Bill Text: CA SJR16 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Joint Resolution 16 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Federal Temporary Protected Status.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 55-6-1)

Status: (Passed) 2018-06-29 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 113, Statutes of 2018. [SJR16 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SJR16-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate January 12, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Joint Resolution

No. 16

Introduced by Senator Wilk
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Lackey)

January 04, 2018

Relative to federal Temporary Protected Status.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SJR 16, as amended, Wilk. Federal Temporary Protected Status: El Salvador.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to extend the federal Temporary Protected Status for the people of El ~~Salvador.~~ Salvador. The measure would further urge the President and the Congress of the United States to craft a legislative solution for establishing the permanent legal status for El Salvadorans who were granted Temporary Protected Status and have lived and worked in the United States for many years.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was established by the United States Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, and is a temporary, renewable program that provides relief from deportation and access to a work permit for foreign nationals from certain countries who are unable to safely return to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions; and

WHEREAS, The TPS program provides compassion, generosity, and human rights to law abiding citizens; and

WHEREAS, ~~TPS is slated to sunset on March 9, 2018, for El Salvador;~~ The TPS designation for El Salvador was terminated by the Trump administration, effective September 9, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Data collected from a nationwide survey of immigrants holding TPS found that TPS has contributed positively to the socioeconomic integration of these immigrants, benefitting them, their families, and United States society in general; and

WHEREAS, TPS holders have significantly high levels of labor force participation: 94 percent of men and 82.1 percent of women are working, with 83.3 percent of men and 54.9 percent of women working more than 40 hours per week, and 7.6 percent of men and 10.0 percent of women working more than one job. About one-tenth of survey respondents were self-employed (men 13.4 percent, women 7.8 percent); and

WHEREAS, Among survey respondents, 33.6 percent of men and 29.9 percent of women live in owner-occupied homes; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of the survey respondents who in that nationwide survey volunteered in civic organizations, committees, or community groups in the 12 months prior to the survey is 29.7 percent, showing high levels of social integration. Also, 20.2 percent of survey respondents engaged in activities to benefit their community, including donating blood, cleaning streets, and other similar activities; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of survey respondents who pay income taxes is 80.3 percent, including 79.3 percent of those who are self-employed. They have contributed to social security for an average of 15.4 years and 90 percent file taxes every year; and

WHEREAS, United States citizen children whose American families are a part of the TPS program should not be torn apart by the end of this program and by the potential deportation of their parents; and

WHEREAS, The federal government should do all that it can to require that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Investigations’ National Gang Unit work together to ensure that no one is granted ~~Temporary Protected Status~~ TPS who has a criminal background ~~when~~ if the program is renewed for El Salvador; and

WHEREAS, TPS holders have already fulfilled many of the requirements for lawful permanent residence and the overwhelming majority hold at least one job, pay taxes and pay for their own insurance, have clean criminal records as these checks are required with every renewal, and have demonstrated that they have the will to belong and to become full members of society through homeownership and raising children in the United States. Many TPS holders also have ~~also~~ continued to advance educationally; ~~now, therefore, be it~~ and

WHEREAS, Only the Congress of the United States can legislate a permanent solution to address the lawful immigration status for those protected by TPS; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and the Congress of the United States to extend the federal Temporary Protected Status for the people of El Salvador; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges the President and the Congress of the United States to take the 18-month period before the effective date of termination of the federal Temporary Protected Status for the people of El Salvador to craft a legislative solution for establishing the permanent legal status for El Salvadorans who were granted Temporary Protected Status and have lived and worked in the United States for many years; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, ~~and~~ to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United ~~States.~~ States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.