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“By providing immigrants a way to adjust their status permanently, the Democratic Principles on Immigration Policy set forth by the House Democratic Leadership go further than President Bush’s immigration proposal. The principles contribute to the ongoing debate on immigration policy on how to fix our country’s broken immigration system.

“As the labor union that represents the most immigrant workers in the country, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is excited by about the possibilities that could emerge from these principles.

“We call on the leadership from both parties to work with the Administration to find a solution to the immigration laws that will be in line with American traditions and values in order to help immigrant workers step out of the shadows.

“We believe that an immigration system that works – one which reflects the American Dream and serves our  economy – must include the following principles:

• Reward work.  Hard-working, tax-paying immigrants already in this country should be able to earn permanent legal status and become citizens without years of complicated and expensive bureaucratic red tape.
• Provide for common-sense rules for workers and employers.  Immigrant workers should not be prevented from seeking living wages, health care, and respect at work because of their immigration status, nor should employers face legal sanctions for hiring them. Any expanded “temporary worker” program should be considered only if immigrants already working in the U.S. are legalized and such a program must provide worker protections to safeguard against exploitation.
• Keep families together.  Immigrant workers should be allowed to remain with their families in this country as they are seeking to legalize their status.  Backlogs that keep families apart must be cleared and the process should be expedited in a humane and fair way.
• Civil rights and fairness for all.  Regardless of their status, we must guarantee the civil rights and civil liberties of all immigrants.”