Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The Mesa Compact Unveiled

The Mesa Compact
A Declaration of Five Principles to Guide
Mesa's Immigration Discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS:  Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries--not Arizona and other countries.

LAW ENFORCEMENT:  Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal law.

FAMILIES:  Strong families are the foundation of successful communities.  We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families.

ECONOMY:  Mesa is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual rights, responsibilities and opportunity.  Mesa's immigration climate must affirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly city.

A FREE SOCIETY:  We must adopt a humane approach to the realities of immigration, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion.  The way we treat each other defines us.


Compare to the UTAH COMPACT:

THE UTAH COMPACT

A declaration of five principles to guide Utah’s immigration discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—not Utah and other countries. We urge Utah’s congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to strengthen federal laws and protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies addressing immigrants in Utah.

LAW ENFORCEMENT We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.

FAMILIES Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support families and improve the health, education and well-being of all Utah children.

ECONOMY Utah is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Utah’s immigration policies must reaffirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly state.

A FREE SOCIETY Immigrants are integrated into communities across Utah. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion. The way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors. Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill.