June 8, 2009
American Friends Service Committee, OneWorld US, Center for American Progress, Reform Immigration FOR America, Services Employees International Union, Roll Call

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WASHINGTON, Jun 8 (OneWorld.net) - A broad coalition of groups has launched a nationwide campaign to hold President Barack Obama to his pledge to pass comprehensive immigration reform, believing they can see legislation passed by the end of the year.

What's the Story?

Immigration Protest in California © Poppyseed Bandits (flickr)"This launch marks the beginning of an historic campaign to achieve immigration reform that is long overdue and desperately needed if we are going to rebuild our economy and make sure the American Dream is alive for our children and grandchildren," said Eliseo Medina, vice president of the Services Employees International Union SEIU), one of the fastest growing unions in the United States, and a leader of the campaign.

During a week-long series of activities across the country, more than 200 organizations, from labor unions and business coalitions to civil rights and religious groups, showed their commitment to the "Reform Immigration FOR America" campaign, demonstrating the "broad national support for comprehensive immigration reform and a commitment to win the legislative battle expected later in the year," reported SEIU.

Campaign organizers are optimistic about the chances of passing legislation this year, saying recent events have created "a new political reality for immigration reform." They point to unprecedented voter mobilization and turnout in immigrant communities during the November 2008 elections, and polls that consistently show at least 60 percent of Americans supporting comprehensive immigration reform. (See the full statement from SEIU below.)

"Should the vision of the coalition hold sway, the legislation would introduce dramatic changes in U.S. immigration policy," reported New America Media last week. "Key concerns include family reunification, the harshness of enforcement raids, border security, and effective means to address undocumented workers."

The Reform Immigration FOR America campaign believes immigration reform must promote economic opportunity for all low-income Americans, be comprehensive -- not piecemeal -- and include long-term solutions that address the root causes of global migration.

There are an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, explains the Center for American Progress (CAP), a Washington, DC-based think tank that is co-organizing the campaign. Removing millions of immigrants is unrealistic, and immigration reform and economic recovery go hand in hand, argued CAP's John Podesta, speaking at the campaign launch last Wednesday. "Immigrants play an essential role, generating economic activity in local communities, establishing new businesses, offering new products, creating new jobs, and spurring economic growth," Podesta added.

Activism Will Be Key

Podesta and the campaign's other leaders anticipate a tough legislative battle, especially in this difficult economic climate, which may encourage lawmakers to withhold support for what is sure to be a controversial proposal.

To achieve that success, campaign leaders are squarely focused on building popular pressure to generate the 279 key "votes" needed to enact reform: 218 in the House of Representatives, 60 in the Senate, and one signature of the President. In addition to the national events held last week, over 700 advocates from more than 35 states converged on Washington D.C. to participate in meetings, trainings, and town halls, reported CAP.

The campaign will also be employing a national text messaging system to keep advocates and supporters informed and will use online organizing strategies to direct messages from constituents directly to Members of Congress.

Obama Delays Discussion

President Obama's planned meeting today with immigration reform stakeholders has been postponed to Jun. 17 due scheduling conflicts, reports the Capitol Hill news service Roll Call.

"Obama has signaled support for discussions on comprehensive immigration reform this year but not for passing legislation," notes Roll Call, quoting a White House spokesman as saying the meeting is intended only to launch a policy conversation, "with the hope of beginning the debate in earnest later this year."

It is unclear who will be involved in the meeting, but reports indicate Obama seeks to invite a small group of bipartisan lawmakers.

Responding to Years of Increasing Immigration

Estimates of the numbers of immigrants in the United States range from
28.4 to 31.1 million, explains the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a non-profit faith-based group that supports immigrant communities across the United States. Immigration has been rapidly increasing in recent decades and may have doubled since 1970.

"As of 2000, more than half of the foreign-born population in the United States came from Latin America and the Caribbean, including nearly 30 percent from Mexico, 9.9 percent from the Caribbean, and 6.6 percent from South America," notes AFSC. For background on immigration to the United States and U.S. immigration law and policy, visit AFSC's guide to immigration and immigrants' rights.

AFSC's "Immigration Stories" Web page documents how current U.S. policy impacts immigrants' lives and families.

Learn More and Take Action

Global migration today is unique in its feminization, its temporary nature, its poor working conditions, and frequent abuses and violations of human rights. Get all the background and latest news on U.S. and global migration issues as well as personal stories from immigrants to the U.S. from OneWorld.net's Perspectives Magazine: "Migration - How Free Is Our Freedom to Move?"

This special edition was produced in conjunction with the ethnic news network New America Media and the Independent Television Service, whose powerful immigration series "The New Americans" will air in seven parts on PBS channels across the United States starting July 5.

The Reform Immigration FOR America Web site is encouraging individuals and organizations across the United States to join its coalition's efforts.

__________________________________________________ ____________________

Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign Launched to Spearhead National Immigration Reform Effort
From: Services Employees International Union

Published June 3, 2009 1:34 PM

Mark McCullough

"This launch marks the beginning of an historic campaign to achieve immigration reform that is long overdue and desperately needed if we are going to rebuild our economy and make sure the American Dream is alive for our children and grandchildren. America's labor movement stands proudly united with this broad coalition in support of comprehensive reform to fix an immigration system that is so broken it only rewards those that break the law. Through a secure and effective worker authorization mechanism, an independent commission to assess and
manage future flows, improvement of temporary worker programs and other key changes, we can concentrate on stopping drug smugglers, gang members or other threats to our national security instead of arresting nannies, farm workers and gardeners. This week's grassroots summit will remind Congress to remain focused on delivering change that works for our families."
- SEIU Vice President Eliseo Medina

Washington, DC - A national campaign to help President Obama make good on his promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform in 2009 was unveiled at a press conference in Washington today. The event was part of a week-long series of activities across the country to demonstrate broad national support for comprehensive immigration reform and a commitment to win the legislative battle expected later in the year. The campaign announcement comes just days before the President is slated to meet with Congressional leaders at the White House on June 8 to discuss plans to move legislation forward this year.

At today's press conference, leaders of labor unions, business coalitions, civil rights and religious groups, and pro-immigrant advocacy organizations announced the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign. It is an effort to focus the political power of these diverse constituencies and give the American people a way to communicate their broad support for comprehensive immigration reform directly to lawmakers in Washington.

The campaign's organizers pointed to what they described as "a new political reality for immigration reform." With a united labor movement and a President committed to comprehensive reform, unprecedented voter mobilization and turnout in immigrant communities last November, polls that consistently show at least 60% of the American people supporting comprehensive immigration reform, and the impossibility of rounding up and deporting 12,000,000 undocumented immigrants, the campaign's organizers are quite optimistic about the chances for legislative success in 2009.

Furthermore, the campaign announced it was deploying new technologies such as a national text messaging system and various on-line organizing strategies to direct messages from constituents directly to Members of Congress. This is combined with a national campaign staff of organizers and policy experts, as well as the powerful networks of the 200 organizations participating in the campaign.

Ali Noorani, the Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, one of the leaders of the campaign said, "America voted for change and for leaders to tackle and solve tough problems. The broken immigration system is a symbol of how Washington has been avoiding tough problems for too long. It's time for leaders to do what a majority of Americans want done - fix our immigration system."

"For far too long, we have allowed a can't-do minority to block progress and manipulate this issue to tear out country apart, said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and one of the leaders of the campaign. "It is time to say to those blocking the progress America needs on this issue: 'no more.' We need a system that restores dignity and the rule of law, and we have the ability and the opportunity to make that hope a reality."

"The time to act is now," said John Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, a leading progressive
advocacy organization, who spoke at the press conference. "It's our collective challenge and responsibility to develop and advocate for common-sense immigration reform," said Podesta, a former White House Chief of Staff and a co-chair of President Obama's transition team.

"Families are the bedrock of our society, and a system that keeps hard-working, tax-paying, legally present immigrants apart from close family members for years and even decades is bad for America and calls for immediate repair," said Karen K. Narasaki, President and Executive Director of the Asian American Justice Center. "Across the country, momentum is building in the Asian American community for comprehensive immigration reform. Addressing the family immigration backlog and bringing undocumented families out of the shadows are top issues for our community and we're excited to join the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign to get common sense immigration reform passed this year."

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker said at the press conference, "Our nation's broken immigration system isn't working for anybody -- not immigrant workers who are routinely exploited by companies, and not U.S. born workers whose living standards are being undermined by the creation of a new 'underclass.' As a part of broad-based economic recovery, we need a comprehensive solution -- and soon."

"This launch marks the beginning of an historic campaign to achieve immigration reform that is long overdue and desperately needed if we are going to rebuild our economy and make sure the American Dream is alive for our children and grandchildren," said Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who also represented the Change to Win labor federation at the event.

Robert J. Dolibois, Executive Vice President of the American Nursery & Landscape Association represented the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, a coalition of business groups that supports comprehensive reform and have been working with labor unions in the agricultural sector and Members of Congress to pass the AgJOBS bill, which is expected to be a component of comprehensive reform. He said at the press conference, "Opponents of immigration reform somehow think that the mass expulsion of millions of hearts and souls living among us merely seeking to better their lives will somehow make us a better nation. One must wonder how 'biting the proverbial hand that feeds us' is in the national interest."

"At the end of the day this is not a political issue but rather one of a moral and spiritual imperative," said Rev. Sam Rodriguez, Jr., President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, an evangelical leader at the event who represented the faith community, which will play a substantial role in the national campaign. "Every day that passes without comprehensive immigration reform tarnishes the soul of our nation as children are separated from their parents, immigrants hide deeper in the shadows and over 12 million people live in a land without the opportunity of ever experiencing the fullness of life, embracing the hope of liberty or pursuing the promise of happiness."

"Some may ask, why now? Plain and simple, the U.S. immigration system - as it currently exists and operates - no longer works
Fixing it will be a challenge, but action must be taken sooner rather than later. The time is now to do the right thing and fight for practical solutions that benefit all of us and are rooted in the restoration of the rule of law, earned citizenship, united families, and fair treatment of workers," stated Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

Salas' organization led a press conference in Los Angeles on the steps of City Hall on Monday that included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. It was one of more than 40 events in 35 states earlier in the week to launch local entities of the national campaign.

Nationally, more than 200 organizations have signed on to the campaign and a national summit of more than 700 advocates and allies of the campaign is taking place today through Friday at Gallaudet University in Washington. A town hall meeting with Members of Congress - likely to be among those to meet with the President at the White House on Monday - takes place Thursday (9:50 a.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capital Hill). This is followed that day by hundreds of meetings between campaign representatives and Members of Congress. Campaign organizers said the bulk of the week would be spent preparing to take the campaign and its message back to their communities and to make Members of Congress aware of the strong support for comprehensive immigration reform in their states and districts.

OneWorld.net's Perspectives Magazine: "Migration - How Free Is Our Freedom to Move?"


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