Mike McGinn is like the Dunder Mifflin of the mayoral race–he just keeps churning out white papers! (zing!) For real, though, it’s yet another policy proposal from the candidate–on how his administration will assist refugees and immigrants in the city. He proposes a lot of workshops and translation services to help the members of these communities access services, start businesses, etc. After asserting the disclaimer that his organization is a 501(c)(3) and doesn’t endorse political candidates, Jorge Baron, executive director of the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, said of the proposal, “We think that it’s a positive that candidate would support those policies.” He added that the city has been “very much a leader” in its interactions with its immigrant residents, but that expansions of the current programs are necessary. Finally, NWIRP would like to see the next mayor continue Nickels’ policy of advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, as he did in a joint letter with the mayors of Oakland and Los Angeles opposing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids of businesses to find undocumented workers. “Obviously understanding that state and local leaders can’t themselves act on [immigration reform], it’s important for them to say to our federal representatives that this system is broken and it’s affecting our families and communities.”Of course, there’s the question of how McGinn plans to pay for his proposal. I’ve got a call in with him and will report when I hear back.
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