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“Raising Immigrant Voices for Dignity & Justice”
2005 National Immigrant Community Consultation for Immigration Reform and Human Rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 11, 2005
For more information:
Chris Punongbayan, 510-465-9876 x304, 310-985-0577 (cell)
Carlos Marentes, 206-324-6044
Nationwide Survey on Immigration Reform
Immigrant Communities Raise Voices on Concerns and Values
More than sixty organizations are organizing immigrant community discussions and polling as part of a nationwide initiative to project the pulse of diverse immigrant communities in the current debate over immigration.
“Raising Immigrant Voices for Dignity and Justice: 2005 National Consultation for Immigration Reform and Human Rights” is being coordinated by an alliance of groups that had met in Arizona earlier this year to assess the political landscape for immigration reform. Responding to a call to put a spotlight on immigrant voices, organizations from more than a dozen states have pledged to conduct a community survey on critical issues, including legalization for undocumented immigrants, proposals for “guestworker” programs, detention and deportation programs, human rights, and other issues.
An initial report on the community dialogues and survey will be issued on April 21, with the consultations continuing through the summer. Community organizations have further pledged to bring their consultation results to congressional members during their visits in their home districts during the spring.
The Bush Administration and congressional members from both the Republican and Democratic parties have promised to bring immigration reform proposals to Congress for consideration. The Bush administration has centered its promise on a guestworker program that immigrant rights proponents have criticized as no more than a program of “indentured servitude” for farmworkers. Democrats and some Republicans are working on proposals that would offer some form of “legalization” for undocumented immigrants meeting certain criteria. Many other immigration concerns also remain, including the substantial backlog of immigration visa applications and detention and deportation issues stemming from a backlash against immigrants following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
In Arizona, community groups participating in the Raising Voices initiative are also dealing with the potential danger posed by the presence of Minutemen volunteers patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border region against undocumented immigrants. Some of the volunteers will be armed, and immigrant community members fear that “vigilante justice” will result in harassment, abuse or violence against anyone who appears “foreign”.
Participating Groups and Cities (partial list):
Alianza de la Comunidad, Napa, CA
American Friends Service Committee - Florida, Miami, FL
American Friends Service Committee - Project Voice, Philadelphia, CA
American Muslim Voice, Palo Alto, CA
Amherst Progressive Muslims
Association for Residency and Citizenship of America, Houston, TX
Bay Area Immigrants Rights Coalition, Oakland, CA
Border Action Network, Tucson, AZ
Border Agricultural Workers Project, El Paso, TX
California Partnership, Oakland, CA
CARECEN , Los Angeles, CA
Center for Immigrant Families, New York, NY
Center for New Community , Chicago, IL
Coalicion de Derechos Hermanos/Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, Tucson, AZ
Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Colonias Development Council, Lax Cruces, NM
Comite de Padres Unidos, San Francisco, CA
Comite Pro-Amnistia General y Justicia Social, Seattle, WA
Companeros, Durango, CO
Desis Rising Up and Moving, Jackson Heights, NY
El Centro, Kansas City, KS
Employee Rights Center, San Diego, CA
Families for Freedom, New York, NY
Farmworker Association of Florida Inc, Apopka, FL
Filipino Civil Rights Advocates, Oakland, CA
Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Oakland, CA
Group Against Torture in Sudan
Homies Unidos, Los Angeles, CA
House of David, Houston, TX
Houston Dominican Sisters Office Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation, Houston, TX
Immigrant Legal Resource Center, San Francisco, CA
Inmigrantes Latinos En Accion, Austin, TX
Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California, Los Angeles, CA
Interfaith Coalition For Immigrant Rights, San Francisco, CA
Iowa Immigrant Voices Project, Des Moines, IA
Johnson County Immigrant Rights Coalition, Olathe, KS
JUNTOS, Philadelphia, PA
La Raza Centro Legal/SF Day Labor Program, San Francisco, CA
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Watertown, MA
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Houston, TX
Latino Health and Community Service, South Portland, ME
Latino Union of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Legal Services of Northern California, Sacramento, CA
Lideres Campesinas, Pomona, CA
Love Sees No Borders, Sunnyvale, CA
Mexicans Sin Fronteras de la Region Washington Virginia Baltimore
Mexico Solidarity Network
Mujeres Unidas y Activas, San Francisco, CA
National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, Washington , D.C.
National Day Laborer Organizing Network
National Employment Law Project, Olympia, WA
National Immigration Law Center, Los Angeles, CA
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Oakland, CA
Puerta Del Sur, Houston, TX
Rockland Immigration Coalition, New City, NY
Services Immigrant Rights & Education Network, San Jose, CA
South Asian American Leaders for Tomorrow, New York, NY
Southwest Workers Union, San Antonio, TX
Union de Exbraceros e Inmigrantes del Valle de San Joaquin, Fresno, CA
Unite For Dignity, Miami, FL
Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee, WI
Voluntarios de la Comunidad, San Jose, CA
Westchester Hispanic Coalition, White Plains, NY
Women in Black Stevens County, Kettle Falls, WA
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