Local Messaging to Receiving Communities on Administrative Relief v.12/10/14
Good for Our Community
Ensuring that our neighbors who qualify under Administrative Relief can participate is a good thing for the entire community.
Together, we can make our community the kind of place where diverse people from around the world feel valued and want to put down roots.
Immigrants already contribute significantly to Atlanta by opening local businesses, being customers in local stores, paying taxes, and giving back to local charities. When more of us are able to contribute even more significantly, estimates show that the U.S. economy will gain billions of dollars a year from new tax revenue. Atlanta will also benefit from the new ideas, vitality, and innovations generated when all its residents participate in the work of building a great community.
In Atlanta, we look out for each other. This is an opportunity for people who are deeply rooted in our community as neighbors to come forward, be screened, and work legally. Now, neighbors who have put down roots in our community for can continue to contribute, and aspire to more – which benefits us all.
By making the most of this opportunity, we ensure that:
Workers in our community can compete on a fair and even playing field and that fewer workers are exploited;
More parents are able to participate at their children’s schools and further engage in their education; and
Our streets are safer because people won’t be afraid to report crime.
More young people have the opportunity to take their education further and reach their potential.
Define American
Here in Atlanta, we believe that it’s not what you look like or where you were born that makes you American – it’s how you live your life and what you do that defines your place in this community.
How we treat New Atlantans who are eligible to participate under Administrative Relief and who are already neighbors, parents and community members, reflects our commitment to the values that define us as Atlantans and as Americans.
Prosperous Communities
Every day, communities around the country and across the globe are recognizing that being welcoming makes them more economically competitive and vibrant places for all residents.
In fact, our community is one of more than 80 who are part of the Welcoming America network. This is just one of many steps our community has been taking to become more inclusive and prosperous.
By working together, we can make sure that our community stands on the better side of history. When we look back 10 or 20 years from now, we will remember that we weren’t hindered by our fears and that we didn’t waste the potential of a generation of New Americans. Instead, we invited diverse new neighbors to join us in building a stronger community, and we all became better for it.
During this holiday season and into the New Year, when themes of peace and goodwill are evident everywhere, let us extend this spirit of generosity and hope to our diverse neighbors and families who call Atlanta home.
More Messaging Resources
Immigration Messaging: Words that Win
Tough Questions on Administrative Relief
The Benefits of Earned Legalization
Key Facts and Data1
Immigrants spur economic growth and community vitality.
Each of the 40 million immigrants in the U.S. adds, on average, 11.6 cents to the value of a home in their local county. This adds $3.7 trillion to U.S. housing wealth nationally.
Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial job creators.
Immigrant-owned businesses constitute an important source of job creation, innovation, and economic growth in our economy. Immigrant owned businesses generate over $775 billion in revenue, $125 billion in payroll, and $100 billion in income, and employ one out of every ten workers in the U.S.2
Immigrants help cities counteract population decline, keeping economies vibrant and strong.
For every 1,000 immigrants that arrive to a county, 270 U.S.-born residents move there in response. These residents are drawn by the increasing demand for service-oriented businesses ranging from restaurants to law firms and by the employment that is preserved in sectors like manufacturing.
National, State and Local Data on Immigrants’ Economic Contributions
Below are links to additional research on the valuable contributions immigrants make to our national, state and local economies:
National studies: www.renewoureconomy.org/research
State-level data: www.maptheimpact.org
County-level data on housing values: www.renewoureconomy.org/housingmap
Personal Stories
We strongly suggest working with local partners to identify personal stories of local individuals who can bring this messaging to life and humanize the issue.
Implementation
We suggest beginning to craft a plan for implementation in order to respond proactively and demonstrate to the media how the community is already stepping up to begin tackling this issue. Many communities will be forming a multi-sector taskforce, engaging philanthropic resources, and mobilizing volunteers, all of which underscore that communities already are investing and that they recognize that there will be a significant return on these investments in greater economic, social, and civic participation and a more vibrant community. General resources are available here: http://www.adminrelief.org/
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