Thread: WARNING Sunday there will be rallies in 60 cities in support of immigration reform

On Sunday, Catholic churches across the country will ask their congregations to call on Congress to support a path to citizenship. There will also be rallies in some 60 cities across the United States in support of comprehensive immigration reform, calling it a "national day for dignity and respect."

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http://www.kiiitv.com/story/23364448/local-dream-act-supporters-protest-at-congressmans-office

THIS ARTICLE SAYS IT'S NEXT MONTH, NOT THIS MONTH?

Immigration Reform 2013: Advocates Of Path To Citizenship Plan 60-City Rally For October 5

By David Iaconangelo, Sep 06, 2013 11:01 AM EDT




A coalition of immigrant-advocate, labor and faith-based groups announced on Thursday rallies to be held on October 5 in some 60 cities across the United States in support of comprehensive immigration reform which offers a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. On the "National Day for Dignity & Respect", as organizers are calling the day of the rallies, protesters will call for immigration reform which "ends deportations and wasteful spending on border militarization and push forward for a path to citizenship for 11 million aspiring citizens that keeps families together and protects workers' rights".
Speaking from the steps of City Hall in New York, group leaders said they intended to keep pressure on House's Republican majority, which has showed itself loathe to consider legislation which would extend eventual citizenship to those in the country illegally. They added that they hoped to build on what they saw as a successful August Congressional recess, during which pro-citizenship activists appeared to outnumber those who see a path to citizenship as amnesty and seek to shift the focus of the debate to border security.
"The August recess made absolutely clear Americans want immigration reform with a path to citizenship," saidGrace Shim, executive director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action. "If Speaker John Boehner and the rest of Congress continue to delay a vote on citizenship when they return to work, New Yorkers are ready to take to the streets with the rest of the nation on October 5 to demand dignity and respect for our immigrant communities." House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has refused to introduce the Senate's comprehensive immigration bill for consideration, saying it does not have the support of most members of the Republican majority.
The House has so far gone about crafting its own single-issue bills on immigration, most of which reflect conservative priorities. Before the August recess began, the House Judiciary Committee was also working on the "Kids Act", a bill which would offer legal status - but not a path to citizenship - for young undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Immigrant advocates protest that this would break apart families.
"While members of Congress got to go home to their families for the August congressional recess, eleven million undocumented immigrants were not as lucky to reunite with theirs," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. "While the Senate did its job, the House is failing to make a good faith effort to negotiate on fair and comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship. Now that Congress is preparing to return to business in DC, New Yorkers must send a message: We are tired of waiting. Now is the time to pass sensible comprehensive immigration reform."

http://www.latintimes.com/articles/8086/20130906/immigration-reform-2013-path-citizenship-rally-october.htm#.Uip1DJjn9jo

September 6, 2013

Demographics play role in Catholic leaders’ push for immigration bill



By Michael Lipka and Jessica Martinez


American Catholic leaders have pledged to “pull out all the stops” in expressing support of a proposed overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, according to Kevin Appleby, director of migration policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As one part of the drive, Catholic bishops and priests in major dioceses plan to preach this Sunday in favor of immigration policy changes.
The measure, which includes the possibility of citizenship for some unauthorized immigrants, has passed the Senate and has President Barack Obama’s support, but it remains stuck in the House.
Catholic leaders say the Bible’s teachings on social justice are behind their stance on immigration reform, but they also acknowledged to The New York Times that demographics are a factor. About six-in-ten U.S. Hispanics (58%) are Catholic, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey. By contrast, about a fifth of the general public is Catholic (22%).
Most American Catholics (73%) say that there should be a way for people in the U.S. illegally – and who meet certain requirements – to stay in the country legally, according to a March 2013 Pew Research poll. That’s similar to the share of the general public that holds this view (71%). Majorities of white evangelical Protestants (62%), white mainline Protestants (65%) and black Protestants (84%) also agree that it should be possible for unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country legally.
But the U.S. public is more closely divided on the broader question of whether “immigrants strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents” or “are a burden on society because they take our jobs, housing and health care.” Among the general public, 48% say immigrants strengthen the country and 39% say they are a burden, according to aggregated Pew Research polling data from 2012 and 2013.
At first glance, it appears that there are significant differences of opinion among religious groups on this question. However, these apparent differences are largely the result of underlying differences between religious groups in race, ethnicity, political ideology and party identification. After accounting for these factors, the independent impact of religion is minimal.
For example, while Catholics are more likely than Protestants to say that immigrants strengthen society (53% vs. 42%), much of this difference can be attributed to the larger share of Catholics who are Hispanic. About a third of U.S. Catholics (32%) are Hispanic, compared with just 7% of Protestants.
Hispanic Catholics – a majority of whom are, themselves, foreign-born – are much more likely to say immigrants strengthen the country (73%) than to say immigrants are a burden (16%), much like Hispanics overall (72% vs. 18%). By comparison, white non-Hispanic Catholics are divided on this question (44% vs. 44%), similar to whites overall (42% vs. 45%).
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/06/demographics-play-role-in-catholic-leaders-push-for-immigration-bill/

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