In the absence of comprehensive national immigration reform, local governments across the United States struggle to balance the goals of public health and safety, economic development, and community cohesion in the face of increasing immigration, according to a new report issued by ICMA  The organization will present the 40-page report to the Obama Presidential Transition Team and to Janet Napolitano, the President-Elect’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Specifically, Immigration Reform: An Intergovernmental Imperative advocates that roles of the federal and local governments be clarified, with local governments receiving appropriate resources for immigrant integration and the federal government retaining responsibility for immigration control and law enforcement.

The report discusses the positive and negative impacts on the United States of an increasing rate of immigration, the disadvantages of the current piecemeal approach to policy, and the pressing need for viable policies and practices that address these issues. Based on comprehensive primary and secondary research, including a survey of more than 500 professional local government administrators that was administered in the summer of 2008, the report guides the reader through a brief history of U.S. immigration policies at the local and national levels.  The report also provides detailed information on immigration practices, including a series of abbreviated case studies of more than a dozen communities, which reflect the range of experiences shared by local government management professionals.

To ensure that the U.S. remains competitive, Immigration Reform also presents four principles with specific policy recommendations, intended to guide the development of a comprehensive U.S. immigration strategy. The principles and recommendations focus on

1. Overhauling current immigration policy to reflect current economic and social realities, including appropriate enforcement
2. Placing immigration control at the national level and immigrant integration at the local level
3. Conducting federal enforcement activities that consider the impact on communities and local governments and promote human rights.
4. Redistributing resources generated by immigrants equitably.

“The recommendations outlined in the policy paper are derived from the struggles that our jurisdictions are facing right now,” said Patrick Urich, chairman of ICMA’s Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee and county administrator of Peoria, Illinois. “This issue has created crises in many communities, and we need to dispense with the political rhetoric and develop an intergovernmental solution on the table that works for local governments.”

Immigration Reform: An Intergovernmental Imperative was prepared for ICMA by immigration expert Nadia Rubaii-Barrett, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration at Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs. To download a complimentary copy, visit http://www.icma.org/main/ld.asp?ldid=20811&p=1.