You wanna' know one reason we're broke and heading for a revolution? Americans are out of work and we can't afford to keep the most basic government services we have enjoyed for decades, but Massachusetts state government has more important concerns.
It seems that we should have new spending priorities and social programs. Screw the overburdened and unemployed working class citizens. Instead, let's fund new social programs for non-citizens and give them preference in public and private employment. Take a look at this 56 page mess. A few "highlights" are included below.
Massachusetts
New Americans Agenda
Produced by
The Governor’s Advisory Council for
Refugees and Immigrants
October 1, 2009
Page 13 - Establish a firm policy against racial, ethnic, and religious profiling by law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth and restore the previously empanelled advisory board on racial profiling. Require that police departments record each stop, including the name, age, race and reason for the stop (as advocated for juveniles in Senate Bill 940). This data should be available publicly without the names to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, and aggregated yearly to see trends. State funds should be linked to the implementation of this policy.
Reinforce and re-issue the State Police policy against the confiscation of foreign identity documents.
Improve Limited English Proficient (LEP) victims and witnesses access to victim services, victim witness advocates, and court translators, as well as outreach and education about available U and T visas for immigrant victims of trafficking or other forms of criminal violence.
Issue state detention standards to supplement the federal standards and regulate fair treatment for immigration detainees housed in state and local correctional facilities.
Increase funding for legal services available to immigrants. In addition, increase the funding for the Committee for Public Counsel Services Immigration Impact Unit, to enable better training of attorneys on the interaction between criminal and immigration proceedings.
Page 21 - Issue a policy statement from ESE to all public schools clarifying that school staff members are prohibited by federal law from inquiring about students’ immigration status.
Page 23 - Discourage questioning by local and state police on the immigration status of those involved in crimes including victims, witnesses, and suspects. Reiterate the policy directive banning State Police from engaging in enforcement of federal immigration laws and encourage similar policies for local police departments.
Create a policy that discourages local law enforcement agencies from entering into 287g Memoranda of Agreement with federal immigration authorities. The state should reduce funding for local law enforcement agencies participating in such agreements. Also, rescind the Department of Corrections 287g Memorandum of Agreement.
Page 25 - Champion the repeal of the Real ID federal statute through the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, National Association of Governors, and all other available avenues.
If Real ID is repealed, provide access to driver’s licenses to all individuals who are able to demonstrate residency, pass the required examination, and prove identity (through means not limited to Social Security Numbers).
Improve access to driver’s licenses by making the manual and other RMV materials available in the same languages as the written test, either in print or through reliable on-line translations.
Provide access to State ID cards to all individuals able to demonstrate residency.
Page 27 - Issue state guidance to prohibit employers from providing employees’ personal information to federal immigration authorities. Also work to discourage the expansion of the federal E-Verify program.
Page 29 - Requiring agencies to have information about basic services available in multiple languages – whether in print or through reliable internet-based translation services – and encourage agencies to recruit and hire multilingual staff.
Page 35 - Urge the Obama Administration and the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to restore federal Medicaid coverage for all legally present immigrants by eliminating the five year bar on Medicaid eligibility and other federal safety net benefits for legal permanent residents.
http://miracoalition.org/uploads/No/...eportSMALL.pdf
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