NJ Panel recommends creation of Commission on New Americans

India Post News Service NEW JERSEY: Creation of a Commission on New Americans to oversee immigrant issues, and establishment of cultural competency guidelines to help define how the state will communicate with those with limited English proficiency were some of the key recommendations submitted in a report by the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy, a group charged with developing recommendations to successfully integrate foreign-born residents in New Jersey.

The Panel, which was formed in 2007 to map strategies on how the state can best address the estimated 400,000 undocumented immigrants living in New Jersey, submitted its report to Governor Jon S. Corzine, March 29.
"New Jersey's strength has always been in its diversity, and within that diversity is amazing opportunity - especially important during these uncertain economic times. And all it takes to tap into this resource is a fundamental change in how we work with the immigrant population," Governor Corzine said. "For the time being, the economy is clearly priority one, priority two, and priority three."
Governor Corzine noted that 1.7 million New Jersey residents are foreign-born, and they comprise 40 percent of all advanced degree holders in the state. One in five entrepreneurs in New Jersey is foreign-born.
The panel report also recommended the development of an objective data collection standard for law enforcement; allowing in-state tuition rates for foreign-born New Jersey students; and allowing the issuance of drivers' license for undocumented immigrants.
Governor Corzine said that while he supported many of these recommendations, some were impractical. He said that he supports allowing all resident children in New Jersey the opportunity to attend college at the in-state rate, but found the drivers' license issue problematic.
"There are some recommendations, no matter how well intentioned, that cannot be accomplished without a comprehensive policy at the federal level, and drivers' licenses for the undocumented is one of them," Governor Corzine said. "This is a tremendously important but complex issue that cannot be resolved with piecemeal solutions at the state level absent of a comprehensive federal policy."
The Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigrant Policy was created in August 2007 by Executive Order 78. The Panel was charged with examining a number of areas important to New Jersey's immigrant population, including education, citizenship status, civil rights, fair housing, healthcare, language proficiency and employment and workforce training. The panel was chaired by Public Advocate Ron Chen.
The 27-member panel includes Indian American businessman from Somerset, Gulshan Chhabra.
Corzine's move to form the panel was prompted by the view that states must take the initiative to deal with illegal immigration and follows several failed congressional efforts to reform immigration policy.