Columbus City Council Passes Resolution Supporting "Securing our National Borders"

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council urges the United States Congress to adopt and enact comprehensive immigration reform that would help secure our international borders and provide a path to citizenship for the nearly eleven million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States today.

On June 24, 2013, the Columbus City Council unanimously passed the above resolution. It is my understanding that the resolution came from the Mayor’s office. I also believe that it comes with somewhat good intentions. But that’s where I stop in terms of fully supporting the resolution. I support immigration reform and have been working on this for many years. But immigration reform is only part of our fight for justice.

I did not fully support this resolution because of the following inclusion: The Columbus Council urges Congress to support immigration reform that “would help secure our international borders…”

As City council was considering this resolution, the United States Senate was voting on the Republican introduced Hoeven-Corker amendment to invoke cloture that would add 20,000 border agents with significant increases in funding for agents, technologies and fencing. It would add 20,00 border agents at the potential cost of about $30 billion and would require 700 miles of double-layered fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border. It also requires Congress to appropriate money for radar surveillance on the border similar to what is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, undocumented immigrants could not gain green cards until a 10-year period has passed and the border requirements have been met. The amendment passed 67-27.

The inclusion of this amendment in the Senate immigration bill has caused much conversation on how national immigrant/migrant rights groups feel about the Gang of Eight Senate bill. Many are thinking that the proposed immigration reform legislation has gone too far with border security. In fact PRESENTE.org, the nation’s largest online Latino advocacy organization came out against the present bill only minutes after Columbus Council’s vote.

At least once a week, I receive calls from the immigrant community specifically about ICE picking up or detaining someone from the Columbus community. Families are separated every day in Columbus. All in the name of border enforcement and securing the border. As I shared this with the council and looked directly in their eyes, I felt the council members either did not know about this or refused to acknowledge it. They had no questions for me.

I hope Columbus City Council understands that passing such a resolution is more than patting themselves on the back or complying with some partisan mandate that came from above or even just looking good as a great city. It’s about what is in the body of their resolution;

- Recognizing the economic, social and cultural contributions immigrants bring to their communities and, in particular, to Columbus, Ohio;

- The responsibility of municipal leaders to protect the well-being and safety of all people residing in their cities;

- The duty of local leaders to respect the rights of, and provide equal services to, all individuals, regardless of national origin or immigration status;

- That family unity as a component of a strong, healthy community and economy, and re-unification of families has been a key part of federal immigration policy for almost fifty years.

I remain steadfast in my words as I accepted a very similar resolution on that same podium offered by the leadership of then council member Chareta Tavares on June 21, 2010: "I think when we get to the core of who we are, people understand it's about human rights. Who can argue with human rights?" Do you agree 2013 Columbus Council members?

It's never easy but someone has to stand up to the system and tell the full story. I am honored and humbled to have done so in this case. #HastaLaVictoriaSiempre