Thread: NaFFAA chair protests White House Immigration Reform Plan

NaFFAA chair protests White House Immigration Reform Plan

INQUIRER.net
Last updated 12:58pm (Mla time) 04/17/2007


“Extremely disappointing,” is how NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern describes reported White House plans to eliminate family-based preferences in its immigration reform proposal and denial of the right of immigrants with legalized status in the US to sponsor their relatives to join them.

“By effectively preventing family members from unifying, the Bush
Administration is undermining its own core beliefs about family values. Reunited families are vital to creating strong communities and minimizing social problems,” Kern said.

“We applauded the White House last year for continuing to push for more comprehensive reform. We are alarmed by this proposal, which not only fails to expedite the existing backlog, but charges additional fees.”

Instead, Kern urged passage of a bipartisan comprehensive reform bill introduced recently by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). The Security through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy Act, or “STRIVE” contains provisions that immigrants strongly support.

“Instead of eliminating family-based preferences, this bill would reduce what is now a 23-year backlog to six years, thus speeding up the immigration of adult children who will also contribute to the national economy by bringing their skills and talents to this country,” Kern explains. “In addition, this bill has a provision that would finally unify Filipino World War II veterans and their sons and daughters who have been waiting for many years to join their aging parents.”

Kern notes that Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced measures in the last Congress to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitation on immigrant visas. Akaka, who filed it as an amendment to the Senate’s 2006 immigration reform bill last year, reintroduced it again last month as a separate bill. NaFFAA has since been advocating for this measure.

“We recently met with Sen. Harry Reid who was very receptive to the issue of family reunification,” says NaFFAA national vice chair Rozita Lee in Las Vegas, Nevada. “We are urging all our NaFFAA affiliates to call their representatives and senators to pass the STRIVE Act. We are also calling on President Bush to fulfill his pledge in his state of the nation address last year, when he vowed ‘to show the character of America in our compassion and care for one another.’ We expect him to lead the American people in seeking for more humane immigration reform.”

NaFFAA is among more than a dozen national convenors organizing an Asian Pacific American community meeting in Washington, D.C. on April 30 and May 1. This national mobilization plans to hold community dialogues, legislative visits and a mass rally at the U.S. Capitol.

“The issue of family-based preferences and family reunification are matters of great concern that will most assuredly galvanize our community to vote next year,” Kern asserts. “Filipino Americans want public officials to stand for genuine and comprehensive immigration reform.”

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/n ... e_id=60875

We expect him to lead the American people in seeking for more humane immigration reform.”

You are RIGHT!!

And that would be family reunification in their country of LEGAL ORIGIN.

Can't express how glad I am that you put all of your thoughts into writing!
It truly helps us with our future efforts.

The problem is that there are far too many Filpinos trying to enter the United States. If more of the complainants remained home in the Philippines and tried to help build their country the list and wait would be much shorter. The Philippines would also be a much nicer place to remain from their own perspective.

We recently met with Sen. Harry Reid who was very receptive to the issue of family reunification,” says NaFFAA national vice chair Rozita Lee in Las Vegas, Nevada. “We are urging all our NaFFAA affiliates to call their representatives and senators to pass the STRIVE Act. We are also calling on President Bush to fulfill his pledge in his state of the nation address last year, when he vowed ‘to show the character of America in our compassion and care for one another.’ We expect him to lead the American people in seeking for more humane immigration reform.”

Sorry NO to the STRIVE act and NO to your relativies, you all proliferate to fast for this country , doesn't take much to see that just look at the amount of anchor babies, we can't not afford all of your extended families also.

Since when, and who gave foreign countries the "ok" to butt into our immigration laws?

They need to take care of their own, and keep them there!