{"id":238,"date":"2012-01-09T15:26:44","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T23:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/oregon\/?page_id=238"},"modified":"2012-01-09T15:26:44","modified_gmt":"2012-01-09T23:26:44","slug":"trade-and-immigration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/oregon\/orftc-campaigns\/trade-and-immigration\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade and Immigration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>How NAFTA Drives Immigration<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Like many developing countries, Mexico&#8217;s economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture.<\/li>\n<li>NAFTA required Mexico to end the majority of its subsidies and credit programs for small farmers.<\/li>\n<li>NAFTA also required Mexico to eliminate tariffs on agricultural imports from the United States.\u00a0 This resulted in a flood of cheap grains into Mexican markets.<\/li>\n<li>Imports fromthe U.S. are cheaper than food grown in Mexico because U.S. staple crops receive billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer subsidies, allowing large agribusiness exporters to sell grains on the international market for less than what it actually costs farmers to grow them.<\/li>\n<li>The flood of imports has forced over one million Mexian corn farmers out of business since NAFTA took effect.\u00a0 According to the Economic Policy Institute, at the end of 2004, there were 6.8 million unemployed agricultural workers in Mexico.<\/li>\n<li>The poverty rate in rural areas has climbed to an outrageous 81 percent.\u00a0 This has led to an exodus from rural areas into cities and border towns, creating intense competition for jobs and driving down wages for everyone.<\/li>\n<li>According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Mexican-born people living in the United States increased by more than 80% between 1990 and 2000.<\/li>\n<li>Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans continue to migrate to the U.S. each year, with more than two-thirds coming from corn-producing regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Things Working Americans Should Know about Immigration<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>NO LEGAL ENTRY:\u00a0 For most Mexicans displaced by NAFTA, there is no legal way to migrate into the United States.\u00a0 Most people who legally immigrate do so through a family petition.\u00a0 A U.S. citizen or lawful resident may petition for a foreign spouse or child to be allowed entry &#8212; typically a multi-year process with many financial hurdles.\u00a0 For those displaced Mexican farmers who do not have a very close family member already living in the United States and able to file a petition on their behalf, there is virtually no legal way to immigrate.<\/li>\n<li>RISKING LIVES:\u00a0 People who feel they have no other choice but to enter the U.S. illegally are literally risking their lives to do so.\u00a0 Since NAFTA was enacted, at least 3,000 Mexicans have died trying to cross the border.\u00a0 Some have asphyxiated in shipping containers.\u00a0 Others have drowned.\u00a0 Many more have died of thirst after becoming lost in the desert.<\/li>\n<li>PAYING TAXES:\u00a0 Undocumented immigrants living in the United States pay the same real estate, sales and excise taxes as everyone else.\u00a0 Most also pay income taxes and contribute to Social Security, even though they have little chance of ever collecting Social Security.\u00a0 On average, immigrants pay more per capita in taxes than they receive in government services.<\/li>\n<li>IMPACT ON WAGES:\u00a0 Businesses know that undocumented workers have relatively few options for employment and are less able to &#8220;rock the boat.&#8221;\u00a0 When unscrupulous employers hire undocumented workers in order to take advantage of their marginalized status, this drives down wages for everyone.\u00a0 U.S. Labor Department studies show that following the 1986 amnesty for undocumented immigrants, real wages for those workers increased dramatically, exerting an upward pressure on wages for all.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Expanding Worker Solidarity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Increased immigration can cause economic and social strains in the United States, but blaming immigrants for these problems would be both morally wrong and counterproductive.\u00a0 As one rural Mexican preparing to cross the border in the U.S. recently said, &#8220;I would rather risk dying in this desert than endure the shame of watching my children suffer from hunger in their own land.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Finding solutions to the question of undocumented immigration will not be easy, and reasonable people will certainly have differences of opinion, but from a working person&#8217;s perspective the approach taken on this issue should be based on principles of worker solidarity.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We need to broaden our opposition to free trade agreements from simply preventing the offshoring of American jobs to also defeating trade provisions that hurt farmers and workers in developing countries.<\/li>\n<li>We need to question politicians who urge us to &#8220;get tough on immigrants,&#8221; yet continue to support trade policies that increase forced migration.<\/li>\n<li>We need to demand that everyone working in the United States receives the same workplace protections and has the same right to organize, so that employers can no longer exploit workers just because of their immigrant status.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>ORFTC Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/pdf2\/ImmigrationFactSheet.doc\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Download ORFTC&#8217;s factsheet on &#8220;Free Trade and Forced Migration&#8221; (Word)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/pdf2\/ImmigrationArticle.doc\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Download ORFTC&#8217;s template newsletter article on &#8220;Free Trade and Forced Migration&#8221; (Word)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/pdf2\/ImmigrationPowerPoint.ppt\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Download ORFTC&#8217;s slide show presentation on &#8220;Free Trade and Forced Migration&#8221; (Power Point)<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Useful Websites<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.afsc.org\/\">American Friends Service Committee<\/a><br \/>\nAFSC carries out service, development, social justice and peace programs throughout the world.\u00a0<em>Resources:\u00a0<\/em>Organizing toolkits, &#8220;Know Your Rights&#8221; materials, videos and legislative updates.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aila.org\/\">Association of Immigration Lawyers of America<\/a><br \/>\nThe AILA is a national association of more than 10,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:\u00a0<\/em>Legal research, legislative updates, &#8220;Know Your Rights&#8221; materials, media resources.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.detentionwatchnetwork.org\/\">Detention Watch Network<\/a><br \/>\nDWN is a coalition that works to reform the U.S. detention and deportation system to become more fair and humane.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:\u00a0<\/em>News and information on detentions and deportations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.iwj.org\/\">Interfaith Workers Justice<\/a><br \/>\nIWJ is a network of people of faith that works to improve wages, benefits and conditions for workers, and give a voice especially to low-wage workers.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:\u00a0<\/em>Study guide on immigration for faith communities.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nnirr.org\/\">National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights<\/a><br \/>\nThe National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights works to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:<\/em>\u00a0Organizing toolkits, videos and reports on immigrant rights.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ndlon.org\/\">National Day Labor Organizing Network<\/a><br \/>\nThe mission of NDLON is to improve the lives of day laborers in the United States.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:<\/em>\u00a0Reports and legislative resources on day laborers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.witnessforpeace.org\/\">Witness for Peace<\/a><br \/>\nWFP supports peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practicies which contribute to poverty and oppresssion.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Resources:<\/em>\u00a0Organizing toolkits on Roots of Migration.<br \/>\n<strong>Immigrant Rights Organizations in Oregon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.causaoregon.org\/\">CAUSA<\/a><br \/>\nOregon&#8217;s statewide immigrant rights coalition offers information and analysis on proposed state and federal legislation related to immigrants and opportunities for immediate response and actions.\u00a0 This is the first stop for organizations and\/or individuals interested in getting involved.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>\u00a0503-982-0243 ext 213;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:info@causaoregon.org\">info@causaoregon.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition<\/em><br \/>\nPIRC is a coalition of Portland-area immigrant rights, labor, faith and solidarity organizations working to promote justice for immigrants in Portland communities and throughout the nation.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>\u00a0503-780-3672.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.interculturalorganizing.org\/\">Center for Intercultural Organizing<\/a><br \/>\nCIO is organizing a statewide campaign to defeate ballot initiatives that target immigrant and refugee communities.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>\u00a0503-287-4117;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:margot@interculturalorganizing.org\">margot@interculturalorganizing.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rop.org\/\">Rural Organizing Project<\/a><br \/>\nROP&#8217;s Immigration Fairness Network provides trainings on how to host community discussions on immigration, particularly in rural communities in Oregon.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:\u00a0<\/em>503-543-8417;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:amy@rop.org\">amy@rop.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jwjpdx.org\/\">Portland Jobs with Justice<\/a><br \/>\nPortland JwJ has hosted a series of forums on labor and immigration that highlight the root causes of immigration, along with supporting the PIRC&#8217;s organizing efforts and legal observers in support of day laborers.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>\u00a0503-236-5573,\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:eliana@jwjpdx.org\">eliana@jwjpdx.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.portlandvoz.org\/\">VOZ<\/a><br \/>\nThe mission of VOZ is to empower immigrant workers, particularly day laborers, to gain control over their working conditions and to exercise their collective power to address the issues they face.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>503-233-6787;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:romeo@portlandvoz.org\">romeo@portlandvoz.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oregonsanctuary.org\/\">Oregon New Sanctuary Movement<\/a><br \/>\nThe ONSM is an interfaith coalition of over twenty different faith communities, called by faith to respond actively and publicly to the suffering of immigrants.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:\u00a0<\/em>503-550-3510;<a href=\"mailto:portlandsanctuary@gmail.com\">portlandsanctuary@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.afsc.org\/pacificnw\/portland\/default.htm\">American Friends Service Committee<\/a><br \/>\nAFSC&#8217;s Project Voice provides &#8220;Know Your Rights&#8221; workshops to immigrants based on a broad framework of international human rights, establishes groups of Human Rights Promotores (Promoters) and advocates for public policy that supports immigrants and addresses their concerns.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:<\/em>\u00a0503-230-9427,\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:psosa@afsc.org\">psosa@afsc.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pcun.org\/\">PCUN<\/a><br \/>\nNorthwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United is Oregon&#8217;s largest Latino organization.\u00a0 PCUN&#8217;s fundamental goal is to empower farm workers to understand and take action against systemic exploitation and all of its effects.\u00a0 Tune in to 96.3 FM Radio Movimiento in and around Woodburn.\u00a0<em>Contact:\u00a0<\/em>503-982-0243,\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:farmworkerunion@pcun.org\">farmworkerunion@pcun.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>UNETE<\/em><br \/>\nUNETE is a farm worker and immigrant rights organization based in Medford.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Contact:\u00a0<\/em>541-245-1625<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How NAFTA Drives Immigration Like many developing countries, Mexico&#8217;s economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture. NAFTA required Mexico to end the majority of its subsidies and credit programs for small farmers. NAFTA also required Mexico to eliminate tariffs on agricultural &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/oregon\/orftc-campaigns\/trade-and-immigration\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":12,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trade and Immigration - Oregon Fair Trade Campaign<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/oregon\/orftc-campaigns\/trade-and-immigration\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Trade and Immigration - Oregon Fair Trade Campaign\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"How NAFTA Drives Immigration Like many developing countries, Mexico&#8217;s economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture. 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