San Diego leaders joined together to undertake a broad-based initiative calling for comprehensive, commonsense immigration reform. The group brings together leaders from the business community, law enforcement, labor groups, faith-based organizations and others who have diverse perspectives on how best to improve our immigration system but share a desire to break through a political problem that has defied solutions for decades.
Groups on all sides of the immigration debate agree that we are at an inflection point in history—we have a unique opportunity to achieve the type of reform that has eluded us for generations.
San Diegans United for Commonsense Immigration Reform hosted a press conference today to formally announce the effort and present its guiding principles:
- Immigration reform must include a roadmap to citizenship
- We should build a commonsense, streamlined immigration process that upholds the values we share—hard work, taking care of families, and looking out for each other
- We should strengthen our border security by investing in smarter borders
- Reform measures must protect civil liberties and civil rights embedded in the Constitution and laws of the land
The group comprises a broad cross-section and represents groups that have not normally worked together. Early endorsers include:
- David Bejarano, Chief, Chula Vista Police Department
- Malin Burnham, Co-Chair, Smarter Border Coalition
- Bonnie Dumanis, District Attorney, County of San Diego
- Nathan Fletcher, Chair, San Diegans United for Commonsense Immigration Reform and Senior Director of Corporate Development, Qualcomm
- Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer/CEO, San Diego & Imperial Labor Council
- Bill Gore, Sheriff, County of San Diego
- Dr. Irwin Jacobs, Founder and CEO Emeritus, Qualcomm
- Dr. Paul Jacobs, Chairman & CEO, Qualcomm
- Kevin Keenan, Executive Director, ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
- William Lansdowne, Chief, San Diego Police Department
- Eric Larson, Executive Director, San Diego County Farm Bureau
- Mike McClenahan, Senior Pastor, Solana Beach Presbyterian Church
- George Plescia, former California Assemblymember and Republican Floor Leader
- Hon. James Stiven, retired, U.S. District Court Southern District of California
To add your name to the growing list, visit the SDUCIR website or click here.
