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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States of America is a nation of |
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immigrants; and |
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WHEREAS, The immigrant's story is woven into the social and |
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cultural fabric of this nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Our nation requires an immigration system that |
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provides for public safety, national security, economic |
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prosperity, and the wellbeing of all who live and work in the United |
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States; and |
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WHEREAS, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 is |
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the last major piece of immigration legislation to be passed by the |
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United States Congress; that legislation and subsequent piecemeal |
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reforms fail to adequately address the challenges posed by |
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immigration today; and |
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WHEREAS, A January, 2013, poll conducted by the Associated |
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Press shows that 62 percent of Americans support reform of the |
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immigration system; and |
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WHEREAS, There appears to be a renewed willingness in the |
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United States Congress to reform our immigration system; and |
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WHEREAS, An August, 2009, report by the CATO Institute found |
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that immigration reform could lead to a $180 billion gain for United |
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States households; and |
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WHEREAS, A June, 2012, Fiscal Policy Institute report found |
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that immigrants owned 18 percent of all small businesses in the |
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United States in 2010, which was a higher percentage than the |
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immigrant share of the population or labor force; and immigrant |
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owned businesses employed 4.7 million people and had $776 billion |
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in receipts in 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found |
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that undocumented immigrants have contributed over $1.6 billion in |
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state and local taxes in 2010 alone; and |
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WHEREAS, A 2010 report by the Economic Policy Institute found |
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that immigration increased wages of native born workers from 1994 |
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to 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, A study by The Perryman Group found that Texas would |
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lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross |
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state product, and approximately 403,000 jobs if all undocumented |
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immigrants were removed from the state; and |
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WHEREAS, The 77th Legislature of the State of Texas granted |
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in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, allowing over 22,000 |
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students to realize their educational goals and contribute to the |
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Texas economy; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States requires secure borders to |
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maintain its integrity as a sovereign nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the United States Congress to thoughtfully and swiftly |
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enact a comprehensive reform of our immigration system that |
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provides undocumented immigrants a clear path to citizenship, |
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promotes public safety, national security, economic prosperity, |
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and the wellbeing of all those living and working in the United |
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States; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, the |
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president of the senate and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to the congress. |