, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano, had to do away with such mandates as a result.

The measure also comes less than a week after Pomona College fired 16 dining hall workers who failed to prove their citizenship. Some of the terminated employees had worked at the university for over 30 years.

Fuentes made it clear that he would rather have comprehensive immigration reform come from Washington D.C. "But with over 2.5 million undocumented immigrants in the state, we can't afford to wait on Washington any longer," he said. "California has a real need to bring these folks in from out of the darkness."

Comments

[ucla89]

12:06 AM on 03/03/2012

Thank you Felipe Fuentes!

[Armando Cedillo]

08:36 PM on 12/13/2011

This pathetic measure design to provide solace to California's illegal alien population shall never come to pass.

[Vicky Valentine Proud]

03:32 AM on 12/13/2011

No, mi amigo, we have a real need to retunr them to where they righfully belong, back over from whence they came. To do all this crap just for the sake of a few more 'tax payers'?? Where are they going to get these folks their SSNs numbers?? It is as asinine as Gingrich's statement that would legalize them being here but they are not citizens. Nope, they all need to go!!! Reagan already made the mistake of granting 3 million amnesty back in '85 with the hope of curbing the influx. Did it really?? No, it has risen fourfold, so no more!!!

[Simply Red]

09:20 PM on 12/12/2011

Why don't we just make Mexico a State. My heck we've already been overrun by Mexicans now anyway. We all might as well be Mexican there's so many of them. You see almost every Mexican woman with no less than 4 kids trailing her into Walmart everytime you go there. If they work and pay taxes so be it. Their money spends just like anyone elses. It's all the crime and drugs that they bring with them I hate. Not the hard working immigrants.

[Vicky Valentine Proud]

03:26 AM on 12/13/2011

Because not all illegal aliens are from Mexico, it just so happens it is easier to reach the US through Mexico than say, swimming the ocean from somewhere like China to get here. There are a lot of Central and South Americans, who are Hispanic as well, that make their way to their 'better life' through Mexico. I hope they get that wall done and done soon so they can help stem the influx, even if it is, for now, only between Mexico and Guatemala.

[carlitosjay]

04:23 AM on 12/13/2011

If that's your argument against this proposal, then you're just racist and ignorant. My assumption is that you wouldn't use that argument if the country was turning into a majority White country, overrun by Anglo Americans, imposing sociocultural characteristics that differentiate them from other US citizens.

As to "Vicky Valentine Proud," you're right... there is a constant inflow of Latin American immigrants into the US since they are connected by land (as opposed to countries overseas). But the constant immigration isn't a direct result of land travel, or else a wall alone would prevent people from wanting to come (much like an entire ocean). Immigration from Latin America is a result of the HUGE variance in GDP between the US and Mexico which definitely encourages someone south of the border to find better employment opportunities in the US... and that is meanwhile US corporations are in countries south of the border exploiting these people with cheap labor. There is much more than a fence that is needed to be talked about when it comes to factors that affect immigration beyond land a sociocultural stereotypes (of pregnancy and crime that also don't stand without it being a result of institutional forces). And that is why comprehensive immigration reform is much needed.

[kabreraone]

01:44 AM on 12/15/2011

Right on. People dont complaint about "illegal" canadians or "illegal europeans" in the US. Its always generalizing crime to the dark people, in this case brown folk. @Vicky Valentine Proud and @Simply Red Funny how the stereotypical criminal is a dark person, even though the biggest offender group are white folks!!! look it up yourself, do some research. Thats if you got the skills to do good research. Imagine that, a brown folk teaching someone else to do go research!

Plus, we're not hispanics. Were Latinos- at best. Latino/a is an American creation. Borne out of power relations to label other people as they wish when they want.

At the bottom of your remarks are some deep prejudices against Latinos/as. Its ok, i could empathize with you since you feel yourself losing power. In less than two decades you'll no longer be the majority. Brown folk are gonna run this town. Were here to stay!

[Simply Red]

04:40 PM on 12/16/2011

Do you really blame them? Come on lighten things up a little. There is a better way I agree. I just would like all immogrants to try their best to speak the language of ENGLISH. I despise it when we don't inforce that in our schools especially.

[Summer77]

09:00 PM on 12/12/2011

I hired an American landscaper and he did a lousy job I then hired a landscaping company who worker were legal Mexican and they did a wonderful job the difference is that the American workers wanted the money and nothing else and the Mexican workers too pride in their work. Give them some type of a permit as long as they are not committing crimes most of the time these hard working people are doing jobs that we as Americans don't want anything to do with. In God's Eyes We Are All Equal there is no color or ethnicity.

[Simply Red]

09:46 PM on 12/12/2011

That's true and if you want your heart to break just go to Mexico and look at the wall where thousands of men women and children died trying to enter the US. Good heck we're living in America not east Germany for hells sake. Let them take the jobs the spoild brats in this country think they're too good to do. I'd hire a Legal Mexican immigrant before I would a pants drooping, tatooed brat with piercings all over his or her body. This younger generation here in America has gone to the dogs, they don't apreciate anything, and they don't want to work. They want everything handed to them and if they can't do it on a computer then it isn't a job for them. That burns me to no end when I hear people complaining about Mexicans taking all the jobs away. It just aint so.

[chevyliddle]

03:45 AM on 12/14/2011

"That burns me to no end when I hear people complainin­g about Mexicans taking all the jobs away. It just aint so."

It is so. I've seen it first hand in the factory where I worked for 36 years and they were jobs in production and maintenance....jobs that Americans WILL do.

[Norski]

12:24 AM on 12/13/2011

Summer77 - if we are all equal in God's Eyes how come you disparage the "American landscaper" based on their heritage and praise the "legal Mexican" based on their heritage? I thought generalized labels and stereotypes were supposed to be bad. Beware - Webster's definition of Racism is: "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race".

[Kurfco]

07:10 PM on 12/12/2011

This measure unites "Sanctuary Democrats" and "I'll hire illegal alien workers if I want to Republicans" in an unholy alliance.

[Greg34]

03:03 PM on 12/12/2011

Send the We$ backS home

[RobietheCat]

06:35 PM on 12/12/2011

That's a really offensive term, and quite unnecessary to the argument as hand.

[Vicky Valentine Proud]

03:35 AM on 12/13/2011

I agree.

[Greg34]

02:59 PM on 12/12/2011

Where is Holder and the DOJ on this. Does this not infringe on the exclusive right of the federal government to regulate and make and enforce laws regarding immigration. A bunch of hypocrits, send the illegals homes.

[TggerJen]

07:33 PM on 12/12/2011

It'll be interesting to see how the feds react after they attacked Arizona and Alabama for trying to solve the problem and help American families; let's see if they leave Cal alone to make the problem worse and reward the illegal aliens at the expense of American famiies. If so, we'll know a lot about them and who they really care about after that.

[Vicky Valentine Proud]

03:37 AM on 12/13/2011

My thought exactly. They blasted Arizona for enforcing an old and long-neglected FEDERAL law, but they will give kudos to states like California for giving these criminals a way to continue existing here, all the while still illegal, and perks as well.

[SF TKF]

02:38 PM on 12/12/2011

It won't pass. CA may be leftist according to all the Red states, but the citizenship has also shown over and over that they are strongly against illegal immigration.

[RobietheCat]

06:37 PM on 12/12/2011

What if the illegals in California are able to vote, illegally of course.

Do you really think Jerry Brown is going to ensure fair elections? Why would he?

[Norski]

02:32 PM on 12/12/2011

Does it ever end? In the 1930's Steinbeck describes a mass migration to California fueled by the mirage of good paying jobs, only to have it turn out that the real agenda was exploitation.

In 1979, Cesar Chavez testified to Congress: "… when the farm workers strike and their strike is successful, the employers go to Mexico and have unlimited, unrestricted use of illegal alien strikebreakers to break the strike. And, for over 30 years, the Immigration and Naturalization Service has looked the other way and assisted in the strikebreaking. I do not remember one single instance in 30 years where the Immigration service has removed strikebreakers. … The employers use professional smugglers to recruit and transport human contraband across the Mexican border for the specific act of strikebreaking..." Forty years later and the agenda was still exploitation.

Here it is 2011 and the agenda is to shield Illegal Immigrants so that the exploitation can continue. Samuel Gompers, Founder and President of the American Federation of Labor said in a 1924 letter to Congress: "Every effort to enact immigration legislation must expect to meet a number of hostile forces and, in particular, two hostile forces of considerable strength. One of these is composed of corporation employers who desire to employ physical strength (broad backs) at the lowest possible wage and who prefer a rapidly revolving labor supply at low wages to a regular supply of American wage earners at fair wages..."

[Epilef2000]

03:30 PM on 12/12/2011

this is why our corporation prefer to outsource jobs to countries with no worker protections, sweatshops, little or human rights for union members, and meanwhile we are told we need to compete with that slave labor; how many times does the Secretary of Labor come out opposed to this type of exploitation of foreign and American workers---let alone help negotiate trade pacts?

ITs all about the bottom line, and this is the same reason that Ceasar Chavez opposed "guest worker programs" as well.

[AMF400]

11:50 PM on 12/12/2011

I completely agree with that.

[voyager48]

09:44 AM on 12/13/2011

While we are on the same side of the argument against illegal immigration, I would contend that "We have met the enemy - and it is us!"

98% of all businesses in the USA employ less than 100 people. 75% - less than 9. Small businesses employ around half of the US workforce.

http://tinyurl.com/bsks65
http://tinyurl.com/cn5evyq

True, corporations have sent jobs overseas but that is essentially the free market system at work. There is no longer any such thing as an "American Corporation" - simply big companies who happen to be doing business in the US. Their only allegiance is to their shareholders, which means containing costs by whatever means. It is the job of the government to manage the economy and local business environment to ensure at least sustainability if not continued prosperity for the country.

Large corporations are bigger targets and have more to lose so tend to be more rigorous in their employment procedures. Conversely, smaller businesses are far more lax and therefore it is likely that most of the illegals are employed in small businesses.

Either way the standard is ridiculously low and we absolutely have to raise the bar since the current attitude is simply doing the bare minimum due diligence and taking a DADT stance.

Until we collectively demand that things get held to a higher standard - nothing will really change or improve.

[Norski]

10:45 AM on 12/12/2011

We have millions more unemployed Americans looking for work in the very jobs Illegal Immigrants currently hold than we have working Illegal Immigrants! Do we say yes to the Illegal Immigrant but no to the unemployed from Oklahoma and elsewhere who might want those jobs? How John Steinbeck of Californians who favor this!

Proof from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Report of December 2, 2011:

Farming, fishing, forestry occupations = 15.8% Unemployment
Construction, extraction occupations = 13.4% Unemployment
Transportation, material moving occupations = 10.1% Unemployment
Service occupations = 9.5% Unemployment
Production occupations = 9.5% Unemployment

Total Adjusted US Unemployed Citizens and Legal Residents = 13,303,000
This figure and the above rates exclude 6,595,000 Persons who want a job but are left out of the above statistics for various reasons.
Total Number of Americans Looking for Work = 19,898,000
That means real unemployment rates for the occupations above are actually 50% larger when you include excluded people.

Pew Center estimates indicate 7.5 million Illegal Immigrants work in the USA. A Pew study "estimated that illegal immigrants fill a quarter of all agricultural jobs, 17 percent of office and house cleaning positions, 14 percent of construction jobs and 12 percent in food preparation." These professions are where unemployment is worst for Americans.

Meanwhile Management, professional, and related occupations where few Illegal Immigrants work has a 4.2% Unemployment rate.

This disparity existed before 2007 so it cannot be blamed on the Recession.

[Simply Red]

09:26 PM on 12/12/2011

If you had a choice to hire a kid with peircings all over his body, tatoos all over his face, and purple hair, or a hard working legalized immigrant, which would you choose?

[Norski]

12:26 AM on 12/13/2011

I would not stereotype people. I would hire the best person for the job based on their references.

[voyager48]

10:18 AM on 12/12/2011

Section 434 of the Welfare Reform Act and Section 642 of the Immigration Reform Act state that:

“notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State, or local law,” no state or local entity may be prohibited or restricted from reporting information to federal authorities."

These laws specifically target sanctuary policies by state and cities (like LA) that are refusing local cooperation with federal authorities, by forbidding restraints on communication with federal officials, including and very specifically aimed at the sharing of information relating to peoples illegal immigration status.

The pro-illegals main argument against local laws aligned with and supporting federal laws, like SB1070, is preemption while actually these policies are in direct conflict with federal laws and are direct preemption.

Yet the Feds do nothing to move against them. How does that work???

[greyhound2]

10:00 AM on 12/12/2011

Several years ago, California voters over whelmingly approved an initiative to cut off welfare benefits for illegal aliens. At the time, welfare payments were costing property owners about $2 billion a year. That initiative was taken to court by the ACLU and overturned. Currently, welfare payments are now costing property owners about $12 billion. The same fate will happen to this initiative, it will be overwhelmingly defeated but property owners will get screwed again anyway. The Chamber of Commerce has only one interest, to preserve a large pool of unprotected workers to exploit. If wage and occupational safety rules were the same, illegals would find themselves out of work.

[voyager48]

09:49 AM on 12/12/2011

Section 274 felonies under the Federal Immigration and Nationalit­y Act, INA 274A(a)(1)­(A):

A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:
* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporti­ng, sheltering­, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or
* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or
* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.”

[Eserve1]

01:16 AM on 12/12/2011

Or we could let the department of immigration do it's job and let those that wish to become US citizens of those that don't know how to go about becoming US citizens, become US citizens. We could go after the Corporations that hire 3rd parties that hire these people for these businesses (so that they can have deniability if their caught). Or we could cut down on workers visas that allow people that have little desire to become US citizens, to come here. Which then get government aid and checks. And then cash their government checks and send that money back to their home country. While earning earning enough money to live here without that government check.

[AMF400]

01:06 AM on 12/13/2011

Yes, that's a good idea. One of the main points of the immigration reform is exactly that. Allow people who has the drive to live and work here to come legally, which is almost unreachable under current law.
People, there is no line out there. There is no law to many of the happenstance undocumented living here.

[Vicky Valentine Proud]

03:49 AM on 12/13/2011

But they do not want to work to become a citizen. Why should they??? There are getting everything handed to them as it is, so why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?? We should have to accept them being in this country, much less grant them anything but a one-way trip back from where they came from (I don't pick on just Mexico), and these programs and allowences, such as this and The Dream Act, will do exaclty the opposite, it will encourae more to come. Learn from history, Reagan granted 3 million of these lawbreakers amnesty in an effort to curb the influx, but it didn't. It is now almost fourfold and rising.

[Eserve1]

05:57 AM on 12/13/2011

Thank you for agreeing with me about our system being broken and backwards from the way it should be.
With that said;
1) it helps to see some of this first hand.
2) I'll have to point you back to my original post on this thread, in order to explain 1)
3) this has become nothing more than an political show and football, to distract us from other issues, while both sides do little but to make things more complicated and costly.
4) while this is going on, the corporations take advantage of the cheap (cough) slave (cough) labor, with complete deniability.
5) during which like in everything, those at the bottom bare the brunt of the burden while those at the top sit back and relax. Back in my military days (though I've never seen combat) we had a saying, "**** runs down hill (or stream)".
As Confucius said: " In a country well governed poverty is something to be ashamed of in a country badly governed wealth is something to be ashamed of".