Pages tagged "Children of Immigrants"
GOP senators seek to deny child tax credit to undocumented immigrants
Ayotte’s amendment is receiving opposition from pro-children organizations and immigrant rights groups.
First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released a statement Wednesday expressing his opposition. He said the amendment comes at a time “when child poverty is already at the highest level in a generation.”
“This proposal targets millions of the most vulnerable children in America and threatens to drive even more children into poverty,” Lesley stated. “And our message to members of Congress: find a smarter solution, and don’t cut kids.”
The First Focus Campaign previously said that denying the Additional Child Tax Credit to children whose parents file federal income tax returns using an ITIN number would hurt more than 5.5 million children, 4.5 million of whom are U.S. citizens. The group also said the child tax credit has proven effective in protecting children from poverty.
Advierten a migrantes EEUU sobre cambio fiscal
YAHOO! Noticias Venezuela (Spanish)
NGOs criticized on Wednesday a Republican proposal that would deny immigrants who entered the country without authorization tax credits granted to taxpayers with children.
During the debate being conducted by the Senate over a three-month renewal of unemployment benefits for 1.4 million unemployed, which expired in December, Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and five other Republicans proposed banning the child tax exemption for to taxpayers who do not have a Social Security number, as a way to offset the cost of $6.300 million.
"I made a sensible proposal that would save billions (of dollars) to prevent illegal immigrants from claiming the child tax exemption," Ayotte said yesterday.
Bruce Lesley, president of the Washington-based advocacy organization The First Focus Campaign for Children, said the proposal " affects millions of vulnerable children in the United States and threatens to bring more children into poverty. Our message to Congress is: find a smart solution, don't exclude children."
Pro-children group blasts GOP tax credit proposal
But First Focus Campaign for Children says the plan comes “when child poverty is already at the highest level in a generation.”
“This proposal targets millions of the most vulnerable children in America and threatens to drive even more children into poverty,” Bruce Lesley, the group’s president, said in a statement. “And our message to members of Congress: find a smarter solution, and don’t cut kids.”
Ayotte Amendment Would Increase Child Poverty
Washington – An amendment authored by U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) would deny children access to the refundable Child Tax Credit (CTC). The amendment, filed for possible consideration during Senate floor debate over legislation to restore military pension benefits, would make millions of children – the vast majority of whom are United States citizens – ineligible for the refundable CTC if their parents file federal income tax returns using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), instead of a Social Security Number. In response, the First Focus Campaign for Children released the following statement from First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley:
“It’s wrong to target any child, especially when child poverty is already at the highest level in a generation. This proposal targets millions of the most vulnerable children in America and threatens to drive even more children into poverty. And our message to members of Congress: find a smarter solution, and don’t cut kids.”
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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.
First Focus Campaign for Children’s Top 20 Resources: Fighting for Children in 2013
Looking back over our work in 2013, First Focus Campaign for Children created a number of resources for child advocates, policymakers, the media, and the public highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that confronted children throughout the year.
The following is a list of our top downloaded 2013 resources relating in children’s policy at the federal level:
- “Champions for Children 2013” (Ad – Child Advocacy): The First Focus Campaign for Children places a priority on supporting legislators who stand by our nation's children. Our Champions and Defenders of Children awards recognize the top 100 Members of Congress working to make children and families a national priority in federal policy and budget decisions
- “Strengthening Our Mental Health System: The Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act” – Shadi Houshyar (Blog - Child Health and Child Welfare)
- “Senate Committee Immigration Amendments At-A-Glance” – Wendy Cervantes (Fact Sheet - Immigration): On May 9, 2013 the Senate Judiciary Committee began markup of S. 744, and this fact sheet highlights those amendments that FFCC has determined could positively or negatively impact children and families. S. 744 was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2013 on a 13-5 vote.
- “Little DREAMers Have Big Dreams” (Ad - Immigration): This ad appeared in the special children's issues insert of The Hill's June 5, 2013, edition. On the eve of Senate floor consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation, it urges support for an amendment to give all children access to a five-year citizenship path.
- “House Vote Today Would Defund Children’s Health on October 1” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Child Health): The House of Representatives, in their zeal to defund the Affordable Care Act, drafted legislation in a manner that would have “inadvertently” slashed funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on October 1, 2013, by 70 percent.
- “Hungry Children Lose if House Cuts Nutrition Funds” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Child Nutrition): Due to an estimated $40 billion in proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the Farm Bill, First Focus Campaign for Children advocated for members to vote against the legislation.
- “Tick Tock: Kids Stand to Lose Billions on March 1” – Madeline Daniels (Blog – Child Nutrition)
- “Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (NELP) Separated Children Act” – Wendy Cervantes (Fact Sheet – Immigration and Child Welfare): Although this fact sheet is originally from 2011, it continued to be downloaded in 2013 because it explains the positive implications of the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (HELP) for Separated Children Act, introduced by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) in implementing critically needed reforms to protect children, families and communities impacted by immigration enforcement.
- “How Did Children Fare in the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) Immigration Reform Mark-Up?” – Wendy Cervantes (Blog – Immigration)
- “Immigration Enforcement Policy Change a Win for Kids” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Immigration): This press release reacted positively to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) release of a set of policy reforms designed to reduce the harm to children and families resulting from immigration enforcement actions against parents. These reforms, collectively referred to as the “Parental Interest Directive,” represent a major advance for children and ensure that immigration enforcement measures are implemented in a responsible and humane manner.
- “Homeless But Not Hopeless: Students Redefine What It Means To Be Homeless” – Brianna Gross (Blog – Housing, Education, and Family Economics): http://ffcampaignforchildren.org/news/top-of-our-list/homeless-but-not-hopeless-students-redefine-what-it-means-to-be-homeless
- “Bill Attempts to Ban Seclusion and Restraint” – Brianna Gross (Blog – Education, Child Health, and Child Welfare)
- “Voters Want Budget Solutions That Protect Children” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Child Advocacy): This document releases the results of a First Focus Campaign for Children commissioned nationwide poll of American voters on a variety of children’s issues from American Viewpoint.
- “The Foster Children Opportunity Act: Guaranteeing a Bright Future for Foster Youth” – Shadi Houshyar (Fact Sheet – Child Welfare): The Foster Children Opportunity Act (H.R. 2036), introduced by Rep. Beto O’Rourke, seeks to ensure that abused and neglected immigrant children have an opportunity to obtain the legal immigrant status to which they are entitled prior to aging out of the foster care system.
- “Fix the Family Glitch: Letter to the President and Congressional Leaders” (Letter – Child Health): This letter, signed by over leading national, state, and local advocates concerned about the health and well-being on America's children, calls on the county's leaders to fix this "family glitch," and make sure the test to determine coverage is affordable for a family is based on the share of income it costs to cover an entire family and not solely on the cost of coverage for an individual employee.
- “Representative Steve King Introduces Bill That Harms America’s Children” – Kevin Lindsey (Blog – Immigration)
- “Blumenthal, Murkowski File Bipartisan ‘Little DREAMers’ Amendment” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Immigration): This press release applauded U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for filing a bipartisan amendment to strengthen the DREAM Act provisions of the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill. The senators’ “Little DREAMers” amendment would eliminate obstacles that deny younger children a five-year path to citizenship, which is available through the underlying bill to older children and young adults.
- “Hungry Children Win With House Farm Bill’s Loss” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Child Nutrition): The U.S. House of Representatives voted 195-234 on June 20, 2013, to reject the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 1947, colloquially the House “Farm Bill”), legislation weakening federal investments in child nutrition. First Focus Campaign for Children expressed support, as the legislation would have cut SNAP by $20 billion.
- “Let’s Protect Our Children” (Ad – Budget): This ad calling on Congress to protect critical investments in our children including early childhood, education, and nutrition from upcoming budget negotiations ran in the Jan. 11, 2013 print edition of Politico.
- “Budget Plan Would Cut Children’s Health Funding by 70% in Two Weeks” – Ed Walz (Press Release – Child Health): A stopgap budget measure in the U.S. House of Representatives would have cut funding for the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by 70 percent on October 1, 2013, according to the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children. The joint resolution (H.J.Res. 62), authored by Congressman Tom Graves (R-GA) was blocked in the U.S. Senate.
Members of Congress Recognized as Champions for Children
Washington — Today, the First Focus Campaign for Children, a national bipartisan children’s advocacy group, recognized 100 Members of Congress for leadership on issues important to children during 2013.
“Lots of politicians talk about kids’ issues, but few back it up,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the Campaign for Children. “Champions and Defenders delivered for kids.”
The advocacy organization recognized as “Champions for Children” 50 Members of Congress for their extraordinary efforts to protect and improve the future of America’s next generation. An additional 50 Members were recognized as “Defenders of Children” for their support of policies that advance the well-being of children.
In selecting Champions and Defenders, the First Focus Campaign for Children noted leaders who introduced, co-sponsored, and voted for legislation to meet children’s needs. In addition, the organization considered Members who demonstrated extraordinary initiative by spearheading activities such as sponsoring hearings or garnering the support of their colleagues to improve the health and well-being of children. The 2013 Champions and Defenders are:
2013 Champions for Children
Champions for Children made extraordinary efforts to protect and improve the future of America's next generation.
Senate
Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
House
Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA)
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL)
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI)
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Rep. Gene Green (D-TX)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY)
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL)
Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY)
Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
2013 Defenders of Children
Defenders of Children supported efforts to advance policies to improve the well-being of America's children.
Senate
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
House
Del. Donna Christensen (D-VI)
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY)
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Rep. David Joyce (R-OH)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI)
Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO)
Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA)
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA)
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)
Rep. José Serrano (D-NY)
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
This is the Campaign for Children’s fourth annual class of Champions for Children. For more information about past honorees, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.
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Champions for Children 2013
The First Focus Campaign for Children recognized the 2013 Champions for Children and Defenders of Children on Wednesday, December 11th, 2013 in The Hill newspaper.
House Democrats’ Immigration Plan Provides Critical Momentum
Washington – The bipartisan First Focus Campaign for Children commended today’s introduction of immigration reform legislation by Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The proposal largely mirrors bipartisan legislation (S. 744) passed earlier this year by the United States Senate, but replaces that bill’s controversial $46 billion “border surge” provisions with a bipartisan border security package (H.R. 1417) authored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and approved by the committee in May. Like the Senate bill, the House Democratic legislation includes strong provisions to protect the interests of children, but still restricts access to health care and other safety net assistance. It also fails to include the bipartisan “Little DREAMers” proposal, which would eliminate citizenship obstacles for some of the youngest immigrants who entered the United States without documentation as children.
In response, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement.
“Today, House Democrats took a stand for children and families who live every day with the consequences of our broken immigration system. This bill’s bipartisan policy protects kids and keeps families together, and its introduction provides important momentum for House action on immigration reform. While the Senate bill delivers real gains for kids, its controversial ‘border surge’ provision would spend $46 billion to turn children’s hometowns into military occupations. The House Democrats’ bill replaces that costly and controversial plan with a more responsible, bipartisan approach to border security. We hope today’s bill reignites the immigration reform debate in the House, and we look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get the job done and deliver immigration reform that works for children.”
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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.
New Obama policy warns agents not to detain illegal immigrant parents
Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children, said the only long-term solution is for Congress to pass a bill but the new policy helps in the meantime.
“The Family Interest Directive is a major victory for children, reducing the likelihood that immigration enforcement will tear families apart and reducing the harm to kids when separation is unavoidable,” he said in a statement.
Immigration Enforcement Policy Change a Win for Kids
Washington — The First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, reacted to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) release of a set of policy reforms designed to reduce the harm to children and families resulting from immigration enforcement actions against parents. These reforms, collectively referred to as the “Parental Interest Directive,” represent a major advance for children and ensure that immigration enforcement measures are implemented in a responsible and humane manner. Key provisions of the Parental Interest Directive include:
- Establish points of contact on parental interests in each ICE field office;
- Create processes to regularly identify and review cases involving parents;
- Consider the best interest of children in decisions regarding a parent’s detention placement;
- Ensure parents are able to participate in family court proceedings, including through alternative means such as videoconference when possible;
- Enable parents to regularly visit with their children while they are in detention;
- Ensure that parents being removed from the United States can coordinate their repatriation with their child or arrange for the child’s care; and
- Provide training for immigration and detention facility personnel on best practices for protecting children and family unity.
These reforms align with current ICE enforcement priorities, but as administrative actions, they are subject to practical limitations. The Parental Interest Directive might be unilaterally reversed in the future by a different presidential administration, without hearing or the opportunity for public input.
Compared to comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. Senate, the Parental Interest Directive encompasses a limited range of protections important for family unity. Specifically, the Senate legislation also:
- Creates an inclusive roadmap to citizenship for the majority of undocumented immigrants, including DREAMers and their parents, removing the threat of family separation due to detention and deportation;
- Provides immigration judges discretion to consider potential hardship to a U.S. citizen or lawfully permanent resident child when making removal or admissibility decisions, eliminating a double-standard in current law that disregards harm to children;
- Establishes policies to improve the ability of children placed in state child welfare systems to reunite with parents who have been detained or deported; and
- Creates a mechanism for DREAM Act-eligible youth and parents of U.S. citizen and lawfully permanent resident children who left the U.S. or were deported to return to the U.S. and earn citizenship, if they meet certain Homeland Security waiver criteria.
The ICE reforms respond to a growing crisis for children, as immigration enforcement actions have intensified in recent years. The nonpartisan Human Impact Partners estimated earlier this year that more than 150,000 U.S. citizen children were affected by a parent’s detention or deportation in 2012, and the Applied Research Center has estimated that 5,100 children with a detained or deported parent are currently living in state foster care systems.
In response to the Parental Interest Directive announcement, the First Focus Campaign for Children released the following statement by president Bruce Lesley:
“The Parental Interest Directive is a major victory for children, reducing the likelihood that immigration enforcement will tear families apart and reducing the harm to kids when separation is unavoidable. But only Congress can give these critical reforms the force and permanence of law and deliver the other protections children need.”