HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 2017-049RESOLUTION NO. 2017-049
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
C14ULA VISTA SUPPORTING A COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION REFORM
WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista is a diverse city with residents that include
immigrants and refugees from many parts of the world who work, own homes, operate
businesses, and contribute to the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the City; and
WHEREAS, the United States is a beacon of liberty with due process and civil rights
firmly embedded in the democratic principles of this nation, principles that must be reflected in
our immigration system; and
WHEREAS, years of gridlock in Congress on immigration reform have created a broken
immigration system which has led to harmful social and economic implications for the residents,
many of them living in.San Diego County and in the South Bay region, where the City of Chula
Vista is situated; and
WHEREAS, the cities of Chula Vista and Tijuana share significant economic, social and
cultural ties; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the cultural and social riches our nation receives through our
border, it also drives regional and national economic development approaching $500 billion in
trade and 1 in 24 jobs in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista supports added investment in infrastructure and
technology as well as adequate staffing of ports of entry in order to keep up with the pace of the
expansion of bilateral - trade and the population growth of the border region, including the
implementation of policies that take into, account the protection of human rights and human
dignity; and
WHEREAS, it is important that immigration reform preserve families and keep them
together, regardless of the immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin,
age, disability, family structure, sexual orientation, gender identity, including same-sex couples,
and provide sufficient family -based channels for migration in the future; and
WHEREAS; the City of Chula Vista supports, and immigration reform should include, a
pathway to citizenship for the over I1 million undocumented immigrants living within our
nation's borders; and
WHEREAS, it is especially important to provide a pathway to citizenship for those
individuals who were brought to or entered into the United States without proper documentation
as young children and have been raised and educated in the United States; and
Resolution No. 2017-049
Page No. 2
WHEREAS, the current visa backlog for family -sponsored immigration petitions is over
20 years long and deters individuals wanting to come to the United States from doing so; and
WHEREAS, reform must clear out the visa backlog, streamline the process for procuring
visas, and include business accountability measures to ensure that U.S. companies have the
resources they need when talent is not available; and
WHEREAS, cities with large immigrant populations are safer with less property crime,
are more likely to be in better economic conditions and have higher wages than cities with
smaller immigrant communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Chula
Vista urges the 115th Congress to create a reasonable, bi-partisan and comprehensive approach
to reform the currently broken immigration, system that is in the best interests df the City of
Chula Vista, the greater Cali -Baja region, and the nation, as described in this Resolution.
Presented by
Mary'illas-*f
Mayor
Approved as to form by
Glen R. Gogins
jty Alto ey
Resolution No. 2017-049
Page No. 3
PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Chula Vista,
California, this 4th day of April 2017 by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers: Aguilar, Diaz, McCarm, Padilla, and Salas
NAYS: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: None
Mary Was, Mayor
ATTEST:
Donna R. Norris, , City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
CITY OF CHULA VISTA
I, Donna R. Norris, City Clerk of Chula Vista, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing
Resolution No. 2017-049 was duly passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a
regular meeting of the Chula Vista City Council held on the 4th day of April 2017.
Executed this 4th day of April 2017.
Donna R. Norris, CMC,City Clerk