The United States was founded as, and continues to be, a country of immigrants from throughoutthe world. It is no coincidence that the Statue of Liberty is one of our most profound nationalsymbols. And that is why Democrats believe immigration is not just a problem to be solved, it isa defining aspect of the American character and our shared history.

The Democratic Party supports legal immigration, within reasonable limits, that meets the needsof families, communities, and the economy as well as maintains the United States’ role as abeacon of hope for people seeking safety, freedom, and security. People should come to the United States with visas and not through smugglers. Yet, we recognize that the current immigration system is broken.

More than 11 million people are living in the shadows, without proper documentation. Theimmigration bureaucracy is full of backlogs that result in U.S. citizens waiting for decades to bereunited with family members, and green card holders waiting for years to be reunited with theirspouses and minor children. The current quota system discriminates against certain immigrants,including immigrants of color, and needs to be reformed to the realities of the 21st century. Andthere are real questions about our detention and deportation policies that must be addressed.Democrats believe we need to urgently fix our broken immigration system—which tears familiesapart and keeps workers in the shadows—and create a path to citizenship for law-abidingfamilies who are here, making a better life for their families and contributing to theircommunities and our country. We should repeal the 3-year, 10-year and permanent bars, whichoften force persons in mixed status families into the heartbreaking dilemma of either pursuing agreen card by leaving the country and their loved ones behind, or remaining in the shadows. Wewill work with Congress to end the forced and prolonged expulsion from the country that theseimmigrants endure when trying to adjust their status.

We must fix family backlogs and defend against those who would exclude or eliminate legalimmigration avenues and denigrate immigrants. Those immigrants already living in the UnitedStates, who are assets to their communities and contribute so much to our country, should beincorporated completely into our society through legal processes that give meaning to ournational motto:E Pluribus Unum.

And while we continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, we will defend andimplement President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action forParents of Americans executive actions to help DREAMers, parents of citizens, and lawfulpermanent residents avoid deportation. We will build on these actions to provide relief for others,such as parents of DREAMers. We will support efforts by states to make DREAMers eligible fordriver's licenses and in-state college tuition. We will invest in culturally-appropriate immigrantintegration services, expand access to English language education, and promote naturalization tohelp the millions of people who are eligible for citizenship take that last step.

We believe immigration enforcement must be humane and consistent with our values. We shouldprioritize those who pose a threat to the safety of our communities, not hardworking familieswho are contributing to their communities. We will end raids and roundups of children andfamilies, which unnecessarily sow fear in immigrant communities. We disfavor deportations ofimmigrants who served in our armed forces, and we want to create a faster path for such veteransto citizenship.

We should ensure due process for those fleeing violence in Central America and work with ourregional partners to address the root causes of violence. We must take particular carewith children, which is why we should guarantee government-funded counsel for unaccompaniedchildren in immigration courts. We should consider all available means of protecting theseindividuals from the threats to their lives and safety—including strengthening in-country and third-country processing, expanding the use of humanitarian parole, and granting Temporary Protected Status.

We will promote best practices among local law enforcement, in terms of how they collaboratewith federal authorities, to ensure that they maintain and build trust between local lawenforcement and the communities they serve. We will also vigorously oversee any programs putin place, to make sure that there are no abuses and no arbitrary deportation programs. We willestablish an affirmative process for workers to report labor violations and to request deferredaction. We will work to ensure that all Americans—regardless of immigration status—haveaccess to quality health care. That means expanding community health centers, allowing allfamilies to buy into the Affordable Care Act exchanges, supporting states that open up theirpublic health insurance programs to all persons, and finally enacting comprehensive immigrationreform. And we will expand opportunities for DREAMers to serve in the military and to thenreceive expedited pathways to citizenship.

We will fight to end federal, state, and municipal contracts with for-profit private prisons andprivate detention centers. In order to end family detention, we will ensure humane alternativesfor those who pose no public threat. We recognize that there are vulnerable communities withinour immigration system who are often seeking refuge from persecution abroad, such as LGBTfamilies, for whom detention can be unacceptably dangerous.

We reject attempts to impose a religious test to bar immigrants or refugees from entering theUnited States. It is un-American and runs counter to the founding principles of this country.Finally, Democrats will not stand for the divisive and derogatory language of Donald Trump. Hisoffensive comments about immigrants and other communities have no place in our society. Thiskind of rhetoric must be rejected.^[10][11]

Our party is the natural home for those whocome in search of freedom and justice. We welcomeall to the Great Opportunity Party.

The greatest asset of the American economy isthe American worker. Our immigration system mustprotect American working families and their wages,for citizens and legal immigrants alike, in a waythat will improve the economy. Just as immigrantlabor helped build our country in the past, today’slegal immigrants are making vital contributionsin every aspect of national life. Their industry andcommitment to American values strengthens oureconomy, enriches our culture, and enables us tobetter understand and more effectively competewith the rest of the world.

We are particularly gratefulto the thousands of new legalimmigrants, many of them notyet citizens, who are servingin the Armed Forces andamong first responders. Theirpatriotism should encourageall to embrace the newcomerslegally among us, assist theirjourney to full citizenship, andhelp their communities avoid isolation from themainstream of society. We are also thankful for themany legal immigrants who continue to contributeto American society. To that end, we both encouragethe preservation of heritage tongues and supportEnglish as the nation’s official language, a unifyingforce essential for the advancement of immigrantcommunities and our nation as a whole.

America’s immigration policy must serve thenational interest of the United States, and theinterests of American workers must be protectedover the claims of foreign nationals seeking thesame jobs. With all our fellow citizens, we havewatched, in anger and disgust, the mocking of ourimmigration laws by a president who made himselfsuperior to the will of the nation. We stand withthe victims of his policies, especially the families ofmurdered innocents. Illegal immigration endangerseveryone, exploits the taxpayers, and insults allwho aspire to enter America legally. We opposeany form of amnesty for those who, by breaking thelaw, have disadvantaged those who have obeyed it. The executive amnesties of 2012 and 2014 area direct violation of federal law and usurp thepowers of Congress as outlined in Article I of theConstitution. These unlawful amnesties must beimmediately rescinded by a Republican president. Ina time of terrorism, drug cartels, human trafficking,and criminal gangs, the presence of millions ofunidentified individuals in this country poses graverisks to the safety and sovereignty of the UnitedStates. Our highest priority, therefore, must be tosecure our borders and all ports of entry and toenforce our immigration laws.

That is why we support building a wall alongour southern border and protecting all ports ofentry. The border wall must cover the entiretyof the southern border and must be sufficient tostop both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Weinsist upon workplace enforcement of verificationsystems so that more jobs can be available to alllegal workers. Use of the E-verify program — aninternet-based system that verifies the employmentauthorization and identity of employees — mustbe made mandatory nationwide. We reaffirm ourendorsement of the SAVE program — SystematicAlien Verification for Entitlements — to ensure thatpublic funds are not given to persons not legallypresent in this country. We demand tough penaltiesagainst those who engage in identity theft, deal infraudulent documents, and traffic in human beings.The Department of Homeland Security must use itsauthority to keep dangerous aliens off our streetsand to expedite expulsion of criminal aliens. Gangmembership should be a deportable offense. Anypreviously deported illegal alien who continues toshow a lack of respect for our borders and ruleof law must be penalized. This is why we supportstiffer penalties, such as a mandatory minimumsentence of five years, for any illegal alien whoillegally re-enters our nation after already havingbeen deported.

Because “sanctuary cities” violate federal lawand endanger their own citizens, they should not beeligible for federal funding. Using state licenses toreward people in the country illegally is an affrontto the rule of law and must be halted.

In light of both current needs and historicpractice, we urge the reform of our guest worker programs to eliminate fraud, improve efficiencyand ensure they serve the national interest. Inlight of the alarming levels of unemployment andunderemployment in this country, it is indefensibleto continue offering lawful permanent residence tomore than one million foreign nationals every year.The Supreme Court has correctly recognized thatstates have the constitutional authority to takesteps to reduce illegal immigration. We condemnthe Obama Administration’s lawsuits against statesthat are seeking to reinforce federal law. We supportthe right of the states to enact laws deterring illegalaliens from residing within their states.

From its beginning, our country has been ahaven of refuge and asylum. That should continue— but with major changes. Asylum should be limitedto cases of political, ethnic or religious persecution.As the Director of the FBI has noted, it is notpossible to vet fully all potential refugees. To ensureour national security, refugees who cannot becarefully vetted cannot be admitted to the country,especially those whose homelands have been thebreeding grounds for terrorism.^[11]

Immigration and particularly the large number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has become a hot political issue. Laws to oppress immigrants have been proposed in the Congress. Millions of immigrants and supporters of justice for immigrants have marched in the streets. Politicians have stirred up anti-immigrant sentiment among sections of the U.S. population.

It also must be acknowledged that the trigger for such an influx of immigrants in this country has been largely due to unfair US trade policies. If it were economically possible to provide for their families many would choose to remain in their native countries. Any immigration policy should be seen a way to address all people's humanitarian needs as we undo the damage to local communities and chart a course toward sustainable local economies.

The Green Party stands firmly for social justice for all those living in this country regardless of their immigration status. Above all, policy and law must be humane. Anything less would be inconsistent with our Green Values, and with our nation's values.

The Green Party accepts as a goal a world in which persons can freely choose to live in and work in any county he or she desires. We recognize that this would be impractical without reciprocity between nations. We seek that reciprocity as a practical goal. Countries do have a right to know the identity of persons seeking to enter. They also have the right to limit who can come in to protect public safety.

The U.S. needs a complete overhaul of its immigration laws. Our current situation has created extreme social injustice. Millions of people are living and working in the U.S. with no legal status, making them subject to extreme exploitation and abuse. Immigration raids are terrorizing the immigrant community. Families are being broken up. Employer abuses of undocumented workers are rampant.

The Green Party must consider immigration issues from an international standpoint, taking into account international labor and environmental standards, and human rights.

The following proposals may not yield perfect answers, but they provide better answers than the status quo. We must recognize that there cannot be any true solutions to the conflicts created by immigration until we are able to organize globally to overcome the power of multinational corporations, which are engaged in an unending campaign to drive down workers' living standards everywhere. International cooperation and solidarity among labor organizations, to advance the rights of labor and raise such living standards globally, are essential to combat this trend. Until the power of the multinationals is curbed, we will continue to be confronted with seemingly "no win" choices.

While working toward that goal, we propose the following immigration policies, consistent with the Ten Key Values.

1. Policy Reform

The undocumented immigrants who are already residing and working in the United States, and their families, should be granted a legal status which includes the chance to become U.S. citizens. Persons should be excluded from this process only if they present a clear and present danger to other members of our society. The level of fees required for this process should not be a burden on low-income workers. In any path to citizenship created to provide an orderly and appropriate resolution of the status of persons currently in the United States without proper documentation, we demand a recognition of past, uncredited payments into the Social Security System as part of any fees assessed for regularization of status. In regard to who should have a right to come and live and work in the U.S. we believe the following policies are fair:

a. The Green Party calls for permanent border passes to all citizens of Mexico and Canada whose identity can be traced and verified. The "matricula consular"should be accepted as one means of proving one's identity. Work permits for citizens of Mexico and Canada must be easily obtainable, thereby decriminalizing the act of gainful employment. This action would help eliminate exploitation of undocumented persons by criminals engaged in human contraband (coyotes) and unethical employers. It would also help ensure that taxes will be paid in each corresponding nation per its laws. These measures will also help temporary residents from Mexico and Canada to secure driving privileges and liability insurance.

b. All persons fleeing political, racial, religious, or other types of persecution must be welcomed and given permanent resident status. The history of arbitrary denial of political asylum claims must be ended. Particular attention should be given to those minorities who are political exiles and refugees and those whose lives would be at risk if asylum is not granted.

c. Family reunification must be a priority in accepting applications for permanent residency. The years of waiting that families are currently put through must be ended.

d. Permanent residency should not be denied based on political views, racial or national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or any other arbitrary basis.

e. There are many countries in the world where the economic policies and military actions of the U.S. government or U.S. based corporations have caused extreme hardships. The peoples of these countries deserve special consideration if they wish to come to the U.S. to escape intolerable conditions created by our government or U.S. corporations.

f. We must keep faith with our commitment to the United Nations, to assist in the resettlement, including to our own country, of refugees currently stranded in refugee camps in other parts of the world.

g. All those who are issued work permits must have the option to come and go from the U.S. as they desire. They must also have the option of remaining in the U.S. and becoming U.S. Citizens.

2. Interim Measures

Recognizing that a just reform of immigration policy may take some time, the Green Party supports:

a. Measures to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses if they can prove their identity and pass the required tests. This will improve road safety and allow the undocumented who are driving in any case to obtain insurance.

b. Measures to give legal status to undocumented immigrants who graduate from high school in the U.S. and who are otherwise qualified, to allow them to attend colleges and universities on an equal basis with other high school graduates. The Green Party is opposed to efforts to force undocumented youth into becoming cannon fodder for the U.S. military as the price for legal status.

c. Reduce wait lists and make the system work more efficiently: current numeric caps on immigrant visas must be increased. The current system of quotas and preferences has to be thoroughly and realistically reformed. Current backlogs must be brought up to date as soon as possible. Wait times for processing and resolving immigration benefit applications should be reduced to no more than six months. Pre-1996 screening criteria for legal permanent residency and citizenship applications should be restored.

d. The understandable concern about immigrant workers competing for jobs with current citizens cannot and should not be addressed by criminalizing undocumented immigration or punishing fellow victims of U.S. corporatist policies. Instead, we must reverse these policies. Among other things, we should repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, Fast Track and other corporate globalization policies. We must stop using our tax dollars to subsidize corporate agribusiness and to promote poverty in Latin America, and start using them to help reward environmentally responsible family farmers, encourage improved infrastructure and economic conditions in Latin America, and raise labor standards, at home and abroad. Here at home, we must also promote the policies, as outlined in the Economy and Workers' Rights sections of this Platform, that can help us achieve a full employment economy at a living wage, including strictly enforcing and expanding the rights of all workers to form unions.

e. We advocate an end to employer sanctions, which have been shown to hurt not only undocumented workers but also U.S.-born workers (especially those of color). Instead, the focus on employers must be to vigorously enforce our wage and labor laws. Instead of further victimizing the victims of corporate globalization, create real opportunities and raise labor standards for all!

f. We oppose the provision of current law which allows local police to become agents of the immigration agency. Local policing functions should be totally separate from immigration enforcement.

g. Greens oppose "English-only" legislation. Immigrants already have ample incentive to learn English. But when interaction with the government is limited to the English speaking, persons are put at additional risk of exploitation. The focus needs to be on providing adequate and accessible English language instruction and assistance. We advocate legislation to ensure that federal funds marked for communities to provide ESL (English as second language) training, and health and social support services to immigrants actually go to them. When funds are spent in other areas, immigrants are being deprived of benefits that they earn as productive workers in their communities. Meanwhile, courts, social service agencies, and all government agencies dealing with the public must provide trained and certified translators. Additionally, the language rights of peoples who were in this land before it became part of the U.S., including Native Americans and Mexicans in the Southwest, must be recognized and respected.

h. We oppose the militarization of our borders, (mis)using the National Guard as border police, and building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. This will further intensify the human rights disaster our immigration policy has become, as well as seriously harm border ecosystems. We demand an immediate end to policies designed to force undocumented border-crossers into areas where conditions dramatically increase the risk of permanent injury or death, destruction of fragile environments, and the cutting off of corridors needed by wildlife for migration within their habitat. For these reasons we specifically oppose the walling off of both traditional urban crossing areas and of wilderness areas. We also call for the immediate dismantling of the border wall. We mourn the death of those thousands of men, women and children who have died trying to cross this border, where a couple of decades ago such deaths were virtually unheard of.

i. We must resist proposals that use illegal immigration as an excuse to put us all under further government monitoring and control by means of a national ID card or other identification or tracking systems. We also oppose the imposition of the "E-Verify" system to screen people applying for jobs. Citizen workers who have been propagandized to support "tougher" measures to identify and apprehend undocumented workers need to carefully consider what they are asking for. The same snare they want the government to use against undocumented workers can easily be used to repress them. Our government is already engaged in illegal spying and surveillance of its own citizens. It is already invading our privacy. A national ID card system is one of the hallmarks of a totalitarian government or police state. We need to repeal the Real ID Act and resist the establishment of any system that would suppress freedom to travel and require citizens and non-citizens alike to "show their papers" and reveal their private information to government monitors at every turn.

j. We demand recognition of the sovereignty of indigenous nations whose territories cross national boundaries. These indigenous nations have the right to determine the status of their members.

k. We demand new policies and laws that deal more effectively and humanely with the victims of illegal international trafficking in humans — primarily women and children who are bought, kidnapped, coerced, brutalized, defrauded, tricked, sold and marketed for forced sex (rape) and prostitution, with an estimated 50,000 trafficked to the U.S.

l. We call for stiffer, more appropriate policy, structure and laws to deal with traffickers, and also demand that procedures to deport victims before the traffickers are prosecuted must be changed to allow the victims to testify against the traffickers, which plays a major role in bringing these cases to justice and helping stem the tide of this heinous crime. The victims of trafficking should have the option of permanent residence in the U.S. or return to their home countries, according to their own choice.^[11]

We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.^[11]