Future of cities, towns is tied to immigration reform

Recently, I had the privilege of attending one of two naturalization ceremonies held at Avondale City Hall. More than 100 people at each one, from more than 20 countries, took the oath of citizenship in a moving ceremony organized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the faces of these new citizens, I saw pride, hope, joy, relief, expectation and determination to live the American Dream.

In the midst of this happy occasion, I also heard stories of frustration from those whose loved ones have been waiting years to join their family as American citizens. Patricia Gonzalez Martinez is still wait- ing in Mexico, 17 years after filing an application to come to the Under States under the sponsorship of her mother, Maria Del Carmen Martinez, who is now 80.

Will she have to begin the process all over again should anything happen to her mother before Patricia’s application is approved?

Just a day earlier, I was in the audience when President Barack Obama delivered his compelling message calling for comprehensive immigration reform. In his speech on Jan. 29 in Las Vegas, he acknowledged that our immigration system is “out of date” and “broken,” and that it’s holding us back instead of helping to grow our economy and strengthen our communities.

Local governments are caught in the middle of the national debate. As city leaders, we have no control over the regulation of immigration, yet we must deal with the responsibility for integrating immigrants into our communities and providing the services necessary for stable neighborhoods.

Civic and business leaders in our communities are also call- ing for comprehensive immigration reform as an economic necessity. Congress’ failure to act is harming our local economies and burdening publicsafety resources.

It is time for Congress to acknowledge the economic vitality that immigration brings to this nation and adopt a reform policy that supports secure borders and a path to citizenship for the millions of immigrants currently contributing to our local and national economies.

As the president reminded us, this is not just a debate about policy. It’s about people — like Patricia Gonzalez Martinez and the 202 men and women who took the oath of citizenship in my City Hall.

It is imperative that Washington act now to pass comprehensive immigration reform. I urge everyone to contact their representatives to take steps to fix our broken immigration system.

Comprehensive reform will provide cities and towns with the support needed to integrate immigrants into our communities and allow them to make cultural and economic contributions to the nation. The future of our cities and towns depends on it.