Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride position

The Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride is calling attention to the failure of U.S. immigration policy. <!--break--> The Immigration Worker Freedom Ride is calling attention to the failure of U.S. immigration policy. <h3>They support:</h3> <ul> <li>The legalization of all immigrants who work, live, pay taxes and contribute to Social Security in this country. <li>The reunification of immigrant workers with their families. Right now, children and spouses risk their lives to be smuggled into this country to be reunited with a loved one working here. While American immigration policy has always recognized the natural desire of immigrants to reunite with their families in their new home, there is too much red tape -- long delays, unnecessary restrictions and needlessly complicated procedures -- that keeps families apart. <li>The same rights for all workers, regardless of where they're from, or where they work. <li>A clear path to citizenship -- policies that allow immigrants to become citizens in a reasonable period of time, When an immigrant lives and works here, pays income tax, sales tax, Social Security taxes and sometimes even serves in the military -- they are American in every respect and should have the right to vote, along with all other rights of citizenship. </ul> <h3>Local focus</h3> <p>Here in Rochester, organizers of the Freedom Ride are focusing attention on farmworkers, because <a href="/news/2003/09/1069.php#largest">agriculture is the biggest employer of immigrants in our area</a>.</p> <p>Undocumented immigrant workers in New York State are even more vulnerable to exploitation than other immigrant workers, because even if they were declared legal tomorrow, they would not have basic rights such as overtime pay, a day of rest, and the right to bargain collectively. That's because farm owners have successfully lobbied, for more than 70 years, to keep their exemption from the labor laws that other employers must comply with.</p> <p>The exemption from labor laws that farm owners enjoy today is outdated. It's based on the kind of farm ownership that existed 70 years ago. Today's farms are no longer Mom and Pop operations on a couple of acres of land; they're corporations.</p>

<p>The Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride is calling attention to the failure of U.S. immigration policy.</p> <!--break--><p>The Immigration Worker Freedom Ride is calling attention to the failure<br /> of U.S. immigration policy.</p> <h3>They support:</h3> <ul> <li>The legalization of all immigrants who work, live, pay taxes and contribute<br /> to Social Security in this country. </li><li>The reunification of immigrant workers with their families. Right now,<br /> children and spouses risk their lives to be smuggled into this country to<br /> be reunited with a loved one working here. While American immigration<br /> policy has always recognized the natural desire of immigrants to reunite<br /> with their families in their new home, there is too much red tape -- long<br /> delays, unnecessary restrictions and needlessly complicated procedures --<br /> that keeps families apart. </li><li>The same rights for all workers, regardless of where they're from,<br /> or where they work. </li><li>A clear path to citizenship -- policies that allow immigrants to become<br /> citizens in a reasonable period of time, When an immigrant lives and<br /> works here, pays income tax, sales tax, Social Security taxes and<br /> sometimes even serves in the military -- they are American in every<br /> respect and should have the right to vote, along with all other rights<br /> of citizenship. </li></ul> <h3>Local focus</h3> <p>Here in Rochester, organizers of the Freedom<br /> Ride are focusing attention on farmworkers, because <a></a> href="/news/2003/09/1069.php#largest"&gt;agriculture is the biggest employer<br /> of immigrants in our area.</p> <p>Undocumented immigrant workers in New York State are even more vulnerable<br /> to exploitation than other immigrant workers, because even if they were<br /> declared legal tomorrow, they would not have basic rights such as<br /> overtime pay, a day of rest, and the right to bargain collectively.<br /> That's because farm owners have successfully lobbied, for more than 70<br /> years, to keep their exemption from the labor laws that other employers<br /> must comply with.</p> <p>The exemption from labor laws that farm owners enjoy today is outdated.<br /> It's based on the kind of farm ownership that existed 70 years ago.<br /> Today's farms are no longer Mom and Pop operations on a couple of acres<br /> of land; they're corporations.</p>