Issue Briefs

Immigration

Anti-immigration sentiment and bills are creating increased tension and distrust between ethnic groups and cultures in Pennsylvania.  Latinos – most of whom are citizens in Pennsylvania – have become the "face" of immigration, and as such, it is our responsibility to be leaders in protesting legislation that would adversely affect our community as well as the larger economy of the state, which is heavily dependant on migrant labor.

Just last week (the first week of February), we have seen some rather quick movement on Senate Bill 9, which would require proof of legal status or citizenship be presented in order to receive benefits.  Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati has proposed an amendment that might help push this bill through.  As of February 12^th, the Senate State Government Committee unanimously passed Scarnati's amendment and SB 9 was passed out of committee by a 6-4 vote.  The vote was along party lines.  Congreso has signed on with a number of organizations in protest of SB9 and is encouraging everyone to contact their state Senator to oppose this bill.  For a full text of the bill:  (Senate Bill 9),. 

For the most part, other anti-immigration legislation seems to be at a standstill.  Most of the bills have been sent to various committees and are unlikely to come to a vote.  However, the recent vote on SB9 should serve as a warning that we can never let our guard down and need to be more on the offensive than ever.

Current bills are[1]:

SB979:  requires participation in the Basic Pilot program in order to receive contracts or grants from the Commonwealth.  Establishes penalties for the employment of illegal immigrants including suspension of licenses, and allows for private action.

SB980:  provides for an MOY between the commonwealth and the US department of Homeland Security or Department of Justice to involved the PA State Police in the enforcement of federal immigration law.

HB580:  Calls on Department of Public Welfare to notify the Attorney General when a person receiving medical assistance is a known or suspected illegal immigrant.

HB750:  Would prohibit the employment of illegal aliens and require participation in the Basic Pilot Program

HB751:  Provide an MOU between the Commonwealth and the US Department of Justice or Department of Homeland Security.

HB752:  Amends the Crimes Code and would include citizenship or immigration status in criminal history records and add a section mandating arresting authorities to inquire into citizenship or immigration sponsors.

HB753:  Would prohibit certain licensees from knowingly employing illegal aliens.

HB754:  Bill would require verification of lawful presence in the US for anybody over 18 who has applied for public benefits.

HB1459:  imposes sanctions and penalties on employers who employ unauthorized workers including revocation of business license and a $5000 fine.

            HB1958:  Makes English the official language of the Commonwealth.

Below see the data we shared with state Representatives and Senators regarding what immigration is actually doing in Pennsylvania and how they can and should address any immigration legislation that may come their way.

Issue Brief: Immigration

What You Don't Know About Immigration in Pennsylvania:

• Of 12 million Pennsylvanians, the foreign born are just 5% of the total state population[i]
  • Nonetheless, PA is home to 32 anti-immigration ordinances, more than any other state in the Union[ii]
• According to a 2004 report by the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, 39% of immigrants to Philadelphia were of Asian descent, 30% were European, and less than 15% of immigrants were Hispanic.
• Immigration is good for the economy:
  • Immigrants add about $10 billion to the US economy each year, not including the impact of immigrant owned businesses or the impact of highly skilled workers on overall productivity[iii].

• Pennsylvania needs its growing immigrant population to reinforce and supplement its aging and slow growing workforce:
  • PA has one of the oldest workforces in the country.  It has the 5^th largest elderly population and is 2^nd only to Florida in the percent of the population 65 or older[iv].
  • PA also has one of the slowest growing populations in the country, with some of the largest numbers of out-migration[v]
    • Immigrants are providing much needed labor and new job growth:  From 1996-2000, 90% of new job growth in PA was due to immigrants[vi].

• Immigrants are a critical part of the agricultural industry in PA:
  • PA is home to one of the largest food processing industries in the country and has 58,000 farms.
  • Farmers, despite their best efforts to recruit local labor, are unable to fill their ranks without some support from the immigrant labor force[vii]
  • 1 out of every 7 jobs in the state is generated by agricultural production[viii]
  • The PA Farm Bureau estimates that fruit and vegetable growers would face losses between $97 million and $175 million without guest workers

v    Current anti-immigration legislation in Pennsylvania discourages migrant laborers and is detrimental to our agricultural economy, with far-reaching implications for all Pennsylvanians.

As advocates representing Latinos across the state of Pennsylvania, we are asking that when considering anti-immigration legislation, our legislators recall the following:

-       The immigrant population is a small but growing part of the population that is critical and beneficial to Pennsylvania's struggling workforce

-       Anti-immigration legislation is creating heightened tension between immigrant communities and native Pennsylvanians, Latino and otherwise.

-       Immigration is first and foremost a federal issue

[1] http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/acscensus.cfm

[1] Fair Immigration Reform Movement (http://www.immigrationsolidarity.org/)

[1] Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians:  "Immigrant Philadelphia: From Cobblestones to Korean Soap Operas," 2004

[1] http://www.ailf.org/ipc/policybrief_2005_lifeline.shtml and http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/pasdc/data_and_information/briefs/RB080406.pdf

[1] "Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania." The Brooking Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, 2003

[1] National Conference of State Legislatures:  http://www.ncsl.org/programs/immig/immigworkforce.htm

[1] PA Farm Bureau testimony to PA House Majority Policy Committee on July 26, 2006

[1] ibid

Y Que?

Much of this legislation is redundant, for example:  Receiving public benefits require a social security card.  Undocumented workers do not have social security cards and do not qualify for public benefits in the first place.  As such these bills serve little other than to foment unrest and distrust between communities.  They also ignore the benefit that immigrant populations have on the Pennsylvania economy and culture. 

            This legislation has obvious implications for immigrant populations, Latino and otherwise.  However, Latino communities in the state and all over the country are experiencing increasing hostility, distrust and resentment as a result of legislation such as those proposed above.  As a community overwhelmingly made up of American citizens who are too often assumed to be "illegal," it is our responsibility to help fight the creation or implementation of these kinds of bills.

What You Can Do:

-      Call your legislator.  Find his or her number here:  http://www.legis.state.pa.us/.  Reference the bill numbers above and say "As a Constituent, I am opposed to SB/HB ______."

-      Write a petition:  tell your friends, families and communities about these bills and have them sign their names saying they are against anti-immigrant legislation.  Send a copy of this petition to your legislator's office.

-     Hold a meeting in your neighborhood, tell them what the anti-immigrant bills are about and how they will affect you.  Spread the word and create an organized group response to these bills, such as a group visit to your Representative's district office (also found on http://www.legis.state.pa.us/)

-      Visit the Congreso blog (http://www.statewidelatinoadvocacyday.blogspot.com/) to see other ways you can advocate on this issue

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Education

The astronomical failure and drop out rates of our youth in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania are extremely detrimental to the successful growth and progress of our community.  It is all too clear that there is a system-wide failure when it comes to adequately educating our state's youth.  Latino communities seem to be hit the hardest, with a nearly 60% drop out rate in Philadelphia, and PSSA statewide passing rates well below 50% in both math and reading.  There can be no doubt that our children's needs are not being addressed.  With the millions of dollars devoted to education in this state, there is no acceptable answer to these numbers.  The current funding system needs to change, and it needs to teach our children, engage them, support them. 

Since Statewide Latino Advocacy Day, there has been great news on the education front!  Governor Ed Rendell has in fact made a down payment on education in his latest budget, released February 5^th.  He has set aside nearly $300 million towards adjusting the disparities in education funding for school districts across the state.  Philadelphia could expect about a 10% increase in state funding. 

Below see data from the Costing Out Study (full study at www.elc-pa.org/funding) and how we asked our legislators to take the first step to making sure that public education is able to actually educate:

Issue Brief:  Education

What is the Costing Out Study?

-       The Education Law Center, Good Schools Pennsylvania, and many other education advocacy organizations, pressured the General Assembly to finally answer the question, How much does it actually cost to educate students adequately?  In response, the General Assembly financed a comprehensive study, conducted by an independent consulting firm, that answered the advocacy groups' question by:  "Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet PA's Public Education Goals"

-       The study was designed to evaluate what it costs for all students in PA public schools to receive an education that will enable them to meet state standards for academic achievement.  To do this, the study examined the way in which several variables affect the cost of education.  The study also explored the impact of these variables on several different methodologies for assessing the cost of education.  After cross-referencing all of the data, the study recommended for each of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts an amount that each district needed to spend in order to meet the state standards.   

Important Facts from the Study:  

-       The average total funding needed per student in PA is $11,926.  The average per student amount actually spent in 2005-06 was $9,512.  Thus, the study found that an average increase of $2,414, per student per year, is needed for all students to reach PA's academic proficiency and performance expectations.

-       471 of PA's 501 school districts are currently spending below the levels recommended by the Costing-Out Study.  1.67 million students attend these underfunded schools. In addition, money is not distributed equally among school districts across the state.  The Costing-Out Study reports that some districts are underspending by as much as $6,000 per student. 

-      Due to Pennsylvania's heavy reliance on local wealth and local taxes in funding public education, the state's current state funding system is inequitable.  Some school districts in PA spend $17,000 per student, while others can only afford to spend $7,000 per student. 

How does this affect Philadelphia, and how does it affect Latinos?

• According to the study, the School District of Philadelphia is under-funded by an average of $4,187 per student.  Across the district this adds up to almost $1 billion.
• Many Latino students live in areas of lower economic wealth.  As a result, based on the current funding formula, these communities receive even less funding per student. 
• Many Latino students have higher needs; they are English Language Learners (ELL), or come from families that need supportive services; this costs more money and adds to the average cost per student

How do we know the lack of funding is impacting our youth?

• Latino males in Philadelphia drop out at a rate of 60%[2]
• For both males and females, the drop out rate is 55%[3]
• Latinos are only half as likely as their white peers on campus to finish a bachelor's degree[4]

The advocates from Statewide Latino Advocacy Day recommend:

• Create a new and more equitable funding formula.  A good first step to this is:
  • Voting yes to SR210 and HR460.  SR 210 and HR 460 are resolutions that will provide for commissions that will evaluate education conducting hearings about education across the state.  Ultimately, the commissions will make recommendations to the General Assembly about how to more equitably fund education
• Protect funding supplements for ELL, poverty, and foundations money that are already in place.  Also, begin to immediately devote more funding to education.
• Support the Governor?s down payment on education in the current budget and act on the results of the Costing-out Study.