Storyhill

Council backs Murphy immigration resolution

March 27, 2006 -- As thousands of people marched in Milwaukee last week in rebellion against what they considered anti-immigration legislation, the Common Council endorsed Ald. Michael Murphy's resolution endorsing a federal proposal that would allow illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.

"I'm the son of immigrants," said Murphy, who won American citizenship before his his parents by being born in this country.

Murphy said his parents entered the country legally."Once you look at the issue as it effects, specifically, the Latino community, there has been not as easy a process versus Europeans," he said during the meeting.

Murphy

"Rather than criminalizing these workers, we need to allow them to gain citizenship so that they can better integrate into American society," he said in a prepared statement.

On the council floor, he bluntly told his colleagues that a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) that would criminalize undocumented workers is "untenable, unworkable."

"Our economy would collapse, simply collapse," he said, adding: "I don't think, particularly, we're able to afford putting 11 million more people in our prisons."

Murphy's resolution endorses a bill introduced by Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Ted Kennedy (D - Massachusetts).

Murphy said the bill would:

Establish an eventual avenue to legal status and citizenship for most illegal immigrants already living and working in the United States.
Establish a new temporary work visa enablinhg a wider range of migrants with job offers to enter the U.S. legally. The new work visa would belong to the work -- not the employer.
Establish stricter immigration enforcement, including tighter border securing and a new employment verification system.
Establish an improved family unification system, which would reduce the delays experienced by immigrants seeking to rejoin their family members in this country.