HCR 22 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03Feb2010… 0281h
2010 SESSION
05/04
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 22
A RESOLUTION urging Congress to develop and pass a comprehensive immigration reform program.
SPONSORS: Rep. Ulery, Hills 27; Rep. Renzullo, Hills 27; Rep. Wendelboe, Belk 1; Rep. W. O'Brien, Hills 4; Rep. Kappler, Rock 2
COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This resolution urges the United States Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that protects the status of any person who has entered the United States legally.
03Feb2010… 0281h
10-2065
05/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
A RESOLUTION urging Congress to develop and pass a comprehensive immigration reform program.
Whereas, the United States is a nation founded on immigration; and
Whereas, the United States has one of the most liberal immigration policy of any industrial nation; and
Whereas, there are over 12.6 million individuals currently residing in the United States who have been issued green cards, which provide them with legal, permanent resident status; and
Whereas, there are over 8.1 million legal, permanent residents who are currently eligible to become United States citizens; and
Whereas, in 2008 the United States issued in excess of one million green cards to individuals from over 219 countries, thereby making many of them eligible for United States citizenship within 3 to 5 years; and
Whereas, in the first 9 months of 2008, over 665,000 permanent residents became United States citizens, and
Whereas, the United States has a yearly cap of 70,000 hardship visas; and
Whereas, in 2008, 22,930 individuals who were in the United States illegally were granted asylum, and, of this group, over 10,000 were granted asylum by an immigration judge during the removal process; and
Whereas, in 2008, the United States granted refugee status to over 37,000 individuals because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a certain social group, domestic violence, or political opinion; and
Whereas the United States has an established work-related visa program, which includes 65,000 yearly H-1B visas for highly skilled persons, as well as H-2A and H-2B programs for lesser skilled workers; and
Whereas, the spouse or minor child of a permanent legal resident or green card holder has an approximately 5 year waiting period; and
Whereas, since it would be impractical, if not impossible, to expel the estimated 12 million people who have entered this country illegally or have overstayed their student, vacation, or work visas, the United States must develop a comprehensive immigration reform program; and
Whereas, the United States is a nation based on laws; therefore, it is important that no one who entered illegally or overstayed a visa be allowed to benefit by violating the laws of the country of which they desire to become a citizen; and
Whereas, the United States has an immigration system which is not perfect, but which allows over a million people each to enter the county legally, and has a legal system to allow an immigration judge grant asylum status and to suspend or halt deportation in appropriate cases; and
Whereas, any comprehensive immigration reform program must protect the status of the country’s 12.6 million legal residents; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the general court of New Hampshire urges Congress to develop and pass a comprehensive immigration reform program that provides a path to legal permanent resident status with the opportunity for citizenship to all those that qualify, without punishing law-abiding permanent residents; and
That copies of this resolution be sent by the house clerk to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each member of the New Hampshire Congressional delegation.