HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 2013 —
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
SUPPORTING A REASONABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
TO IMMIGRATION REFORM
WHEREAS, the City of National City is a diverse city with residents that include
immigrants and refugees from many parts of the world who work, own homes, operate
businesses, and contribute to the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the City; and,
WHEREAS, the United States is a beacon of liberty with due process and civil
rights firmly embedded in the democratic principles of this nation, principles that must be
reflected in our immigration system; and
WHEREAS, the City of National City is a neighboring city to the city of Tijuana,
Mexico, and the two cities have significant economic, social, and cultural ties. The City of
National City, as the sister city to the city of Tecate, Mexico share these same significant ties;
and
WHEREAS, the City of National City has 22,487 foreign -born residents, which
constitutes 41.4% of the City's total population, of which 26.3% are from Latin America and
14.6% are from Asia; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the cultural and social riches our nation receives
through the San Diego -Tijuana international border ports -of -entry drive regional and national
trade with economic benefits approaching $500 billion in trade in 2011, according to a 2012
Boarder Research Partnership report produced by the Wilson Center; and
WHEREAS, years of gridlock in Congress on immigration reform have created a
broken immigration system which has led to harmful social and economic implications for the
residents, many of them living in San Diego County and in the San Diego metropolitan regions;
and
WHEREAS, it is important that immigration reform preserve families and keep
them together, regardless of the immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national
origin, age, disability, family structure, sexual orientation, gender identity, including same -sex
couples, and provide sufficient family -based channels for migration in the future; and
WHEREAS, the City of National City supports, and immigration reform should
include, an efficient and safe border, including added federal investment in infrastructure and
technology at our ports of entry, as well as adequate staffing, to keep pace with the expanding
bilateral trade and population growth of the border region; and
WHEREAS, the City supports, and immigration reform should include, a pathway
to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living within our nation's boarders —
not tied to unreasonable conditions; and
WHEREAS, it is equally important to provide a pathway to citizenship for those
individuals who were brought to or entered into the United States without proper documentation
as young children and have been raised and educated in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the current visa backlog for family -sponsored immigration petitions is
over 20 years long and deters individuals wanting to come to the United States from doing so;
and
Resolution No. 2013 —
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WHEREAS, reform must clear out the visa backlog, streamline the process for
procuring visas, and include business accountability measures to ensure that U.S. companies
have the resources they need when talent is not available.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of
National City supports the work of the 113th Congress to create a reasonable, bi-partisan and
comprehensive approach to reform the currently broken immigration system that is in the best
interests of National City, the greater San Diego region, and the nation, as described in this
Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is directed to send a copy of
this Resolution to the President of the United States and the Honorable members of the 113th
Congress and State officials who represent the San Diego region, urging a comprehensive, fair
and just immigration reform.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is directed to send a copy of this
Resolution to President Obama and the members of the 113th Congress who represent the San
Diego region, urging immediate implementation of immigration reform.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 7th day of May, 2013.
Ron Morrison, Mayor
ATTEST:
Michael R. Della, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Claudia Gacitua Silva
City Attorney