IMMIGRATION REFORM RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT TRUSTEES

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

May 4, 2013 (El Cajon) – Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Board of Trustees voted on April 16 to adopt a resolution calling on Congress to enact the comprehensive immigration reforms being hammered out by a bipartisan “gang of eight” legislators (four Republicans and four Democrats).

The resolution was introduced by trustee Mary Kay Rosinski  and passed with five votes in favor.  The action comes on the heels of similar resolutions adopted by San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego City Council.

“I support this resolution because it calls on Congress to develop a fair, bipartisan immigration system which in the end will help our students and their families,” Rosinski said.  “The immigration reform being proposed is not instant amnesty. Undocumented immigrants will have to pass a rigorous background check; they will have to pay taxes and won’t be immediately eligible for federal benefits; and legal status would be achieved only after a lengthy waiting period.” 

She noted that 70% of Americans support this path to legal status.  “ I  support this resolution because it will help many of our students and their families remain in this country legally,”  she added.

The resolution includes the following points:

WHEREAS, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (District) recognizes that immigration reform must protect the rights of all students and their families, regardless of immigration status, family structure, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status, and provide sufficient family-based channels for migration in the future; and

WHEREAS, immigrants and refugees from many parts of the world attend the District colleges, making the student body diverse and enriched by the multiple histories and cultures; and

WHEREAS, immigration reform should seek to restore trust between immigrant and refugee communities and local police by reducing racial profiling and increasing transparency and accountability for the involvement of federal immigration authorities in local law enforcement.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District supports a reasonable and wide-ranging approach to reforming the immigration system that protects children and their families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that civil and human rights are deeply rooted in the fabric of democratic and principled societies, and must be instilled in all elements of our enforcement apparatus to ensure every individual’s dignity and is upheld, recognized and respected; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that immigration reform should provide a pathway to citizenship for young people who unknowingly entered the United States without proper documentation as minor children and who have grown up here and who contribute to our society; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chancellor is authorized to convey the Board’s Resolution to the California legislature, Governor, and community leaders and organizations.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.