Political Statement of March 10th Movement (in English)

Immigrant organizations, unions, student organizations, peace and
justice groups, and other social groups of civil society declare our
unity in the fight for human rights, civil rights, and labor rights
for all immigrants, workers and other minorities or oppressed groups.
In the same way, we reject the current bills that until now have been
presented in the U.S. Senate on the part of both Republican and
Democrat parties, as well as [rejecting] the "negotiated" deals on a
possible immigration policy reform.
In these past months, at a national level, civic organizations have
clearly called for political alternatives that allow the 12 million
undocumented immigrants to lead a life of dignity, to be recognized as
an integral part of the social fabric that contributes to the economy
of this country.
On May 1, 2006, mobilizations succeeded in breaking the barriers of
the border. Other countries, like Mexico, El Salvador, and Poland
joined the movement of immigrant workers in the United States. Thus it
became a worldwide movement for justice for international workers.
The U.S. government is now seeking a "bipartisan deal" on immigration
legislation during an electoral year. We consider this pact to be none
other than a new version of H.R. 4437 approved in the House of
Representatives at the end of 2005. These proposals continue to divide
our community, and they all leave millions of undocumented immigrants
without alternatives.
While there has been a lack of proposals with serious long-term
solutions to the issue of immigration, either documented or
undocumented, in the United States, at the same time the government
has initiated acts of intimidation, such as selective raids, against
the immigrant community, to sow fear and to stop the mass
mobilizations that are demanding real solutions.
Considering the aforementioned, the signatory organizations have met
in Chicago to create this Statement of the Immigrant Movement 2006.
We immigrants are not a "problem." We are the answer to an expanding
economy that requires more workers than it produces in the United
States.
The problem is that the judicial system has not advanced at the same
pace as the economic expansion. The judicial system does not offer, in
a timely and orderly way, the visas and work permits it demands of
millions of foreign workers.
The process of migration, especially in the two last decades, has
taken on greater dynamism as a product of the reorganization of
capital. Capital moves beyond borders, but not its workforce. The role
of lowering labor costs to benefit the economy has been reserved for
the immigrant workforce. The undocumented worker is situated on a most
flexible and precarious edge, giving rise to extreme forms of labor
exploitation.
Therefore, to solve the situation of millions of undocumented workers
WE CALL FOR:
The legalization of all immigrants
We demand permanent legal residence, with the option of citizenship,
for those who want it, within the period of four years as indicated in
the last changes to [immigration] law. This permanent legal residence
should be offered to all undocumented immigrants living in this
country at the time the law is passed.
Permanent legal residence should be extended not only to those "who
work and pay taxes," but also to family members living in the United
States. At the same time, previous pending visa applications should be
immediately processed.
Likewise, permanent legal residence should be extended to those who
are unable to work and pay taxes due to physical or mental disability.
The right to permanent legal residence must be non-discriminatory, and
therefore extended to all immigrants regardless of race, national
origin, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Any legislation that tends to liberalize border controls for trade but
seeks to limit the movement of the workforce, including attempts to
militarize the border, is doomed to fail.
Permanent legal residence for current undocumented immigrants should
be granted within a maximum period of six months after the law is
passed.
2. Residence with civil and labor rights
Permanent legal residence is the only solution to guarantee civil and
labor rights for international workers.
We demand labor rights be guaranteed to all workers, present and
future, without discrimination based on nationality or national
origin, gender, sexual preference, language or religion. This includes
wage parity, the right to organize unions, the right to strike and
other forms of struggle to improve labor conditions.
In general, we demand that the United States, as part of the
international economic community, subscribe and comply with the terms
laid out in the International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, issued by
the United Nations.
The rights of all workers in the United States should include social
security and health benefits, seniority for wage increases, and
retirement pensions.
We reject the so-called "Patriot Act," a law that limits the civil
liberties of certain segments of the population, specifically among
them immigrants. This Act limits and contradicts the rights guaranteed
in the precepts of the U.S. Constitution, which extends protection to
all residents of the United States discriminating on the basis of
immigration status.
Protection of civil liberties and labor rights for immigrants must be
permanent, now and in the future.
3. Stop the deportations
In the face of mass mobilizations on behalf of immigrants at the
national level, the government has used deportations as a way of
menacing this first movement for civil rights of the 21st century. We
denounce these selective raids as a violent tactic that has no place
in the debate on immigration reform.
It is absurd to arrest and to deport immigrants that could be eligible
for permanent legal residence within a few weeks or months. The
current raids are a mistaken response with the aim of silencing the
extensive non-violent participation of civil society on behalf of
immigrants' rights.
We oppose giving local police the authority to exercise the duties of
federal authorities. We reject state laws that regulate immigration
issues.
We demand the immediate suspension of deportations until the debate is
finished and there is a comprehensive immigration reform that solves
the issue of undocumented immigration.
Liberty and Justice for All
The current proposals divide immigrants in different categories,
creating a less democratic society lacking liberty and rights, and
marginalizing millions of immigrant families in our communities.
Legalization for all immigrants requires that their rights to liberty
and justice be assured.
WE OPPOSE:
1. A guestworker program
The concept of "guestworker" arises from a tacit denial of the civil,
human and labor rights of international workers. By its very nature,
[a guestworker program] creates a second class of workers. It permits
the institutionalization of low wages and weakens social movements and
unions by preventing the organization of these workers. The current
proposals in the Senate allow international workers to work for a
limited time, after which they must leave the country or compete for a
permanent visa.
In general, these proposals are designed to manage future migration
over the long term by attending solely to the needs of the market but
not to those [needs] of workers themselves. Guest workers would be
nothing more than the institutionalization of a flexible workforce,
without rights, and without the possibility of integration into
society as a whole. Guest worker programs would divide the community,
especially families, [by] destroying legal standards for wages and
benefits.
We oppose the concept of guest workers and consider it a form of
modern slavery. For each new job that the United States needs a new
immigrant worker to fill, it should create a visa for permanent legal
residency, with option for social and economic integration with
citizenship, if so desired. The worker should have the option to
decide if he/she stays permanently, if he/she returns to the country
of origin if faced with the possibility of better employment and
social opportunities. He/she should unite with the family on any side
of the border.
2 The militarization of the borders
The increase in special security and surveillance forces over the
years has not reduced immigration into this country. Militarization
and the recent killings on the border reveal a de facto wall in
response warlike impulses, without any sensitivity to human rights for
immigrants.
After September 11, the borders became a focus of the "War on
terrorism." Its modernization has contributed to the perception of
immigrants as "possible terrorists," although entry of terrorists has
never been detected, and "security of the borders" has not been
justified.
The extreme border security between Mexico and United States has only
benefited international military arms companies and corporations. They
have transformed this area into a territory of arms testing which
subsequently have been used in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On the other hand, the business of human trafficking has benefited.
[The border] has created a flourishing industry that does not benefit
immigrants, the economy nor societies on either side of the border.
Immigration is a product of the international re-organization of
capital, of work and of production. In countries that export workers,
social, political, and economic instability are the sources of the
migratory process, and the offer of jobs in the United States is its
complement.
Since 1994, since the so-called "Operation Gatekeeper" was put into
effect, the balance has been negative. The massive militarization of
the border with Mexico has only resulted in continuous human rights
violations and [loss of] lives in that region. On the other hand, we
call for the achievement of international agreements ensuring
immigrants' rights will be respected.
We demand an end to wasting resources on increased border
militarization. Just the opposite – we believe that the $1.9 billion
the government and Congress wish to spen on this enterprise should be
invested in creating or expanding immigration offices. The slow
process of applying for residence and citizenship can be speeded up in
this way.
Finally, militarization of the border is a response to manipulation
for electoral and economic ends. It feeds into the racist and
xenophobic character into which the immigration debate has
degenerated.
Our Commitments:
Our commitment is to consolidate and maintain a permanent, independent
movement with unity at the national level. [We must] serve the
immigrant community to fight to improve living conditions in all
aspects – human, economic and social.
Our commitment is to present clear legislative proposals as
alternatives to the Democrat and Republican bipartisan initiatives,
which do not offer just alternatives to immigrants and their families.
Our commitment is to educate the community about the proposals before
Congress today, and about alternatives that truly would be
satisfactory to immigrants and would not divide families and
communities.
Our commitment as a movement is education of people about political,
labor and civil rights. This allows for the creation of a long-term
movement that does not end with legislative proposals.
Our commitment is to not accept proposals for immigration reform laws
that divide families, that divide immigrants by [assigning] preference
for nationality, and that do not legalize all undocumented immigrants.
Our commitment is to seek unity of the community at the regional and
national levels [by] establishing clear political alternatives that
benefit immigrants, [by] creating coalitions, [by] holding conferences
and organizing mobilizations together and in solidarity with one
another.
Our commitment is to continue mobilizing and organizing in workplaces,
in schools and in communities. We will form hundreds of brigades for
discussion and dissemination of our movement's legal and political
alternatives.
Our commitment is to take up a national and international campaign to
lead the United States to sign the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families, issued by the United Nations.
Proposals and Actions
We propose to hold open meetings in the communities to explain the
current (and future) proposals and bills, the advisability or
complications [of the bills] for families, as well as [holding
discussions] about health care, education, and in general, about the
rights of immigrants.
We propose holding a National Conference of Immigrants in Chicago, in
July of 2006, to consolidate the discussion on legislation and on
grassroots actions, and to consolidate the movement as an alternative
to traditional agencies, which are created to provide services, not to
struggle.
We propose immediately calling for an international conference on
immigration in 2007.