Thread: New England groups pushing US immigration reform

New England groups pushing US immigration reform
By Russell Contreras
Associated Press Writer / June 1, 2009

BOSTON—A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups in New England is joining a national effort to push federal immigration reform and said Monday it will work to convince Congress to pass legislation this fall.

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At a press conference at Boston's City Hall, Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition executive director Eva Millona said the coalition will meet with other immigrant advocacy groups in Washington, D.C., this week and plans to meet with Vice President Joe Biden.

"The time is now to do the right thing and fight for practical solutions that benefits all of us," said Millona, who estimates that there are around 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

The coalition stopped short of endorsing any specific legislation or proposals. Instead, the group opted only to support "principals," like seeking some pathway to allow illegal immigrants to work and reunite family members with those who have been deported.

Alejandro Urrutia, president of Vision Hispana in Manchester, N.H., said without comprehensive immigration reform Latinos will continue to face discrimination in parts of New England, which has seen its Latino population jump in recent years.

For example, Urrutia said, Latino immigrants feel they are being targeted by police in various New Hampshire cities, making it more difficult for them to report crimes.

"This is morally wrong," Urrutia said. "We need to educate our law enforcement authorities."

Currently, there is no comprehensive immigration bill moving through Congress, although there are several bills dealing with various aspects of the issue. President Barack Obama, in his 2010 budget proposal, plans to ask Congress to provide $27 billion to beef up border enforcement and security.

Congress has failed to pass immigration reform bills in each of the past three years. Opponents were able to defeat the three measures with an insistence on "border security first."

But Open American Foundation executive director Bob Hildreth said now immigrant advocacy groups are better organized and have tested a response system that can send 36,000 e-mails in one hour.

"Two years ago, we weren't ready," Hildreth said. "Now, we have the money and we are ready."

www.boston.com

Just posted to the source link:

"The time is now to do the right thing and fight for practical solutions that benefits all of us," said Millona, who estimates that there are around 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

What he fails to say is that without Amnesty the Illegal Aliens will not be able to receive all the welfare benefits they'll need to survive this depression. They might have to GO HOME!