Political Expediency v. Serious Problem Solving

The March 5th House and Government Oversight Committee meeting was unproductive. The hearing wasted time, energy and resources pointing fingers instead of problem solving. Too many committee members stated falsehoods about Welcoming City policies and their impact on the public safety of metro areas.

Each mayor, who testified, demonstrated the American values of civility and morality. They reminded us that the United States is a nation of immigrants. People who have greatly contributed to the economy and the social fabric of their neighborhoods and help to ensure the public safety of all city residents. These truths were further confirmed and amplified by David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute who said “America’s cities benefit from the economic contributions of these immigrants, who have become integrated into their communities as family members, friends, parishioners, workers, and employers.”

In his opening remarks, Mayor Brandon Johnson shared that one in five Chicagoans is foreign-born and defined Chicago as “a proud city of immigrants.” In fact, for the past 40 years Chicago’s Welcome Ordinance “has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to residents of all races, ethnicities, immigration status, gender identities, and sexual orientations.” Johnson stated.

The Mayors of Boston, New York and Denver all affirmed the benefits to public safety that their policies afford. They testified about the work of their police departments to uphold the law and support the prosecution of criminals, regardless of their immigration status.

Mayor Wu from Boston, a daughter of immigrants, reminded us that “one in seven signers of the Declaration of Independence was an immigrant” and Mayor Johnstone from Denver stated “Denver made a choice as a city not to hate each other, but to turn to each other, and see if together we could solve a problem that felt bigger than any of us. And that’s what we did.”

The current Administration’s plans for mass deportation are not only unrealistic but would be extremely costly to taxpayers. A more prudent approach is investing in border security while providing a path to citizenship for the millions of long-term undocumented persons working in our country. These individuals currently care for our young and elderly, help put food on our table, build and clean our homes. They are also students, teachers, firefighters, police, army veterans, business owners and entrepreneurs. Research shows that these individuals pay billions in local, state, and federal taxes and if legalized would increase wages for everyone and grow the US GDP.

To quote our 40th President, Ronald Reagan, immigrants “give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. . . But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American.” We must demand that our elected officials embody the ideals of our country, protect our values and work, in good faith, to create a more perfect union instead of trying to dismantle the one we have.