Events

Common Ground Workshop:Immigration

Points of Agreement - Common Ground Workshop: Addressing Immigration

Held on February 8, 2025 in Atlanta GA. 7 reds and 7 blues found common ground

Values, Concerns and Solutions/Policies are not listed in any particular order.

Values that had unanimous agreement

● We value the human dignity of immigrants.

● We respect the human dignity of all people regardless of immigration status.

● We value safety for both sides.

● We have compassion for all experiences related to immigration.

● We appreciate the contribution of immigrants to our country.

● We value the promise of the American dream of the opportunity to thrive, to build a life for one’s family and to contribute to the greater community.

● We value the ideas and innovations that immigrants bring to this country.

Concerns that had unanimous agreement

● Dehumanization

● Our immigration system needs to be evaluated and reformed.

● The immigration bureaucracy is too lengthy and complex.

● There is inadequate structure to support the number of applications.

● Unchecked government entitlements may inhibit progress.

● We are not electing enough legislators who understand the immigration system and want to improve it.

Solutions or Policies that had unanimous agreement

1. Strategically plan and build an infrastructure that can handle the volume of cases that need to be processed.

2. Tie levels of immigration to the needs of the economy.

3. Make the temporary visa process less expensive and simpler for employers.

4. We need clarity around tangible existing immigration rules – enforce or eliminate them.

5. Hire more caseworkers to handle the backlog.

6. Allocate more temporary government funding for organizations helping refugee assimilation during a crisis.

7. Help government agencies to partner with private business to create programs for pathways to success for immigrants (e.g. Christo Rey highschool in Atlanta).

8. Create new structured programs (e.g. apprenticeships) to match legal immigrants with work opportunities in chronically understaffed sectors of the economy.

9. Make eVerify easier to use for all businesses.

Points that almost reached agreement

Concerns

○ Language issues with societal integration create a communication disconnect if we don’t share a common language.

Solutions or Policies

○ Expand the number of temporary visas for guest workers for jobs that are not being filled by U.S. citizens.

Monthly Online Zoom Meeting

Tuesday, March 11, 8-9 p.m. REGISTER HERE 

Monthly Lunch Gathering

Saturday, March 8 -  57th Fighter Group Restaurant, 3829 Clairmont Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341, noon-2 pm. Come and bring a friend. Dutch treat lunch or just order a drink and join the conversation.

Georgia is a big state, so every month on the SECOND TUESDAY  at 8 p.m. we hold a zoom meeting for members and anyone interested in finding out more about Braver Angels Georgia.  Everyone on the email list will receive a notice about the next meeting.  

Most months we hold an in-person lunch meeting at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant, 3829 Clairmont Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341, noon-2 pm. FEBRUARY IS A FULL MONTH, SO THIS LUNCH WILL BE MARCH 8.

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