ICAN gathered with several organizations in front of Rep. Latham’s office today in Des Moines, to ask him to support Immigration Reform. The group followed up by going in and talking to his staff and delivering their statements. Below is a copy of ICAN’s statement.
ICAN Immigration Reform Statement
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to pass S. 744, a comprehensive immigration reform package with a strong bi-partisan majority, but Iowa Sen. Grassley voted with the minority to oppose the bill. Today, ICAN and the Iowa Main Street Alliance call on Rep. Latham to not follow in the Senator’s footsteps. Immigration Reform is a win on every front for Iowa and the country as a whole, from the economy and the federal budget to the triumph of American values in action. No one wins with the current, broken system. The current system perpetuates a shadow economy that gives businesses unfair and unjust competitive advantages, that forces 11 million human beings to live in daily fear. Immigration reform holds great potential to strengthen small businesses, boost Iowa’s economy and strengthen the country’s bottom line. There is just no excuse for voting against it.
Our country’s strength is grounded in our ability to work together as fellow Americans. As Americans, we all do our part to contribute, and we are all better off for having hardworking new immigrants as contributing members of our community—customers in our stores, paying payroll taxes, giving to local churches and charities. But it is not just budgets and pocketbooks to us. Like I mentioned earlier, this is about the triumph of American values. These values are undeniable, so much so that we enshrined them on the very symbol of immigration, the Statue of Liberty:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
America is a nation of values, founded on an idea—that all men and women are equal. That families should stick together, that we should look out for each other, that hard work should be rewarded. In the freedom to be what you want, do what you want, and say what you want
The Senate’s bill lives up to that American ideal. Will Rep. Latham live up to that ideal?
Any additional information can be obtained from Frank Driscoll at fdriscoll@iowacan.org.