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Actor Diane Guerrero, ofOrange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin fame, had kept herfamilysimmigration and deportation experiencea secretuntil about a few years ago. She revealed much about her personal trajectory in her book, In the Country We Love: My Family Divided.

Donald Trumps negative rhetoric on the campaign trail about immigrants, depicting them as criminals and rapists, prompted herto speak out, she said during arecentepisode of Salon Talks.

Herimmediate family, originally from Columbia,was deported when she was just 14;Guerrero was born in the U.S and allowedto remainher butwithout them. I needed to share my story, just to share sort of the other side of who an undocumented person is andwhatfamilies are affected by deportation and overall sort what our system looks like; that we have millions of families here going through the same thing, shesaid.

Young people often bear the brunt of family separation, Guerrero explained. These are the people who are not considered by the politicians making decisions in D.C. and by a lot people who dont understand the immigration system and who dont care to fix it.

She decriedthe out there to do this or that and [that] no one is offering up solutions. And right now the rhetoric is poisonous and its dividing us and its not really helping the country. When asked what progress would look like to her, she said she wants to see an immigration reform bill passed, citing former PresidentBarack Obamas efforts to attempt such reform and expandthe Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has been stopped time and time again.

Right now, I would like to see the country unite, said said. I would like to see people voting in 2018 for a Congress that is representative of them and their families, and Id like to see some sort of reform pass. Id like to see the visa system updated. Added Guerrero: If we start there, then we can see what happens.I mean we havent tried anything different.

When questioned about another type of negative imagery that emerged recently when comic Kathy Griffin shared a bloody, severed image of President Donald Trumps head, Guerrero replied,I dont necessarily think that what she did was helpful but I dont really think its that important. I mean whats important is the overuse of police brutality thats important. The separation of families thats important. Whats happening with the environment thats important.

Catch more of her conversation about immigration reform on Salon.

Read the original:
WATCH: Orange Is the New Black star gives a personal spin on immigration reform - Salon

To the editor:

Why dont they just get in line?

This is the question many ask when it comes to immigrants attempting to enter our country to work. At this point, it is important we acknowledge that under our current immigration laws, it is simpler to come here illegally than legally.

We need immigrants to fill labor shortages, and immigrants want work. A reformed guest worker program should encourage law abiding, taxpaying, industrious seasonal laborers to work through a period of intense labor needs, and then allow them to go back home to family.

At present, there are seasonal opportunities for agricultural workers and other less skilled workers; however, this process is not streamlined and quite fastidious. An employer must petition for the worker, and the worker must, in some cases, be able to provide proof of a certain level of income or education.

The demand for workers who would like to immigrate to the Unites States is higher than the number of spots available each year, with significant labor shortages. The result: backlogs for workers hoping to come to the United States legally. The path to citizenship for some immigrants can take decades.

American Farmers and Ranchers currently serves over 130,000 Oklahoma members with grassroots chapters in 162 communities across the state.

AFRs immigration policy, as approved by its membership, reads as follows: We support a documented guest worker program for immigrant laborers that results in these individuals paying taxes, obeying local, state and federal laws with the option of returning to their home country. We support immigration laws that provide a system of identification, classification and taxation. We support the development of new authorization documents that cannot be manipulated or duplicated.

Each year, thousands of acres of Americas farmland goes unplanted and hundreds of millions of dollars of produce rots in the fields. Our Oklahoma farmers are being robbed of opportunities to diversify and produce niche market, labor intensive crops. Consequently, our economy, both rural and urban, suffers employment and revenue loss. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma currently ranks 23rd when it comes to farming revenue, this includes all agricultural and animal related products.

This is not just a problem in Oklahoma. Because U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable growers have not been able just to maintain the domestic market share they held from 1998-2000, imports of those food products have increased 80 percent. Many of those products also are not produced under the same labor and production regulations that guarantee food safety equal to U.S. products. Consequently, this country and individual communities have suffered a loss of jobs in packaging, transportation, food processing, retail and other sectors.

When it comes to immigration reform, American Farmers and Ranchers urges legislators and congress to immediately address this issue. It is imperative to our nation that we move away from policies that hurt this countrys economy.

The rest is here:
LETTERS: Immigration reform necessary for farmers - Stillwater News Press

EDITOR:

I read Congressman Mike Coffmans guest editorial in the Aurora Sentinel (May 18) about the countrys need for immigration reform. I share his sentiment and want to thank him for his leadership on this issue.

In the piece, Congressman Coffman touched on sanctuary cities, which we hear a lot about in the news lately, then did an excellent job explaining how cities that shelter undocumented immigrants are not the real issue, but rather our broken immigration system as a whole. What followed was a logical and well-thought-out description of how to reform some key components.

First, its clear that safety is an important and necessary impetus to reform. Direction at the federal level has specified that for public safety reasons, there is a need to deport undocumented individuals with a violent history who are currently here in the country. However, this has created tension between ICE agents and local law enforcement. Police Chief Nick Metz has repeatedly stated that local Aurora law enforcement will not act as federal immigration agents and for good reason. If immigrants fear deportation, they are more likely to live in the shadows and less likely to report crimes. Congressman Coffman encourages local officials to cooperate with ICE when it comes to public safety, but clearly a fine balance will need to be sought.

Everyone agrees that immigration laws need to be enforced in order to help stop the influx of people entering into our country, but I was happy that Congressman Coffman sees a more rational approach to securing our borders, rather than building a wall. Instead of focusing efforts on keeping people out of our country, he suggests utilizing the E-Verify for employers to ensure they are employing individuals with a valid visa. Our immigration system was last reformed 27 years ago and technology has vastly evolved since then, so it makes sense to utilize it to streamline verification and make it easier for employers.

However, prior to mandating E-Verify, there must first be a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., and Congressman Coffman appears to take a humane and realistic approach to this. He speaks to creating a transitional period, allowing a window of opportunity for immigrants to feel safe enough to come out of the shadows, to go through background checks, and if they pose no threat to be allowed to remain in the country with legal status. This not only addresses the concerns about separating families but also the economic impacts of deporting such a large number of undocumented immigrants. And I was more than pleased that Congressman Coffman believes we need to find a pathway to legalization for youth who were brought to the U.S. by their parents. Hes not only talked about this, hes helped introduce two bills, the BRIDGE Act, a bipartisan effort, and the RAC Act each through differing means would allow these kids and young adults an opportunity to remain in the country legally to live, work and study.

Comprehensive immigration reform will be a tedious yet necessary effort. Im proud that our district is represented by a congressman willing to work across the aisle, to take an accurate assessment of our current immigration situation, and to offer real solutions. I hope Congressman Coffman will serve as an example to the rest of our Colorado delegation and that all of our representatives will take a leadership role in working towards reform.

Alex McShiras is an associate attorney with Joseph Law Firm in Aurora.

Read more:
LETTER: Coffman on target with push for immigration reform - Aurora Sentinel

Patch.com

Gibbons Students Are 'Senators For A Day,' Debate Immigration Reform Patch.com Using high-touch technology on tablets provided by the Institute, students took on the role of U.S. Senators and worked together to build and pass a bill calling for comprehensive immigration reform, according to an announcement from the Gibbons school.

Read more:
Gibbons Students Are 'Senators For A Day,' Debate Immigration Reform - Patch.com

Details Published on 06/05/2017 - 3:54 pm Written by Business Journal staff

CalChamber CEO Allan Zaremberg speaks with the Fresno Rotary Club Monday afternoon.Allan Zaremberg, president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento, made a stop in Fresno Monday to talk business with the Fresno Rotary Club.

Zaremberg touched on a number of topics during his talk, including health care, immigration and the state legislature.

Zaremberg acknowledged the flaws of the Affordable Care Act, but also conceded that stripping away subsidies as part of a repeal and replace act in Congress would not serve to get people who cannot afford coverage to be covered.

But the extreme opposite of that take is currently in Sacramento in the form of a universal health care bill a plan the CalChamber has called a job killer with a price tage of $400 billion. He said the measure would eliminate health insurers in the state, and would not allow supplemental health coverage in addition to government coverage.

He said he doesnt think Gov. Jerry Brown would sign the measure, which just recently passed out of the Senate. He sees it more as a message from an emerging liberal wing that may favor Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton.

Its a statement by the people who are active in trying to say we are going to get rid of your choices, Zaremberg said.

In talking about immigration reform, he noted that California and the Central Valley have the most to gain and the most to lose when it comes to a comprehensive solution, especially with the tech sector and agriculture relying on foreign workers.

When asked to sum up Californias business climate, Zaremberg said it was difficult given the states economic diversity. He said two-thirds of the state is doing well, while one-third (inland California) faces ongoing problems with poverty and employment.

A big part of the CalChambers mission is to protect businesses from onerous legislation coming from Sacramento. He encouraged the audience to really flex its civic duties by holding elected officials accountable and to communicate their feelings.

Your voice is heard if you make sure they hear from you, he said.

Read more from the original source:
CalChamber CEO talks health care, immigration reform - Fresno Business Journal