Thread: City of Houston discriminating against Katrina evacuees

The City of Houston has 30 legally tolerated day labor pick up points. They are operated under the city's agency. Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Refugees Affairs. The office exists primarily as an avenue for illegal immigrants to access services and funding from the city of Houston. This city agency designates tolerated day labor pick up points which the agency uses to provide a source of income for illegal immigrants. It will be years before the vast majority of illegal alien day laborers could even be legal to work.

There are now close to a hundred thousand Hurricane Katrina evacuees refugees from a catastrophe in Houston. In order to support themselves they need work. Under the voters regulations for the City of Houston they can vote here in 30 days. The Katrina evacuees are being told something by this mayorial administration: Since they are not immigrants they should not be able to access the day labor pick up points as a means of income. Time to organize to vote the bastards out.

Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MOIRA) Home Page



A Division of the Mayor's Office
Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
Contact Benito Juarez
Community Involvement Coordinator
900 Bagby, #011
Houston, TX 77002
PHONE: 713.437.6968
FAX: 713.247.2710

Hurricane Katrina Emergency Contacts (.doc)

MOIRA Conference and Town Hall Meeting Resource Materials and Resource Guide, June 25, 2005

"Immigrants & Refugees: Seeking Rights, Seeking Services, Seeking a Future" -- Includes MOIRA Updated Resource Guide 2005 and Resource Materials of the 2005 Conference and Town Hall Meeting.

Roundtable Discussion Recommendations from 6.26.2004 Mexican Immigrants in Houston and Issues of Concern (.pdf file)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MOIRA

Former Mayor Lee P. Brown made a public announcement on May 19, 2001 to establish the Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MOIRA). MOIRA is the first of its kind in the city's history and is dedicated to facilitate a smoother transition for immigrant and refugee communities living in the city of Houston. <font color="red">The policy of MOIRA is to encourage access by all persons residing in the city of Houston, regardless of nation of birth or current citizenship status, to the full benefits, opportunities, and services which are provided and administered by the city of Houston. What this means is that Mayor Brown enabled the city funds to be spent on illegal aliens. Citizens and legal immgrants already had legal access to services legally.</font>

a. Services on Immigration Assistance:
1. Advise the Mayor on immigration issues.
2. Analyze federal and state legislation affecting immigrants.
3. Inform and educate the public about immigrant and immigration policies.
4. Act as a liaison between immigrant communities and city government.
5. Advocate on behalf of constituents.
6. Publish user friendly and multi-lingual literature to assist immigrants.

b. Citizenship Program
Providing assistance in finding appropriate venues for citizenship ceremonies.
Participating in citizenship ceremonies.
Providing assistance with information/curriculum development for citizenship classes.
Encourage new citizens to participate in civic duties.
Provide new citizens with information on how to register to vote.

c. Policy Issues
MOIRA encourage community-based organizations to participate in Houston's political, economic, social and cultural life, in order to create a productive, cooperative and prosperous environment for all Houstonians.

MAYORAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS (MACIRA)
Former Mayor Lee. P. Brown also established the Mayoral Advisory on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MACIRA). MACIRA's purpose is to assist MOIRA and the Mayor in formulating and implementing programs, services, policies and legislation that promote nonbiased and nondiscriminatory practices in the delivery of services and benefits for immigrants and refugees.

The members of MACIRA are appointed to:

Act as a liaison between individual groups and organizations of its community to interpret need, provide vital input, and seek their representation at all levels of city government.

To conduct monitoring and advocacy efforts on an ongoing basis, gather and analyze data to identify areas, opportunities and benefits within city government not ordinarily accessed by immigrants.

To enhance and provide support services to immigrants to facilitate the naturalization process, by working closely with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

To assist, organize and/or support citizenship workshops, voter registration, and other efforts that are aimed at promoting civic participation of immigrant and refugees.

The Advisory Committee has 25 members representing different sectors of the community including a representative from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and Council Member Gordon Quan; both ex-officio members.

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My two cents about hese "Day Care Centers" that have been built for illegal aliens to find work....

If they were built was tax payer dollars...American works should be able to use those centers as well. To be "only for illegals." should be discrimination against USA citizens who's taxes paid for
these centers in the first place.

I say that USA citizens ought to file discrimination charges.... just keep filing court cases. Appeal it all the way to the Supreme Court.
USA Citizens without work ought to overwhelm the city by overloading the center as follows...

citizens should go to the centers in hordes squatting in the work center also. If thet are not found work or turned away...file a discrimination suit.

Citizens from all over the country overload the center resources. Pack in there like sardines, and then file law suits against the city when you get sick.

Bring handicap people and file suits for lack of handicap facilities. Bring blind people there and file suits for lack of resources for blind. Bring deaf mutes there and files suits for lack of resources for the deaf... etc...on and on

Just keep overloading any city that wants to spend their taxes to provide work centers for illegals. They can not refuse any person!

After all Americans are being discriminated against, and systematiclly destroyed financially. At least if we are to die as a Nation...we should at least die fighting for our legal rights.

If this isn't a crying shame, I don't know what is.

I think I'm gonna HURL! g