HillaryClinton.com is being redesigned, and some statements on immigration that were previously there have not yet made the transition. Whether this is intentional or not is not known, but the following are the pages that were retrieved from google's cache of the site:
Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/issues/immigration/
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Cache date: 1/17/07 We are a nation of immigrants, many of whom trace our heritage to this very spot. But whether we entered at Ellis Island or before that at Castle Clinton, or Angel Island, whether we came by choice or coercion or necessity, whether we are first generation or 12th generation Americans, all of us are connected by a thread of history that we must preserve and pass on. -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, July 17, 2000 Senator Clinton understands that America has been strengthened by the contributions of immigrants who have come to this country to find the American dream for their families. She is a cosponsor of the International Remittance Consumer Protection Act, which will ensure adequate consumer safeguards to immigrants and other hard-working families. Hillary also led efforts for the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, to ensure access to health care; championed the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act, to make it easier for immigrants to learn English; and co-sponsored the DREAM Act, which makes it possible for hardworking young people to attend college. As these measures recognize, all of America benefits when immigrants have access to health care and education that will enable them to become fully participating members of our society. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration is failing to meet the basic principles of immigration policy: continuing our American tradition of welcoming immigrants who follow the rules and try to build better lives for their families, while strengthening national security in a post 9-11 world. Senator Clinton recognizes that our current immigration laws must be reformed: we need a better solution to the question of illegal immigration which recognizes the conflict between the need to enforce the law and the reality that too many employers are using undocumented workers today. She joined Senator Larry Craig and 61 other senators to cosponsor the Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act of 2003. Unfortunately, this bipartisan bill, which reflected a consensus among growers, labor and immigration advocates, was blocked by the Republican Senate leadership. More than three years after 9/11, the Bush Administration has failed to provide adequate resources or administrative support to protect our borders, or to keep track of entrants to this country. Hillary welcomed the addition of more border security, particularly on the Northern Border, with passage of the Intelligence Reform bill in 2004, but she believes that there is much more that must be done to keep America safe, including stronger inspection of cargo on ships and airplanes. She has introduced legislation calling for appointment of a Northern Border Security Coordinator to increase the security of the border between the United States and Canada.
Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/press/view/?id=1187
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Cache date: 1/14/07: Senator Clinton Calls on Senate Leaders to Fix Agricultural Worker Situation Immediately Says Congress must act to help New York farmers
9/12/2006
Washington, DC - As the New York harvest season continues, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has written to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, stressing the urgent need to pass agricultural labor reform legislation. Senator Clinton noted that as the Senate prepares to recess without the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, a crisis is taking hold on New York’s farms. “Our farmers are facing a workforce crisis and action is urgently needed. We owe it to our farmers, workers and consumers to pass this essential agricultural worker reform so that we can safeguard New York’s farms,” Senator Clinton said, following the release of the letter. In her letter to the two Senate leaders, Senator Clinton urged passage of the bipartisan Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act (AgJOBS), which would provide American farmers with the long overdue relief they need to secure an adequate workforce. The AgJOBS bill would not only expand the current H-2A program, it would also modernize its procedures, making it easier for American farmers to use. The legislation would also provide a one-time adjustment to legal status for experienced farm workers who are already working in the country but who currently lack legal documentation. The AgJOBS bill has wide bipartisan support. Senator Clinton recently met with farmers from across the state who shared their concerns that the harvest season and their crops were being put in jeopardy by the current worker program in place – the H-2A legal guest worker program – which they say is antiquated, unworkable, and woefully inadequate. [A copy of Senator Clinton’s letter to Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Reid follows:] Dear Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Reid: With the Senate preparing to recess shortly, I am writing to stress the urgent need to pass meaningful immigration reform that addresses the workforce crisis facing our American farmers. For years, an overwhelming, bipartisan coalition of Senators has staunchly advocated for the passage of the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act (AgJOBS) and other legislative reforms that would provide our farmers with the long overdue relief they need to secure an adequate workforce. While much-needed, broader comprehensive immigration reform is being scuttled by election year politics, we owe it to our farmers, workers, and consumers to pass, at the very least, this essential agricultural worker reform so that we can safeguard our American farms. Although I have long advocated for these reforms, their urgency was made even clearer to me during my recent meetings with scores of New York Farmers from around the state. They stressed to me that the current worker program in place – the H-2A legal guest worker program – is antiquated, unworkable, and woefully inadequate. Couple this with the recent increases in enforcement by the Social Security Administration and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the result has been major disruptions to our farms. Without AgJOBS and similar reforms, agricultural employers – who have long desired a legal, stable workforce and have been patiently waiting for their elected officials to enact needed reforms – face the prospect of crops dying on the vine or worse, their farms going out of business, because of a shortage of workers. While there are several issues in the broader immigration debate that divide the Senate, the AgJOBS legislation is not one of them. There is wide bipartisan support to give our farmers what they have long needed – a stable, legal workforce that they can rely on. I am urging you both to make the passage of these agricultural reforms a priority before the Senate recesses so that we can protect the stability of our American farms. Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton Cc: Senator Kennedy Senator Craig Senator McCain Senator FeinsteinPreviously at: hillaryclinton.com/press/view/?id=744
cache Cache date: 1/18/07 Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Comprehensive Immigration Reform 3/8/2006 Immigration is the lifeblood of America, a bedrock value tied to our founding and one that constantly renews the greatness of our country. America is and will always be a home for people who are willing to put in the hard work to create a better life for themselves and their families. Our immigration system is in crisis. It is estimated that we have over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, 1.7 million of whom are children. Our current laws fail by not providing adequately for our national security. Also as a result of our broken system, many families are forced apart, unable to reunite with their spouses, parents, children, and siblings because of a shortage of visas. Our current system allows unscrupulous employers to skirt our laws and exploit undocumented workers in the name of cheap labor . As a consequence of our broken immigration system, there is a huge drain on our state social services, including financial strains on our local and state law enforcement. The situation leaves us with a lot of tough choices. We have a system that is broken and we have to find practical but fair solutions to fix it. I neither support illegal immigration nor the enactment of fruitless schemes that would penalize churches and hospitals for helping the truly needy. That will not fix the mess we are in. I support comprehensive immigration reform. That reform has to be based on: * Strengthening our borders to make us safer from the threat of terrorism and using new technology to help our Border Patrol agents be more effective; * Greater cross-border co-operation with our neighbors, especially Mexico, to solve the problem of illegal immigration; * New enforcement laws that are both strict and fair; * Harsh penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers; * A fairer process for people seeking to come to America, especially for those whose families have been torn apart; and * A path to earned citizenship for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar for becoming a citizen.
So I will support plans that meet these principles, and I will oppose one-sided solutions that simply sound tough but do little to deal with either our porous borders or the millions of families who live here.
Here is my reasoning. A Nation of Immigrants and Laws Ours is a nation of immigrants. Our national identity and heritage – who we are as Americans – is shaped by our commitment to welcoming people of diverse backgrounds who come to our shores to pursue better lives for themselves and their families. We are rightfully proud of this commitment, and we are made better by those who come here to pursue the American Dream. There is no better example of our nation’s rich cultural heritage and diversity than New York, and its prosperity is a testament to how our country is enriched by the contributions of immigrants. When our forefathers created this nation, they envisioned a “land of opportunity,” and we must never show contempt or disdain for that vision. But ours is also a nation of laws. It is our respect for the rule of law that distinguishes the United States from many other nations and is no doubt one of the reasons people from around the world yearn to come here. Our notions of justice and fairness are revered, and it is often the pursuit of that justice that brings immigrants to our country. We betray our ideals when our laws cease to reflect these values. There are many competing voices in the immigration debate, and because our national heritage is at its heart a story of immigrants, it is often a passionate and emotional one. But as we move forward and undertake the thoughtful reform of our immigration laws, we must continue to embrace our uniquely American values of being a nation that is both welcoming to immigrants but also respectful of the law. Strengthening Our Borders Smart reform must have as an essential component a plan to strengthen our northern and southern borders. It is unconscionable to think that in a post-9/11 world we do not know precisely who is entering and exiting our country. Our homeland security requires that we know the identities of all people who cross our borders. In reforming our broken system, our efforts must be multifaceted and comprehensive. During my tenure in the Senate, I have supported efforts to increase exponentially the number of Border Patrol agents. By the end of this year, the ranks of our Border Patrol will have increased by 3,000 agents since 2001, a 30% increase. But the problem is not simply one of manpower. We also need to deploy new technology that can help our Border Patrol agents be more effective in stopping the thousands of undocumented immigrants who enter the country each day. Employing new surveillance equipment – like detection sensors, unmanned drones, and infrared cameras – can assist in this important work. This includes stopping the deplorable and tragic practice of human smuggling that preys on the undocumented. We must also demand that our neighbors do their part. In particular, we must have a willing partner in Mexico if we are going to stem the tide of illegal immigration into the United States. Mexico needs to be more fully engaged in this effort if we are going fix our immigration system. We must also work together to ensure that our shared, 2,000-mile-long border with Mexico and 5,000-mile border with Canada do not become gateways into the United States for terrorists. That means improving the ways in which we share intelligence and information with our neighbors. If we can succeed in securing our borders, the Department of Homeland Security will be freed to focus its resources and energies on other credible threats against our homeland. The Need for New Enforcement Laws Of course, enforcement of our immigration laws cannot start and stop at the border. We need an effective interior enforcement plan as well. In reforming our laws, we must enact strict and enforceable laws that are simultaneously effective and rationally-based. They can be neither rooted in prejudice nor play to peoples’ fears. In this vein, I oppose proposals – like the Sensenbrenner Bill (H.R.4437) – that target and criminalize the undocumented and punish those who would provide them with humanitarian assistance. Among other things, our laws must go after unscrupulous employers who skirt our laws and exploit these workers in the pursuit of cheap labor. Our American values dictate that all people who put in a hard day’s work should receive a prevailing wage and have a safe workplace in which to work. We must honor that. Regrettably in this struggle against illegal immigration, we have abandoned our state and local governments, leaving them to bear the burden and the cost of our failed national immigration policies. Unchecked illegal immigration strains our schools, hospitals, and local emergency services. And while the vast majority of undocumented people do not engage in criminal activity, there are those who do, putting an incredible strain on our local law enforcement agencies. For too long we have left our state and local governments to fend for themselves in this effort. They should not be made to bear this burden alone. They need the support of the federal government in dealing with illegal immigration. Of course, our goal of comprehensive immigration reform can not be achieved by simply patching up our porous borders and promoting increased law enforcement. Smart reform that is consistent with our values also requires that we find a way to couple an orderly and legal immigration system with a policy committed to keeping families together and treating all immigrants with dignity. Our laws can be both strict and fair. We should not unduly punish the overwhelming majority of immigrants who work hard, raise families, pay their taxes, and contribute to their communities. Preserving the Sanctity of the Family Although we as Americans believe strongly in the sanctity of the family, our immigration laws do not reflect this value. Growing visa backlogs often prevent legal immigrants and United States citizens from uniting with their loved ones, keeping families separated for years and in the worst cases, tearing them apart. As these family visa backlogs swell, a growing number of families find themselves having to make a difficult choice – remain separated from their loved ones for years or encourage their family members to enter the country illegally so that they can be together. To be clear, these backlogs do not just affect immigrant families – they also affect American citizens who have family members living in other countries who are also caught in this bottleneck. Any reasonable immigration reform proposal must offer relief to those would-be immigrants who have tried to play by the rules by obtaining a family visa, but who have nonetheless been unable to reunite with their spouses, parents, children, and siblings because of a shortage of visas. The Undocumented and an Earned Path to Legal Status One of the consequences of our dysfunctional immigration system has been the creation of a growing underclass made up of undocumented people. Estimates have the number of undocumented in our country at approximately 11 million people, a number that grows by the thousands each day. They are here illegally because our current system permits it. Both the undocumented and the United States are complicit in this. But we cannot continue to ignore the problem. No one benefits from the current system. The undocumented are made to live in constant fear of persecution, too afraid to come forward when they are sick or in need of help. Conversely, our national security is imperiled because we have an enormous population of people we know nothing about. It is not enough that we simply know who is entering and exiting the country; we also need to identify who is already here. Our homeland security demands it. Therefore, we must develop a system that gets the undocumented to come out of the shadows. There is not a single approach that can fix this crisis. The suggestion that enacting stricter and more enforceable deportation laws alone can solve this problem ignores reality. This will only force the undocumented deeper underground. New laws, which are both strict and fair, are certainly part of the answer, but we also need a worker program that encourages undocumented workers to come forward and identify themselves. While I categorically oppose any program that grants unconditional amnesty for illegal immigration, I do support providing undocumented workers with the opportunity to earn legal status in this country. For those who work hard, pay their taxes, continue to obey the law, and demonstrate a commitment to this country, the opportunity to eventually earn citizenship should also be available. A program such as this is not a free ride, and it certainly is not for everyone. Legal status must be earned, as it was by previous generations of immigrants who became citizens through perseverance and hard work. Respecting Our Heritage and Providing for Our Homeland Security Balancing all of these interests is not easy, but I am committed to working with my colleagues to create a comprehensive system that respects both the rule of law and our immigrant heritage and American values. As is etched on the Statue of Liberty, we must continue to welcome to our shores those who “yearn to breathe free.” But we must do so with an eye towards adopting new policies that encourage orderly, safe, and legal immigration that take into account the needs of our national security.Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/press/view/?id=876
cache Cache date: 1/18/07 Senator Clinton Introduces Measure to Help States and Localities Shoulder Costs of Immigration 5/18/2006 Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today introduced an amendment to the immigration bill being considered on the floor of the Senate that would help state and local governments who are bearing costs that should be borne by the federal government. Senator Clinton emphasized in introducing the amendment that immigration is a federal responsibility and for too long the federal government has neglected its duty to states and local communities. “The Administration’s immigration policies have left our state and local governments to unfairly bear the brunt of the costs of immigration. Our schools, hospitals, and other state and local services are strained. Estimates are that states and localities are forced to pay tens of billions of dollars in health and education costs for non-citizens. Reimbursing state and local governments for these expenditures must be part of any smart, comprehensive immigration reform,” said Senator Clinton. Studies have shown that at the state and local level, immigrants use more in services than they pay in local taxes. The National Academy of Sciences found that the average immigrant imposes a net lifetime fiscal cost on state and local governments of $25,000. However, immigrants and their descendants collectively provide more to the federal government in taxes than they receive in benefits at the federal level. This is because most of the taxes immigrants pay – income and social security taxes – go to the federal government, while many of the services they use – schools, hospitals, and roads – are provided by state and local governments. Senator Clinton’s amendment would address the need to reimburse state and local communities by directing fees already part of the pending immigration bill into the State Impact Assistance Account at the Treasury created in the immigration bill as an empty account with no stated purpose. Senator Clinton’s measure makes this account the mechanism for reimbursing states and local communities. Seventy-five percent of the money collected would go to states and localities to pay for the costs of providing health and education services to non-citizens. This funding will be allocated among the states in accordance with a funding formula that is based on the size and the recent growth of the State’s non-citizen population. The remaining 25 percent of the money collected would go to the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) to pay for the costs of state and localities in detaining non-citizens. Each year, the SCAAP program is underfunded. A 2005 GAO study found that states and local communities get only 25 percent of their costs reimbursed through the program. New York has received even less – 21 percent of costs were compensated in 2002 and 24 percent in 2003. To ensure funds get to the counties and cities as intended, Senator Clinton’s amendment also requires at least 70 percent of the funds to be passed through to localities within 180 days of states receiving the money. States retain the remaining 30 percent to help offset their own immigration costs. Senator Clinton’s amendment is supported by the National Immigration Law Center, the National League of Cities, and the National Association of Counties, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/press/view/?id=898
cache Cache date: 1/1/07: Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Passage of The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S.2611) 5/25/2006 WASHINGTON, DC - "This afternoon I voted in favor of final passage of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, legislation intended to strengthen our borders and to provide for an orderly and safe system of immigration that is both strict and fair. While the bill is not perfect, it begins to address the fundamental challenges that confront our current immigration system and implements much needed reforms that both respect our heritage as a nation of immigrants and honor our commitment to the rule of law. In the coming months, Senate and House conferees will attempt to reconcile the two drastically different immigration reform measures passed in each body. I call on members of the conference to engage in negotiations that respect the bipartisan, comprehensive approach adopted by the Senate and reject the narrow, punitive bill passed last December by the House. I also call on the President to exercise his leadership in supporting comprehensive immigration reform. I cannot and will not support one-sided solutions that sound tough but neither deal with our porous borders nor treat with respect and dignity the millions of families who live and work in our country."
source July 10, 2006 SOCIAL JUSTICE: ACORN’s 2006 National Convention That was so nice, oh, thank you all, thank you. Good Morning ACORN. My goodness, this place is filled. All of you coming together on behalf of a progressive agenda for our country; and I came first and foremost to say thank you. You know, I am one of those who remembers the beginnings of ACORN in Arkansas all of those years ago. The headquarters for ACORN was near the Governor's mansion. And I started a group called Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and we worked on a lot of important issues and I noticed just the other day that the minimum wage was raised in Arkansas thanks to ACORN and the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. I also came to thank you for what you did and are doing for the victims of Katrina along our Gulf Coast. It is still hard to believe that our country, our government, would turn its back on the people who were in need. You know even Noah got some notice. He got to build his Arc. Our poor people were left to themselves, left to die, left to wade through water, sitting up on rooftops waiting for rescue. But ACORN has been there from the very beginning, helping people, rehabilitating housing, standing up for the dislocated. ...I also want to thank you for the work you've been doing with my husband's foundation on the earned income tax credit to give people who deserve that tax credit the opportunity to claim it. When we talk about poverty, one of the best anti-poverty programs we've had in this country is EITC. And the ACORN tax centers have been there to help people apply for that. We lifted millions of people out of poverty; 2 million children in working families because of the earned income tax credit. So thank you for standing with us to make sure that working people got that benefit that they are entitled to. ...But now we've got to look forward. We have a big agenda, and I want to thank you for your help in putting these issues on the agenda in so many states. But more than that, putting them on the national agenda. Thank you for the work you've already done to raise the minimum wage from Florida all the way across the country. ...And I thank ACORN for standing up for comprehensive immigration reform. And I want to thank Eliseo Medina who is here, who is a great organizer, who has done so much on behalf of the right kind of immigration reform. We're going to keep working on that because we know it's the right thing to do in our country. ...And I've got to tell you. You know I believe in our Constitution, and I believe in checks and balances, and I believe that we need accountable government. And we don't have any of that right now. We don't have a Congress that stands up and asks the hard questions. We need new people in Congress who are unafraid to ask the hard questions and willing to work with us to raise the minimum wage, to reform FEMA, to have an independent commission to find out what really happened with Katrina; we need people who will stand up and say, we want to find out the facts, who will make decisions based on evidence. Because ultimately what this is about is the ongoing march toward justice in America. You know, we find it in our scriptures when we ask, what are we to do? You know the answer, do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. We find it in our Constitution, we find it in our laws. Two months before he died, Dr. Martin Luther King gave a speech at Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta. And he talked about how when the roll was called up yonder he wanted to answer and say, I was a drum major for justice. He may no longer be with us, and others who led the march toward justice may be gone, but we have all of you. We have a great band. We have legions who will be drum majors for justice. And so when that role is called, ACORN can answer, we were drum majors for justice, we looked out for the vulnerable, we worked to give people fair pay for the work they did, we took in the stranger, we tried to fulfill the responsibilities as Americans we were called to meet. I thank you for being part of that great movement, that progressive tradition that has rolled across our country. Let's move it forward, let's be drum majors for justice. Thank you and God bless you.
Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/working/northcountry/
cache "North Country" page Cache date: 1/18/07: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday asked Tom Ridge, the new director of homeland defense, to appoint a deputy to oversee security on the U.S.-Canada border. One new challenge faced by the government, Clinton said, is implementing a part of the anti-terrorism bill passed by the Senate that would "require the attorney general, in consultation with appropriate agencies, to develop technical standards for an integrated automated fingerprint identification system for ports of entry and overseas consular posts." The New York Democrat said the agencies involved in northern border security issues need coordination from the White House. She acted after the top officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service declined to promise that the added agents and other personnel provided for northern border duty would not be reassigned to the Mexican border. Buffalo News October 17, 2001 ...Clinton, D-N.Y., said she pressed Asa Hutchinson, in charge of border and transportation security at the Department of Homeland Security, to bolster federal efforts along the northern border of New York state. "We have a lot of factors that require greater vigilance," said Clinton, arguing that border crossings near Buffalo, Rochester, Clayton, and Champlain need more federal resources to keep the country secure without choking off the economic benefits of trade with Canada... Associated Press May 20, 2003...
Previously at: hillaryclinton.com/speech/view/?id=1116
cache Cache date: 10/9/06 Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Calling for a Rural Renaissance to Restore the Promise and Prosperity of Main Streets and Rural Communities 7/31/2006 ...Of course, we’ve got to do something about agricultural labor. I saw Don’s interview, I’m afraid I might have made him a little famous here, but he did an interview and he said, look, we need labor. We had a bi-partisan agreement on one part of the immigration reform. Didn’t agree on nearly anything else, but we all agreed on what we called, AgJobs. We had 68, 69 Senators, both sides of the aisle, to create a system that would streamline what needed to be done to get workers to come up here to help harvest crops. We can’t get it through the Congress. It’s being held hostage by the bigger debate about immigration. My point is, let’s get agriculture taken care of, then we can argue about everything else. But let’s have a system that doesn’t put people at risk because they don’t know how to follow it, they’re second guessed, they can’t rely on the sources of the labor. And let’s create a decent farm worker program once again to get people to do jobs that need to be done in America...