Label
Council Members Cherry, Adams, Johnson, Komives and Ujvagi
Title
Affirming support for a “Clean” Dream Act.
Summary
WHEREAS, the City of Toledo, as a steering committee member of the Welcome Toledo-Lucas County (TLC) initiative, has long strived to be a welcoming and inclusive community for all residents, including immigrants, refugees, and people of diverse cultures from around the world; and
WHEREAS, in Toledo we make a compact with all of our children that if they work hard we will be their champion and support them in achieving the American Dream, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or country of origin; and
WHEREAS, nearly 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children have come forward, passed background checks, and received permission to live and work in the United States through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”); and
WHEREAS, many of these 800,000 young people, known as “Dreamers” for the proposed bipartisan Dream Act, sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina and Senator Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois that would provide them with a path to permanent legal status, have advanced their education, started small businesses, and more fully established themselves as integral members of American society, paid taxes, and served in the military; and
WHEREAS, President Trump has rescinded the DACA program, putting all 800,000 Dreamers at risk of deportation; and
WHEREAS, according to research by the New American Economy, DACA’s repeal would reduce the nation’s GDP by an estimated $433.4 billion over the next ten years, including reduction of over $250 million in Ohio alone. According to the Center for American Progress, this would result in tens of billions in lost contributions to Medicare and Social Security, and would force businesses to incur $3.4 billion in turnover costs. More importantly, it is estimated that immigrants within Toledo, including young people with DACA status, helped create or preserve 756 local manufacturing jobs that would otherwise vanish or move elsewhere. The foreign born population of Toledo wields close to $242 million in spending power, in addition to contributing more than $31 million in state and local taxes. Further, new immigrants have increased the total housing values in Toledo by $45.9 million over the 2000 through 2010 decade; and
WHEREAS, it is a moral imperative that the City of Toledo support DACA, the Dreamers, and a permanent path to citizenship without intervening deportation be expressed to its Delegation to the United States Congress; NOW, THEREFORE,
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That the Toledo City Council stands in solidarity with the governors, statewide constitutional officers, mayors, state legislators, local elected officials, law enforcement professionals, and faith and civil leaders in their resolve to preserve the DACA initiative and oppose its repeal.
SECTION 2. That the Toledo City Council opposes any federal action that would rescind or degrade the DACA initiative and it encourages its Congressional delegation to support legislation that replaces fear and uncertainty with permanent protection for Dreamers such as the bipartisan Dream Act or similar legislation that would provide a path to permanent legal status for our nation’s Dreamers.
SECTION 3. That the Toledo City Council is hereby directed to send a copy of this Resolution to United States Senator Sherrod Brown, United States Senator Rob Portman, and United States Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Bob Latta.
SECTION 4. That this Resolution shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.
Adopted: _________________: yeas ______, nays ______.
Attest: _________________________ __________________________________
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: ______________________ _________________________________
Mayor
I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of a Resolution adopted by Council ________________________.
Attest: _________________________
Clerk of Council