Immigrant Justice!

2006-06-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

"DEMOCRACY SUMMER" LAUNCHES THIS WEEKEND

**WE ARE AMERICA ALLIANCE**
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 29, 2006
"DEMOCRACY SUMMER" LAUNCHES THIS WEEKEND
IN CITIES ACROSS COUNTRY
NEW REPORT SHOWS UNTAPPED POWER OF OVER FOURTEEN MILLION POTENTIAL NEW IMMIGRANT VOTERS, IMPACTING KEY ELECTIONS

(Washington, DC) The We Are America Alliance, a nationwide collection of labor, faith, and immigrant rights groups, announced summer plans to dramatically increase the number of registered voters in immigrant and minority communities and the number of citizenship applications from eligible immigrants. Promising a targeted campaign aimed at tight elections, groups calling for comprehensive immigration reform set out plans to make the difference in November.
"The future of immigrant men, women, and children will be at stake this November and we will be concentrating efforts in battleground states to turn out the vote," said Lydia Hernandez of the Arizona Coalition for Migrant Rights.
During the press conference, a new report Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote: The Untapped Power of Over 14 Million Potential New Immigrant Voters was released, illustrating the huge well of untapped immigrant voters who, if properly engaged, could decide the fate of upcoming elections. Using data from the US Census and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the report, among other findings, identifies 14.25 million immigrants and children of immigrants as a potential voting bloc and outlines the eleven presidential swing states in which the number of immigrant voters is greater than the vote differential between Bush and Kerry in 2004.
"The ‘Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote’ chant during the immigrant rights rallies were not empty rhetoric. Given the more than 14 million legal permanent residents and children of immigrants who could be voting in the 2008 presidential elections, these new voters could dramatically worsen the electoral prospects of any elected official who opposes comprehensive immigration reform," said Josh Hoyt, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the report author.
The report also highlights the potential power of citizen children of immigrants and illustrates how the immigration debate in Washington has produced a decisive shift in naturalization efforts. Since passage of HR 4437, the popularly called "Sensenbrenner" bill, interest in naturalization has skyrocketed.
-MORE-
The report shows in 2006, the USCIS hit two important records: A record 6.6 million people went on-line in March to access the naturalization website; May saw twice the number of people as in May 2005 downloading citizenship applications.
"Democracy Summer" aims to tap this well of eligible or soon to be eligible voters through grassroots activism and engagement of immigrant and minority communities. Participants in "Democracy Summer" have identified areas throughout the nation where high concentrations of unregistered Latinos and other minority community members live, and starting July 1, will engage and register those communities. Participants will also help educate new voters about the pending immigration debate affecting their lives.
As Election Day 2006 approaches, participants will shift to on-the-ground "Get Out The Vote" efforts, with the goal of turning out pro-immigrant voters in record numbers. These activities will incorporate those same strengths in immigrant communities, such as media collaboration and the involvement of faith congregations that produced the historic mega-marches this past Spring. Among the We Are America Alliance participants are organizations with extensive GOTV experience targeting diverse immigrant communities and native-born Americans who share core concerns in areas such as employment, education, and housing.
"While our campaign is centrally aimed at registering the deep pool of unregistered Korean voters, we will partner with major Latino and African-American organizations to create an even bigger movement," said Carrie Pugh of NAKASEC.
# # #

For further information, contact:
Germonique Jones, 202-339-9331
Cheryl Aguilar, 202-339-9316 (Spanish)
Kim Propeack, 301-379-7461

2006-05-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Senate’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill:
Highlights and Lowlights

Highlights

The bill recognizes the value of the work of our undocumented population and provides many more legal opportunities for family unification and for immigrants coming here to work.

· Legalization program: An estimated 8 to 8.5 million undocumented immigrants will be able to come out of the shadows and be put on a path to permanent residence.

· AgJOBS included: A million undocumented agricultural workers would be put on a path to permanent residence through provisions targeted to these workers.

· DREAM included: Undocumented immigrant students will be put on a path to citizenship and so will be able to continue on to college along with their classmates.

· Significant increase in family visas: The family-based immigration system will be updated to speed family unification. It is expected to clear the backlog for family unification in approximately six years.

· Significant increase in employment visas: Employment-based visas are more than doubled to more realistically allow immigrants to come legally in the future to work.

· A new temporary worker program: The bill provides temporary visas to allow 200,000 persons to come legally each year and take jobs that are not being filled by American workers. This program includes worker protections, gives workers the ability to change employers, and provides a path to permanent residence for those who want to stay.

(The various legalization provisions and provisions for future flow may apply to the same individuals, so the above numbers cannot be added together, because the total would include some double-counting.)

Lowlights

The bill contains many enforcement provisions that are symbolic, mean-spirited, unworkable, and will do little to make our country secure or our immigration system orderly.

· Some undocumented ineligible for legalization or unlikely to come forward: An estimated 2.5 million to 3 million undocumented immigrants will not be eligible to legalize or may be afraid to come forward because they arrived after the bill’s cutoff date, or because certain provision in the law will make it risky for some undocumented immigrants to reveal themselves.

· Language hurdle to legalization: Undocumented immigrants who are legalizing will have to meet the same requirements for English and Civics knowledge as someone who is applying for citizenship.

· Flooding of FBI lookout list with non-criminal immigrant names: The bill would require that information on immigrants who are confirmed to be out of status be put in the National Crime Information Center database. This database is used by local police to find wanted criminals and the bill will flood the database with hundreds of thousands of names of immigrants who have not committed a criminal act.

· Punishment out of proportion to crime: the bill contains a number of provisions that will trip up immigrants even if they commit only minor offenses and expose them to indefinite detention or permanent exile from their families and adopted country.

· Wall on the border: The bill calls for at least 370 miles of fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.

· Reduced access to justice: A number of provisions in the bill will reduce the ability of immigrants to have their day in court when subject to a bad government decision including arbitrary or indefinite detention.

· Undermine the ability of government agencies to communicate with immigrants: A provision added to the bill making English the national language will make it more difficult for the federal government to effectively communicate critical information ; and

· Undermine Public Safety: Having state and local police enforce complicated immigration laws would discourage immigrants from coming forward to report crimes whether they are the victim or a witness.

· Penalize legalizing immigrants paying back taxes: A last-minute amendment to the bill creates significant hardship for many legalizing immigrants by denying them access to a number of tax credits -- including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) -- for the years prior to 2006. Immigrants who have to pay past tax obligations as part of the legalization process could face prohibitively high tax payments, potentially putting legalization out of their reach.

2006-05-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Senate OKs Immigration Bill 62 to 36

By Joel Havemann, Times Staff Writer
4:07 PM PDT, May 25, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The Senate, closing one round of acrimonious debate but setting the stage for another, passed legislation today that would both tighten the borders to new immigrants and provide procedures for the 12 million foreigners already living in this country illegally to gain legal status.

The bill would also authorize a guest worker program by which foreigners could work temporarily in this country.

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The vote was 62 to 36.

The bill now goes to a committee of House and Senate members, who will try to forge a compromise between the Senate legislation and a much more punitive bill approved by the House in December.

The task may prove impossible. House Speaker Dennis J. Hastert (R-Ill.) said this week that he would not schedule a compromise bill for floor action unless it commanded the support of a majority of the House's Republican majority.

"If Speaker Hastert insists on the 'majority of the majority,' "Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)said this week, then immigration reform is dead.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a leader of House conservatives as head of the 100-plus Republican Study Committee, criticized the Senate bill for providing amnesty to large numbers of people who had broken the law.

"This does not mean, however, that we cannot work together to find a solution to the problem of illegal immigration," Pence said. "The real rational middle ground can be found in a bill that is tough on border security, employer enforcement, and contains a no-amnesty guest worker program run by the private sector."

The House bill triggered massive protest demonstrations in Los Angeles and other cities this spring by a population that had been largely politically inactive.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the Senate had passed "good, comprehensive immigration reform legislation…. It deals with security, by providing new agents and new resources to secure our porous borders. It deals with employers who break the law, by making sure employee sanctions are tough and real — a big difference from the last five years."

And for foreigners in this country illegally, he said, the bill puts them on the road to legal status if they pay a fine and learn English.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a leader of the opposition, said the bill's provisions to beef up border controls and provide tougher sanctions against employers of illegal immigrants were insufficient. "The border is not secured by this bill," he said.

And as for foreigners already here illegally, Sessions complained, "A vast majority of the illegal alien population will be given every benefit our nation can bestow on its citizens, including participation in the Social Security System, based on their illegal work histories."

The bill would authorize future legal immigration levels of three to five times current rates, he said.

"This bill is a huge, monumental budget buster," Sessions said, citing a Congressional Budget Office report that the costs would approach $120 billion over the first 10 years.

Like Sessions, House Republicans have resisted White House efforts to push them beyond their "enforcement only" approach to immigration reform.

"The basic difference of opinion that we have seen on this issue between the House and Senate and the White House is real, it is honest, and it was exhibited at this meeting," House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said.

Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, a Republican supporter of the bill, said the value of the bill was that it included the dispatch of National Guard troops to the southern border and the construction of hundreds of miles of fence along between the U.S. and Mexico.

"By securing the border, discouraging the hiring of illegal immigrants and addressing the illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S., this bill implements a comprehensive response to solve our nation's illegal immigration woes," Coleman said.

Speaking for the Bush administration, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, himself an immigrant from Cuba, applauded the Senate vote.

"Comprehensive immigration reform must secure our borders, toughen interior enforcement, create a temporary worker program, and provide employers with tamper-resistant identification cards that will help them determine the legal status of their employees," Gutierrez said. "I urge the House and Senate conferees to work in good faith to work out the differences in legislation."

2006-05-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

What is in the new Immigration Bill? Below is a summary of ammendments considered and voted on. The Senate Bill is now completed, click this link later for a more updated list. We will put it up as soon as it becomes available.

LIST OF AMENDMENTS
5/23/2006, 7:10pm EST (PARTIAL)

Questions or Corrections? Contact Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia (ssivaprasad@immigrationforum.org)

Action Taken

1. Isakson Enforcement Only- mandates an “enforcement only” approach by delaying the implementation of a legalization program until the borders are secure- VOTED DOWN 55-40

2. Salazar Side by Side (to Isakson)- provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security must certify that the land borders are secure and that enforcement authorizations are met and operational before a program to legalize unauthorized aliens can come into effect. PASSED 79-16.

3. Dorgan-Stabenow Elimination of Temporary Worker Program: MOTION TO TABLE PASSED 69-28 (which means the amendment is dead)

4. Bingaman-Feinstein Reduction of Temporary Worker Visas: Lowers the number of temporary workers authorized for “essential” jobs to 200,000, and eliminates the market-based cap adjustment in the Senate bill. MOTION TO TABLE REJECTED 18-79. ADOPTED BY VOICE VOTE.

5. Kerry Increased Border Equipment: Amendment to increase border security and related equipment. ADOPTED BY VOICE VOTE.

6. Kyl-Cornyn Bars to Participation: would make the following aliens ineligible: (a) subject to final orders, (b) failure to depart under VD, (c) been convicted of a serious crime here or believed to have committed serious crime abroad, danger to national security, etc., and (d) 3 misdemeanors or 1 felony. Includes a limited discretionary waiver. PASSED 99-0

7. Obama-Feinstein-Bingaman Guestworker Proposal on Prevailing Wage and Protecting Unemployed Americans: would establish a prevailing wage for all occupations ...directs the employer to use Department of Labor data for calculating a prevailing wage in cases where neither a collective bargaining agreement exists nor the Service Contract Act governs. …The bill currently bars use of the program if unemployment rates for low-skilled workers in a metropolitan area average more than 11%. Obama amendment lowers that to 9% of workers unemployed with a high school diploma or less. ACCEPTED ON VOICE VOTE

8. Sessions – Fence- Border Fence- PASSED 83-16

9. Stevens amendment extending the deadline given to the Secretary of Homeland Security for the implementation of a new travel document plan for border crossings to June 1, 2009.PASSED BY VOICE VOTE

10. Santorum – to allow additional countries to participate in the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act if they meet certain criteria. PASSED BY VOICE VOTE

11. Vitter-Grassley: Strike Earned Legalization and AgJOBS: This amendment strips the heart of this bill's provisions that deal with undocumented immigrants. It strikes the bipartisan compromise proposal to legalize millions of undocumented workers. It also strikes the AgJOBS legislation that so many members of Congress from both sides of aisle, support. In short, it guts real immigration reform. - VOTED DOWN 66-33

12. Kyl-Cornyn: Strike Self Petition: This amendment would prevent temporary workers from petitioning for legal permanent residency on their own. Right now, the Senate compromise allows H-2C temporary workers to apply for a green card if their work is needed long-term. Access to legal permanent residency—independent of an employer—is a key labor protection for these workers. PASSED 50-48

13. Kennedy-McCain-Graham Side by Side to Cornyn Amendment Striking Self-Petition: This amendment would restore some options for temporary workers to self petition for lawful permanent resident status. PASSED 56-43

14. Ensign Social Security: This amendment is designed to prevent lawfully present immigrant workers from claiming Social Security based on earnings credited before they were authorized to work in the United States. Taking benefits away from workers who pay into the system is unfair and un-American. MOTION TO TABLE AGREED TO 50-49

15. Inhofe-Sessions English Language and Naturalization Requirements: OPPOSE. This amendment is unnecessary and divisive. Immigrants want to learn English, and Congress should create more opportunities for them to take English classes rather than impose English-only requirements and make the bar for citizenship even higher. PASSED 63-34

16. Kyl-Cornyn: Strike Path to Green Card for Temporary Workers: This amendment strips any opportunity for a temporary worker to adjust to a permanent residence. Many jobs may become permanent, and employers may want workers to stay permanently. Workers may decide to remain in the U.S. permanently. This bill does not provide them with that choice. Rather, it creates an underclass of temporary workers that can not become full participating members in U.S. society. We must provide temporary workers with the opportunity to obtain permanent legal status. MOTION TO TABLE PASSED 58-35

17. Clinton Amendment- To establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to States and local governments for the costs of providing health care and educational services to noncitizens, and to provide additional funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. REJECTED 43-52

18. Cornyn Amendment- would require aliens seeking adjustment of status under section 245B of the Immigration and Nationality Act or Deferred Mandatory Departure status under section 245C of such Act to pay a supplemental application fee, which shall be used to provide financial assistance to States for health and educational services for noncitizens. PASSED 64-32

19. Vitter Document Requirements– would modify the document requirements for showing employment eligibility under earned legalization; would strike the “intent of Congress” clause that takes into account the difficulty in obtaining and providing documents - PASSED ON VOICE VOTE

20. Nelson Detention- Increase in Bedspace- PASSED ON VOICE VOTE

21. Akaka – Veteran Related Amendment – would exempt certain children of Filipino WW II veterans from the family cap- PASSED ON VOICE VOTE

22. Chambliss Amendment to the AgJOBS Farmworker Immigration Compromise- would lower the wages of agriculture workers and undercut the AgJOBS compromise. MOTIONT TO TABLE PASSED 50-43

23. Senator Ensign – would authorize the use of the National Guard to secure the southern border of the United States. PASSED 83-10.

24. Feinstein Orange card program: legalization program that applies uniformly eligible applicants. REJECTED 37-61

25. Leahy-Coleman Material Support: This amendment creates a limited exception to the terrorist related grounds of inadmissibility for aliens who provide involuntary material support. MOTION TO TABLE PASSED 79-20

26. Grassley Title III- PASSED 58-40

27. Kennedy- Enhanced Labor Laws—MOTION TO TABLE PASSED 56-41

28. Durbin Amendment on Humanitarian Waiver – Provides a limited humanitarian waiver for some immigrants who are subject to deportation under the new penalties in Title II of the bill. Lessons from 1996 teach us that creating broad new immigration penalties without any discretion to consider the facts of particular cases hurts well-intentioned immigrants, and leads to permanent separation from their families. The waiver would not be automatic, but instead provide the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security with the discretion to waive deportation for those with compelling equities. Specifically, the immigrant would have to show that his lawful permanent resident or U.S. citizen spouse, child or parent would face “extreme hardship” if he were deported. MOTION TO TABLE PASSED 63-34.

29. Lieberman – Asylum --protects certain vulnerable populations from prosecution under new document fraud provisions. PENDING

Lined Up for Consideration

1. Gregg - would require that aliens with higher educational degrees receive the majority of the diversity visas

2. Hutchison: SAFE Visa Program: This amendment creates a new temporary work visa (SAFE visa) without any path to permanent residency. Also has a return requirement.

3. Burns

4. Chambliss – modifications to AgJOBS program

5. Sessions - denying immigrants access to the Earned Income Tax Credit

6. Feingold- strikes the provision that would virtually eliminate the ability for immigrants to obtain a stay of removal while their cases are pending in federal court

7. McConnell amendment --would require, by January 1, 2008, that voters at polling places show federally-mandated photo identification, pursuant to the “REAL ID Act of 2005”

8. Cornyn-Kyl: Strike Confidentiality Provisions: This amendment strikes provisions that would preserve the confidentiality of information furnished by applicants for legalization. This will serve as a disincentive for undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows.
Other Democratic or Bipartisan Amendments that May Come Up (Random Order)
1. Brownback-Lieberman: Restore Protections for Asylum Seekers and Detention: This amendment would provide important protections for asylum seekers and help to ensure an effective and humane system of immigration detention.

2. Biden – ensures that victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable populations are still given access to removal relief under cancellation, etc.

3. Kerry Unchecked Power Amendment: Would strike or amend various provisions in Title II of the Judiciary bill regarding detention, deportation, and naturalization of immigrants in order to protect against the concentration of unchecked powers in the hands of unaccountable executive branch employees. For example, it would prevent the use of secret evidence in determining whether a person has “good moral character” for immigration or naturalization purposes.

4. Document Fraud Exemption: The bill contains internally inconsistent “document fraud” penalties that have the potential to destroy the very foundation of the new structure. The compromise applies these new penalties to conduct following enactment and could impact (unintentionally) those who use a false document or omit or make a false statement in an I-9 form in order to work after enactment. This could cover individuals who presented the false document or made the false statement to gain employment prior to enactment and who continued to work pursuant to such false statement or document post-enactment. We need a special rule for individuals eligible to apply for relief under this Act.

5. Improvements to the DMD program for undocumented immigrants with less than five years in the U.S.

6. Title III substitute

7. NCIC provisions elimination (Lieberman): Strikes the provision in the bill that would mandate DHS to input immigration information into the NCIC. ICE opposes this provision.

8. Strike “continuing offense” language in criminalization provision/EWIs (Durbin) would delete a backdoor criminalization provision. It amends a provision in the Judiciary bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for the crime of entry without inspection. Under current law, entry without inspection is subject to a 5-year statute of limitations.

9. Leahy Injunctions: Deletes severe limitations on court relief for constitutional or immigration law violations.

10. DOL enforcement

11. Advertisements with inclusion of health insurance benefits

12. Altering definition of individual contractor

13. Labor laws applied in Mariana Islands

14. Obama amendment would authorize a small amount of money to the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background and security checks conducted on behalf of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Other Republican Amendments that May Come Up (Random Order)

Note, some of these descriptions came from the Republican Policy Committee, so we encourage you to read the amendments on Thomas (search on S. 2611 and go to bill status/amendments).

1. Senator Burns - This amendment would prohibit the counting of illegal aliens for reapportionment purposes.

2. Senator Grassley - This amendment would require that unauthorized aliens pay all back taxes before legalization (Note: S. 2611 only requires that Group 1 aliens pay taxes for 3 of the 5 years that they were a resident in the United States).

3. Senator Santorum - This amendment would provide that to obtain a visa under the H-1B visa cap, a foreign professor who intends to teach at an American university must speak understandable English.

4. Senator Sessions - This amendment would clarify that unauthorized aliens who are legalized are prohibited from public benefits.

2006-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

Challengers confront sheriff on immigrants

SCOTT HADLY, NEWS-PRESS SENIOR WRITER

May 18, 2006 12:00 AM

At a candidates forum on Wednesday, Sheriff Jim Anderson said his three opponents had twisted comments he made late last month about giving local law enforcement agencies more powers to enforce immigration laws.

"Well, as sheriff you voted me in to enforce the law," Sheriff Anderson said to about 30 people at a Vandenberg Village forum sponsored by the Committee to Improve North County. "People who come here illegally are breaking the law."

The sheriff said he was not interested in his deputies rounding up undocumented immigrants.

He said he made the remarks in the context of a post-Sept. 11 world and wanted his deputies to have more power to enforce immigration law against known felons or potential terrorists.

"We don't know who's coming into our country and who poses a risk," he said Wednesday.

But his three challengers, former Sheriff Jim Thomas, sheriff's Lt. Butch Arnoldi and Lompoc Police Chief Bill Brown, said his comments risked shattering trust between law enforcement and the immigrant community.

Immigration was just one of many of the issues covered during the lunchtime forum, as the candidates sparred with each other about jail overcrowding, how to attract and keep deputies, and crime and drug use among the county's youth.

In his comments on immigration, Chief Brown was probably the most pointed.

"This has nothing to do with border security or terrorism," Chief Brown said. "I believe (Sheriff Anderson) raised this issue in a reckless fashion, because a poll had been done."

He said by raising the possibility that local law enforcement might start to arrest undocumented immigrants, those people would be less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police.

Referring to the case of serial murderer Richard Ramirez -- dubbed the Night Stalker for the 13 murders he was convicted of committing during the summer of 1985 -- Chief Brown said Mr. Ramirez was ultimately caught by two undocumented immigrants, who also testified against him.

"What's the likelihood that they would have done that if they were afraid that they were going to be arrested for being here illegally?" Chief Brown asked.

Lt. Arnoldi, whose grandparents emigrated from Italy, said border enforcement is the job of the federal government and that as far as he knew, there were no terrorist threats coming out of Mexico.

Mr. Thomas added that rounding up undocumented workers could exacerbate the jail overcrowding problem.

At the forum, Sheriff Anderson said he first raised the immigration issue after being asked what important issues were not being raised by the other candidates.

"But my opponents twisted what I said to suit their needs," he said.

Paired with an opinion piece he wrote that appeared in Wednesday's Santa Maria Times, Sheriff Anderson offered his fullest explanation of his ideas on handling illegal immigration at the local level.

Currently, it is not a crime to be here without documentation -- so-called "unlawful presence" in the U.S. is a civil violation of immigration law. But it is a federal misdemeanor to cross the border without authorization. About 12 percent of the inmates in the County Jail are undocumented immigrants.

A poll conducted by an Anderson campaign consultant after the sheriff made his comments found that a majority of voters in the county favored tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

2006-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Please Contact your Senators Today Regarding S. 2611, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006

TAKE ACTION TODAY AND Click these user friendly links:

Please call your Senators regarding S. 2611.

http://capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/callalert/index.tt?alertid=8767406&type=CO

Please write your Senators regarding S. 2611.

http://capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=8766961&type=CO

This week, the U.S. Senate is considering S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) of 2006. A final bill is expected to be voted by the Senate by May 26^th. The legislation represents a positive step forward in enacting a comprehensive immigration reform bill before the end of the year. Over the next two weeks, the Senate is considering amendments to the legislation, both amendments which would improve the bill and those which would cause more harm to immigrants and refugees. It is important that the PUEBLO network weigh in on this important issue at such a critical juncture.

CIRA contains many positive provisions, including a legalization program which includes a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons; family unity provisions; and a temporary worker program. However, it also contains overly punitive enforcement provisions. Moreover, it contains provisions which could preclude some of the undocumented population from qualifying for the legalization program. It is important that our elected officials receive the appropriate messages regarding this legislation. They include the following:

Legalization provisions: We support the provisions which provide a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons and the provisions in Titles IV (temporary worker program) and V (family-based immigration). However, we support changes in the bill to allow the maximum number of undocumented persons to qualify for a path to citizenship. These would include:

Restoration of protections for those persons who have resided in the country for 2-5 years and who would be required to go home prior to applying for a green card, including restoration of confidentiality in the process; a right to appeal adverse decisions; no waiver of rights, and an extension of the application deadline.

Creation of a realistic opportunity for those here 0-2 years to participate in the program, who under the bill must return home and apply through the temporary worker program, which could take years.

Removal of provisions which would render ineligible any person who commits document fraud or misrepresents fact on a I-9 application. (Undocumented immigrants without legal status often are compelled to misrepresent their status in order to obtain employment)

Enforcement Provisions: We also support amendments to the bill which would remove or ameliorate harsh enforcement provisions in Title II, including:

the expansion of the definition of an aggravated felony;

increased use of indiscriminate mandatory and indefinite detention;

removal of protections for asylum-seekers, refugees, and other vulnerable populations;

the authorization of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws;

limits on judicial review.

2006-05-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

Senate guest worker plan survives attack
Boxer, Alabama Republican fail to kill provision, but number of visas is reduced

Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Washington -- Seldom do California's liberal Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Alabama's conservative Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions agree on anything. But they joined Tuesday in a failed attempt to kill the guest worker provision of the Senate's broad overhaul of U.S. immigration law, calling it a threat to U.S. workers.

Their 69-28 defeat -- one of a sequence of amendment battles that backers of the Senate bill won handily -- demonstrated a powerful momentum behind the underlying legislation. Senators on both sides said President Bush's push for the bill in a prime-time speech Monday night, in which he called for National Guard troops at the Mexican border, had aided its prospects.

But even if the Senate bill passes, it faces a difficult future. The House passed a border enforcement bill, and conservative Republicans show little sign of bending to Bush's will on an issue that has riled GOP voters across the country. The bills would have to be merged and House leaders persuaded in an election year to embrace Senate provisions creating a program to allow legal residence and citizenship for illegal immigrants now in the country -- an idea they have rejected repeatedly as tantamount to amnesty.

The emotional Senate debate Tuesday threw a spotlight on the deep fractures the immigration issue opens in both parties, the strange and fragile alliances it forges and the conundrums posed by any attempt to control the flow of human beings over national boundaries.

Those alliances included the call by Boxer and Sessions to kill a proposed guest worker program that would provide temporary visas for future immigrants with jobs in the United States.

"There are 3.6 million workers in construction with an average wage of $18.21," Boxer said. "I meet with my working people in California. They're fighting hard for these jobs, they want more of these jobs, not less of these jobs, and the last thing they want is a guest worker program that is going to provide a big pool of workers who will get far less than this amount and take jobs away from my people."

"There is nothing temporary about this guest worker program," agreed Sessions, saying the bill offers new migrants -- as well as most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country -- a path to citizenship, leading to extraordinary new numbers of blue-collar migrants.

Several senators on both sides of the aisle -- including Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who voted for the immigration bill in the Judiciary Committee -- cited a new analysis released Monday by the conservative Heritage Foundation that predicted far more people immigrating into the country than anticipated as a result of the Senate's legislation.

Feinstein and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., prevailed 79-18 on an amendment to reduce the number of low-skill guest worker visas from 325,000 a year to 200,000 and to remove an automatic escalator that would have increased the low-skill visas by 20 percent each year that the ceiling was reached.

The Heritage analysis added up all the provisions of the 616-page Senate bill and extended them over 20 years, producing a mid-range estimate of more than 100 million new legal immigrants -- a third of the current U.S. population -- if the guest worker programs grow at 10 percent a year and workers bring their families as currently allowed.

"It all adds up to millions and millions of people," Feinstein said.

In addition to a new guest worker program for unskilled immigrants, the overall bill would provide a path to earned citizenship for those immigrants who entered the illegally country before January 2004, toughen border enforcement, impose new sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants, provide a separate program for 1.5 million farm workers and expand visas for high-skilled migrants.

Guest worker provisions include not only the visa program for low-skill workers but also an expansion of H1B visas for high-skill workers, many of whom are employed in Silicon Valley. The H1B visa is the primary U.S. work permit, a nonimmigrant classification used by a foreign worker who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation.

"We did not realize the extent to which large numbers of people are brought in on some of these visas," Feinstein said, noting that the Judiciary Committee took its earlier action under a strict deadline to produce a bill.

Feinstein said she would like to eliminate the 20 percent escalator in the H1B skilled visa category as well.

"It's simply too many," Feinstein said, adding the H1B category -- which has stirred controversy among U.S.-born engineers -- could generate 3.67 million foreign workers over the next 10 years.

The proposed H1B expansion from 65,000 visas to 115,000, with the 20 percent escalator each year the ceiling is breached, is eagerly sought by computer makers who contend that educated foreigners are an asset to the industry and vital to maintaining the U.S. technological lead. It has stirred opposition among native-born engineers who contend that foreign tech workers have undermined salaries and discouraged U.S. children from entering tech fields.

Supporters of the bill, including its chief sponsors Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., countered that the bill contains protections for U.S. workers and immigrants alike, including requirements that employers search for U.S. workers first and pay prevailing wages.

The first critical test vote after Bush's speech came Tuesday when the Senate defeated an amendment by Sen. Johnny Isakson, D-Ga., that would have required the administration to certify that the borders were secure before legal immigration could be expanded. The amendment, which would have brought down the entire bill, lost 40-55 when 17 Republicans joined 38 Democrats to defeat it.

The vote "was a good sign that we've got a majority coalition to hold together on it," said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., a key conservative backer of the legislation. He said Bush's call Monday to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the border helped undermine a key conservative objection.

"A number of people have been calling for National Guard troops on the border for some time," Brownback said. "So he said, fine, he'll do it. I think it helped on that."

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., another chief sponsor, said he was nervous before the vote on Isakson's amendment because it was "the toughest for most people. I think (support) will grow from here."

The Senate, continuing to work through several dozen amendments, is set to vote on passage by Memorial Day.

Some members speculate privately that the difficulty of melding any Senate call for broader legal immigration with the House enforcement crackdown, combined with Bush's political weakness, could delay a conference committee until after the election -- and possibly kill the bill entirely.

Yet the progress of the legislation has been eerily similar to the struggle over the last major immigration overhaul 20 years ago, where a fragile coalition of business and ethnic lobbies cobbled together legislation that skirted defeat several times.

2006-05-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

THEFT IS IMMORAL STOP THE ENSIGN AMENDMENT
CALL Thursday, May 18th!

CALL BETWEEN 9am-5pm
Senator Diane Feinstein
(310) 914-7300

Senator Barbara Boxer
(415) 403-0100

Immigration reform legislation is taking a turn for the worse. The John
Ensign (R-NV) amendment number 3985 is designed to prevent lawfully present
immigrant workers from claiming Social Security based on earnings credited
before they were authorized to work in the United States. This is
fundamentally immoral and un-American.

While other bills will require immigrants on the path to citizenship to pay
back taxes, the Ensign bill will prohibit hard working people from receiving
Social Security benefits - a total of 519 billion dollars! Surely we can
ensure that immigrants who have made enormous financial contributions to the
Social Security system receive the credit that they are due.

It is urgent for lawmakers to unite in opposition to this immoral bill and
stop Senator Ensign from stealing the money of hard working immigrants!
Please call your Senator today:

Senator Diane Feinstein
(310) 914-7300
Senator Barbara Boxer
(415) 403-0100

Suggested text:
Hello, my name is (your NAME) and I am calling from (your CITY, STATE). I
urge you to oppose and vote down the Ensign amendment number 3985. Stealing
money from hard working people is not a solution to our country's broken
immigration system - it is theft and it is immoral. We need realistic,
workable and humane immigration reform legislation that will provide a path
to citizenship for all immigrants, keep families together and protect our
civil rights, liberties and due process.

SPANISH
Llamado a la Accion

El ROBO ES INMORAL
PARE LA ENMIENDA DE ENSIGN

La legislacion de la reforma de la inmigracion empieza a empeorar. La
enmienda # 3985 John Ensign (R-NV) esta disenada para prevenir que
trabajadores indocumentados puedan reclamar el diero que han contribuyido el
Departamento de Seguro Social. Esto es fundamentalmente inmoral..

!Mientras las propuestas de reforma de inmigracion requeriran a inmigrantes
pagar sus impuestos atrasados, la enmienda Ensign prohibira que trabajadores
inmigrantes reciban sus beneficios de Seguridad social - un suma de 519 mil
millones de dolares! Seguramente debemos asegurar que inmigrantes que han
hecho enormes contribuciones financieras al sistema de la Seguridad social
reciban el dinero que les pertenece .
!Es urgente que los legisladores se unan en oposicion a esta enmienda
inmoral y parar que el Senador Ensign se robe el dinero que inmigrantes se
han Ganado con su trabajo duro!

Llame por favor a su Senador hoy:

Llame al 202- 224-3121 para hablar con sus Senadores

Senator Diane Feinstein
(310) 914-7300
Senator Barbara Boxer
(415) 403-0100

El texto sugerido: Hola, mi nombre es (su NOMBRE) y estoy llamando de (su
CIUDAD, el ESTADO). Yo le insto a oponerse y votar en contra de la enmienda
# 3985 del Senador Ensign. Robar dinero de trabajadores inmigrantes no son
una solucion a nuestro sistema de inmigracion- es robo y es inmoral.
Necesitamos una ley de inmigracion justa y humana y que proporcione un
camino a la ciudadania para todos inmigrantes, mantenga familias juntas y
protega nuestros derechos civiles.

John Ensign - (R-NV)
202-224-6244

2006-05-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Senate endorses citizenship plan, calls for border fence

Senators also votes to exclude convicts from immigration plan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate endorsed a chance at citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants Wednesday but also voted to build 370 miles of triple-layered fencing along the Mexican border in increasingly emotional debate over election-year immigration legislation.

Taken together, the votes gave fresh momentum to legislation that closely follows President Bush's call for a major overhaul of the nation's troubled immigration system.

The vote was 66-33 against a proposal that would have removed provisions giving an eventual chance at citizenship to illegal immigrants who have been in the country more than two years. (Watch White House tries to heal GOP immigration rift -- 2:50)

A few minutes earlier, the Senate had voted 83-16 in favor of construction of the

fence and 500 miles of vehicle barriers, the first significant victory in two days for conservatives seeking to place their stamp on the measure.

The developments unfolded in a volatile political environment. The White House struggled for a second day to ease the concerns of House Republicans who contend that Bush favors amnesty for illegal immigrants, and demonstrators massed a few blocks from the Capitol demanding immigrant rights.

Construction of the barrier would send "a signal that open-border days are over. ... Good fences make good neighbors, fences don't make bad neighbors," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. He said border areas where barriers already exist have experienced economic improvement and reduced crime.

"What we have here has become a symbol for the right wing in American politics," countered Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois. He said if the proposal passed, "our relationship with Mexico would come down to a barrier between our two countries."

The Senate labored to complete work by next week on immigration legislation that generally follows an outline Bush set out in a nationally televised speech this week.

The measure includes provisions to strengthen border security, create a new guest worker program and crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants.

Most controversially, it offers an eventual chance at citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Senate Republicans staged an impromptu, occasionally emotional debate over whether that amounted to amnesty.

Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana said it did. "Surely this is a pardon from what present law says must happen," he said of provisions in the bill that require immigrants to undergo background checks, pay back taxes and take other steps before they can become citizens.

'Call it a banana if you want to...'

Sens. John McCain and Chuck Hagel replied heatedly it was not amnesty.

"Let's stop the nonsense," said Hagel, addressing fellow Republicans. "You all know it's not amnesty." Said McCain, addressing Vitter, "Call it a banana if you want to ... to call the process that we require under this legislation amnesty frankly distorts the debate and it's an unfair interpretation of it."

Vitter sought the last word. "Methinks thou dost protest too much."

The clash erupted after Vitter sought a change in the legislation to strip out provisions of the bill that would allow for guest worker programs and give some illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship.

Supporters of the Senate measure credited Bush's prime-time Monday night speech with giving fresh momentum to the effort to pass long-stalled legislation.

House members still skeptical

Across the Capitol in the House, the story was different. Republicans pushed through a border security bill last year, and several members of the rank-and-file have criticized Bush for his proposals. To calm their concerns, the White House dispatched Karl Rove to their weekly closed-door meeting.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, an outspoken opponent of the Senate bill, derided the effort. "I didn't see it was a persuasive event. If it was about Karl Rove seeking to convince members of Congress after debate that he's right and we're wrong it would have been better not to have the meeting," he said.

King said Rove told lawmakers Bush is sincere about enforcement. But, he added, "The president doesn't want to enforce immigration law because he's afraid he'll inconvenience someone who wants to come into the country for a better life."

Rep. Peter King, R-New York, agreed that Rove did not seem to have been persuasive. "It's not the kind of issue you can compromise on; either you're giving amnesty to people who are here illegally or you aren't."

At the White House, press secretary Tony Snow defended Bush against criticism. "The president is actually taking a more aggressive role on border security than the House itself took," he said. "That is the sort of thing that is going to answer a lot of the complaints that we have heard."

The National Capital Immigration Coalition organized the afternoon demonstration on the National Mall a few blocks from where lawmakers debated the issue they cared about.

"This is a critical moment. We oppose the militarization of the U.S-Mexican border," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, one of the event's organizers.

2006-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

BOYCOTT CONGRESSMAN SENSENBRENNER'S FAMILY BUSINESS!
DO NOT BUY
PRODUCTS from Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups,
Kotex!
(Beatriz Amaya, a migratory adviser from El Salvador
provided this information.)

U.S. Congressman James Sensenbrenner (Republican from
Wisconsin) is the sponsor of HR 4437, a bill already
approved by the House of Representatives, that would
turn 11 million undocumented immigrants into
criminals, punish anyone who assists them and
construct a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Less well known is that James Sensenbrenner is the
heir to the Kimberly Clark fortune. Anyone who buys
products made by Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups,
Kotex and Depend is indirectly supporting
Sensenbrenner.

These brands are widely sold in more than 80
countries, including the United States, Mexico, Costa
Rica, Colombia and the rest of Latin America. We need
to let everyone know about Sensenbrenner's key role in
the proposal to turn immigrants into criminals, in
addition to the other punitive measures.

Today we announce the beginning of a boycott of
Kimberly Clark. Please tell all your relatives,
friends, neighbors and co-workers not to buy these
products. Sensenbrenner must realize that those whom
he wishes to criminalize have been contributing to his
fortune - but that will
change!

Sensenbrenner wants to construct a wall between the
United States and Mexico? Then the time has come to
build a wall between all immigrants, people of good
will and the Kimberly Clark empire. Please help us
spread the word that the boycott of Kimberly Clark
products has begun!

2006-05-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Senate Breaks Deadlock On Immigration

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2006

(CBS/AP) Senate leaders say they have reached a deal to revive a broad immigration bill that could provide millions of illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens. The agreement doesn't involve provisions of the law, but it does end, for now, a lingering political standoff.

The agreement brokered by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., breaks a political stalemate that has lingered for weeks.

Key to the agreement is who will be negotiating a compromise with the House and its tough enforcement-only bill.

The House passed much more strict immigration legislation in December. It would subject the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to felony charges as well as deportation.

Republican leader Bill Frist says the Senate will send 14 Republicans and 12 Democrats to the other side of the Capitol to negotiate a compromise. Seven of the Democrats will be hand-picked by Democratic leader Harry Reid.

Frist said a "considerable" number of amendments would be debated when the Senate begins debating the bill early next week.

Reid acknowledged on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he "didn't get everything that I wanted" in the agreement, but said Frist didn't either. Reaching the agreement is "not easy with the political atmosphere," Reid said.

Reid had been taking some criticism for refusing to move forward on the bill after complaining that Republicans were trying to undermine it with amendments and insisting that Democrats be allowed to have a say in who serves on the conference committee.

The Senate's first compromise on immigration fell apart in early April amid partisan bickering over adding amendments to the legislation. The bill managed only 38 votes on a key procedural test, far short of the 60 needed to advance.

But, as the Senate has moved on to other issues, immigration reform has not left the public debate.

On May 1st, more than 1 million people stepped out of the shadows and poured into the streets in a U.S.-wide show of economic clout.

The multi-city boycott - called a "Day Without Immigrants" - was organized by immigrant activists angered by federal legislation that would criminalize the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S.-Mexico border.

May 11, 2006, 10:31AM

Senators Agree to Revive Immigration Bill

By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Senate leaders reached a deal Thursday on reviving a broad immigration bill that could provide millions of illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens and said they'll try to pass it before Memorial Day.

The agreement brokered by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Minority Harry Reid, D-Nev., breaks a political stalemate that has lingered for weeks while immigrants and their supporters held rallies, boycotts and protests to push for action.

"We congratulate the Senate on reaching agreement and we look forward to passage of a bill prior to Memorial Day," said Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary.

Key to the agreement is who will be negotiating a compromise with the House, which last December passed an enforcement-only bill that would subject the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to felony charges as well as deportation.

Frist said the Senate will send 14 Republicans and 12 Democrats to negotiate with the House, with seven of the Republicans and five Democrats coming from the Judiciary Committee. The remaining seven Republicans will be chosen by Frist and remaining seven Democrats chosen by Reid.

Frist said a "considerable" number of amendments would be debated when the Senate begins debating the bill early next week.

It would be the most comprehensive rewrite of immigration laws since the so-called Simpson-Mazzoli bill some 20 years ago.

Reid acknowledged on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he "didn't get everything that I wanted" in the agreement, but said Frist didn't either. Reaching the agreement is "not easy with the political atmosphere," Reid said.

Reid had been taking some criticism for refusing to move forward on the bill after complaining that Republicans were trying to undermine it with amendments and insisting that Democrats be allowed to have a say in who serves on the conference committee.

Republicans, too, have had opposition from conservatives to the compromise proposal. These critics consider its path to citizenship provision for illegal immigrants and hundreds of thousands of future guest workers to be tantamount to "amnesty."

They've also had to contend with fallout from opposition to the House bill that triggered nationwide protests that drew hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas and hundreds more in other cities and small communities.

Presidential and midyear politics have been a subtext to the immigration debate. Frist and Arizona Sen. John McCain, one of the architects of the legalization proposal, are prominent in speculation for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

The compromise bill the Senate will consider builds on legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee 12-8, with six Republicans voting and all Democrats approving the measure.

That measure absorbed a bill drafted by McCain and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., that called for allowing illegal immigrants to work toward becoming legal permanent residents.

President Bush had helped accelerate progress on the bill after meeting with a bipartisan group of senators last month and stating clearer support for allowing illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

"Business and labor, Democrats and Republicans, religious leaders and the American people strongly support our plan to strengthen borders, provide a path to earned citizenship for those undocumented workers who are here and put in place a realistic guest worker program for the future," Kennedy said.

MSNBC.com

Senators reach deal to revive immigration bill
Agreement breaks political stalemate; affects nearly 12 million immigrants

BREAKING NEWS

The Associated Press

Updated: 11:42 a.m. ET May 11, 2006

"We congratulate the Senate on reaching agreement and we look forward to passage of a bill prior to Memorial Day," said Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary.

Frist said a "considerable" number of amendments would be debated when the Senate begins debating the bill early next week.

It would be the most comprehensive rewrite of immigration laws since the so-called Simpson-Mazzoli bill some 20 years ago.

Compromise for both sides
Reid acknowledged on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he "didn't get everything that I wanted," but said Frist didn't either. Reaching the agreement is "not easy with the political atmosphere," Reid said.

Presidential politics
Presidential and midyear politics have been a subtext to the immigration debate. Frist and Arizona Sen. John McCain, one of the architects of the legalization proposal, are prominent in speculation for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

The compromise bill builds on legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee 12-8, with six Republicans voting and all Democrats approving the measure.

That measure absorbed a bill drafted by McCain and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., that called for allowing illegal immigrants to work toward becoming legal permanent residents.

2006-05-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Next: Converting the Energy of Protest to Political CloutBy Teresa Watanabe and Nicole Gaouette, Times Staff WritersMay 2, 2006
They've rallied, they've marched, they've boycotted.
So now what?

In the aftermath of Monday's "Day Without Immigrants," the urgent question immigrants and their supporters face is how to translate the passion of the streets into lasting political gains.

In coming months, immigrant rights organizers say, they will shift their energy into making a difference at the polls through registering voters, helping legal immigrants become citizens and getting out the vote in June primary elections around the nation.

"This is only the beginning," said Hilda Delgado of Local 1877 of the Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles. "Now we have to reroute all of the energy and momentum and start registering to vote to send a clear message [for immigration reform] to the Senate and House in Washington."

Organizers have their work cut out for them. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, only 39% of the nation's 41 million Latinos are eligible to vote, compared with 76% of whites and 65% of blacks. And fewer than half of the 16 million eligible Latino voters voted in the 2004 general election.

Pew center director Roberto Suro said Latinos must now convince the broader public that legislation expanding guest worker programs and offering undocumented immigrants a chance to gain legal status would be good for the nation.

That message, however, will be fought by immigration control advocates, who say the last two months of marches and rallies have drawn recruits to their cause of cracking down on illegal immigration.

Since the March 25 Los Angeles march startled the nation by drawing 500,000 people into the streets, the Phoenix-based Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, which monitors the nation's borders, has significantly increased its volunteers, fundraising and website traffic, said spokeswoman Connie Hair.

She said 400 volunteers joined the group in the week after the first L.A. march, compared to a normal weekly flow of about 135. An Internet appeal for support to begin building private fences on private land along the U.S.-Mexico border raised $150,000 in a week. The group's Web traffic has quadrupled to 36,000 hits per day, she said.

The marches "have focused the American people's attention on people marching in the streets and waving Mexican flags … who may not be grateful for the taxpayer-subsidized benefits they're getting and who are jumping in line ahead of those who are doing it legally," Hair said. "There is a quiet rage building."

In Washington, where the Senate may resume debate on an immigration bill as early as next week, a few congressional officials said the demonstrations would serve to keep the issue on the agenda.

But most lawmakers warned that the rallies could polarize the public, make it harder for Congress to negotiate the thorny issue and create a backlash against illegal immigrants, on Capitol Hill and off.

"To get thoughtful legislation passed is going to be harder the more emotions get inflamed on either side of the debate," said Rep. Mary Bono (R-Palm Springs). "It's overwhelmingly polarizing people, and the majority of my constituents are upset" about the boycott.

Bono last year voted for the controversial House bill that sparked the massive marches by proposing to criminalize illegal migrants and build a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexican border.

In contrast, the Senate Judiciary Committee in March passed a bill viewed as more favorable to immigrants. It includes an expanded guest worker program and a chance for undocumented migrants currently in the U.S. to gain legal status by paying a fine and learning English, among other steps.

On Monday, conservative Republicans who backed the House legislation dismissed suggestions that the demonstrations would move them to soften their legislative stance or that members had any regret about passing a bill that has sparked such opposition.

"Opponents of the bill have demagogued it and misled people. That's been their strategy," said Jeff Lungren, a spokesman for the House bill's main author, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.).

Some senators who back broader immigration reform said the protests could make their work harder.
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is a sponsor of the bill before the Senate that would create a guest worker program and legalize undocumented immigrants.

2006-05-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Restaurants, shops closed as Latinos stay away from work
MELINDA BURNS, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITERS

May 2, 2006 7:30 AM
Latinos stayed away from work in droves on Monday, as employees, customers and even bosses joined massive demonstrations for immigrants' rights.

The call for a business boycott resonated most strongly in such heavily Latino shopping districts as Milpas Street and Old Town Goleta, where well over half the businesses posted "Closed/Cerrado" signs for the day, either on principle or because their employees failed to show up. Many of those that stayed open were forced to make do with a skeleton staff and diminished clientele.

Javier Carrillo, manager of the Winchell's Donut House on Milpas, said the company had sent a fax ordering him and an assistant to report to work.

"I'd close if I had my own business," Mr. Carrillo said, adding that he supported a route to legalization for the nation's more than 11 million undocumented immigrants. "I'm not going to buy anything today."

The UCSB Economic Forecast Project wouldn't hazard a guess during the boycott as to the impact of the walkouts on the local economy, and critical service providers, such as hospitals or trash collectors, said the boycott had not hurt their efforts. And for some businesses the boycott either hit on a perfect day or bosses could shuffle staff to accommodate absences.

"This is the best thing that could have happened to me," said Daren Gee of Santa Maria's DB Specialty Farms, which let 850 workers off today without pay to participate in the day's events.

Last week's rain meant many workers spent Friday and Saturday stripping away rotten fruit at his fields, where the new berries need two or three days to ripen and color fully. The temporary hiatus in supply may also help firm up prices in advance of Mother's Day, he said.

Many nursery workers in Carpinteria and field workers in the North County worked Sunday instead of Monday so they could march, and growers who didn't switch days probably saw between 30 percent and 50 percent of their workers stay away, said Richard Quandt, president of the Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association.

For other employers, the missing work force made for a busy day.

At the Santa Cruz Market in Old Town Goleta, manager Lalo Perez was down five employees and having to stock the shelves himself.

"It's been a really big drop off in customers," he said. "We might be closing early today." Mr. Perez said he did not support amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

"If they legalize, they will want to get paid more," he said. "The economy would just go down."
Meanwhile, business was brisker in more affluent, more Anglo areas such as downtown Santa Barbara, outer State Street, Calle Real and Camino Real in Goleta. Only a handful of businesses closed their doors in these locations. There were the usual long lines at the outdoor cafe at Costco and the In-N-Out Burger on Turnpike
Road, and the McDonald's restaurants appeared to be full.
Rudy Alvaro, owner of the six Rudy's Restaurants between Carpinteria and Buellton, was alone in the Paseo Nuevo location Monday morning. A sign out front said the place was closed.
"We're closed because many people didn't want to work today," he said. "But they told me ahead of time. And it's OK, I understand. I support them."

Jim Craddock, manager of California Pasta, a few doors down from Rudy's, was also working alone.
"Nobody wanted to work today. So we're closed because our guys wanted to respect the day," he explained. "We decided it was better to take the whole day off instead of trying to stay open and not be able to serve people properly."

Businesses everywhere were having to cope with the loss of immigrant help.

"The deli people took the day off, and they had us doing their work," said an Albertson's clerk who gave her name only as Dorothy. "Of course, none of us knew what we were doing. I didn't know one cheese from the other."

At Kmart in Goleta, 20 employees on the morning shift failed to come to work, one clerk said, asking to remain anonymous. The Little Caesar's Pizza counter inside the store was closed because of the shortage, she said, and the shopping was very thin.

"I came to work for fear I would be fired," the clerk said.

"We don't disclose any information about our sales," said Chris Brathwaite, a spokesman for Kmart in its Chicago headquarters, "but on the employment front, we met with our employees ahead of time to try to accommodate those who wanted to take the day off."

In downtown Santa Barbara, the Volkswagen dealership closed early because two workers took the day off and seven customers called to cancel their appointments on principle, an employee said.
In Carpinteria, the Washington Mutual Bank branch on Carpinteria Ave. closed unexpectedly due to "staffing issues," customers were told.

Fast-food restaurants, many of which depend on immigrant workers, were closed in some locations but not others. For example, only three out of nine Rusty's Pizza Parlors were open, and Jack-In-the-Box was open on State Street but not Milpas Street. The Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers in Old Town Goleta posted a sign saying, "Our dining room is closed today due to the lack of workforce." The sign directed customers to use the drive-in service instead. Across the street, the Hamburger Habit was full of customers.

Downtown Santa Barbara's Fat Burger was packed for lunch on Monday, as was Chipotle Mexican Grill. Several said the boycott had little impact on their operations. "It was largely business as usual," said Chris Arnold, spokesman for the Denver-based Chipotle chain.

Milpas Street closures on Monday included bakeries, cafes, tortillerías, restaurants, clothing boutiques, money order stores, insurance agencies, travel agencies, music stores, car washes, realties, five-and-dime stores and shops selling bridal gowns. Many businesses had posted flyers for the marches on their doors.
Inside Winchell's Donut House, some of the regulars were ignoring the boycott to have some coffee and doughnuts before heading off to the march.

"I have to eat," said Josè Saenz, a tree trimmer who had been given the day off. "I can't fast."
Mr. Saenz was sharing coffee with a contractor who said he was losing $2,500 that day to give his employees paid leave. Seated nearby was Baudilio Mendoza-Gerardo, who said he was losing a day's pay picking avocados, about $120, to participate in the marches. Across the table from him was Josè Carrillo, a local landscaper with 30 years' residency in Santa Barbara and a green card. Mr. Carrillo said he would lose $200 by taking the day off.

Mr. Carrillo said his life had changed completely when he became a legal resident under the 1986 amnesty law. He said he could stop worrying about deportation -- he was deported three times -- come and go freely, get a better job and earn twice as much.

"It was a huge relief," Mr. Carrillo said.

Next to Winchell's, the Milpas Barbershop was open, but only to play music for the groups of people who were headed toward the march, said Alex Hernández, the owner. Mr. Hern&#xe1ndez, who was born in Guatemala, said his parents worked for years as undocumented immigrants before they were able to legalize their status under the amnesty law. Now the family owns both the barbershop and a money order business on Milpas, and both were closed on Monday.

"This is not just about Mexicans," Mr. Hernández said. "We've got to get the message out."
Among the businesses that stayed open on Milpas on Monday was the Whitefoot Meat Market, located next to La Panadería Ver0x97nica, La Gloria Taquería and El Pollo Norteño, all of which were closed. The owner, Dave Whitefoot, said his customer base was not Latino. He said he did not support marchers who waved a Mexican flag, or students who took time off school to join protests. But he said immigrants had helped build America and needed to improve their lives.

"Why not have them come here and work and make it legal?" Mr. Whitefoot asked.
Not everyone who opposed the boycott was as forgiving.

Longtime Santa Barbara commercial real estate broker Jim Worthen is organizing a boycott of his own to hit back at businesses that he claims closed Monday out of sympathy or fear.

Mr. Worthen said he and a band of supporters will be boycotting and picketing a handful of restaurants that he brands either "quislings or cowards" for closing their doors when they could have stayed open.

He says he called these and many other restaurants. While some were missing staff, they still made arrangements to stay open if at all possible; some had no choice but to close; others, he claims, voluntarily closed out of sympathy with what he described as an "anti-American movement."

Mr. Worthen says he completely agrees with the "God-given" right to demonstrate but certain business people have to be held accountable for their complicity in enabling and encouraging the boycott and for hiring illegal workers.

On Milpas, Dennis Hartman, the owner of American Pie Records, said he was keeping his store open to show his opposition to immigration policies that he regards as too lenient. A Vietnam veteran who opposes the war in Iraq, Mr. Hartman said that if he were President, he would use the armed forces instead to beef up border security.

Mr. Hartman said undocumented immigrants should be required to learn English, pass background checks and pay a fine of $10,000 for every year they are in the country illegally, before they can be legal residents.
"I have to work to pay for their benefits," Mr. Hartman said.

e-mail: mburns@newspress.com

2006-05-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

A sea of voices: Thousands march downtown
CAMILLA COHEE, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

May 1 marchers make their way up State St to the courthouse.
LEN WOOD/NEWS-PRESS

May 2, 2006 8:02 AM
In an unprecedented show of immigrant strength, more than 15,000 people marched through the streets of Santa Barbara and then packed the Courthouse Sunken Garden on Monday to protest proposed legislation that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally.

It was the largest local demonstration many observers can recall, with couples pushing babies in strollers, throngs of students waving signs, cowboy hat-wearing farm workers, and even rival gang members uniting for one day to show support for immigrants, illegal and otherwise.

The rows of tightly packed marchers, who at one point spanned five blocks along State Street, never seemed to end, reminding some bystanders of the Vietnam War era when antiwar protesters packed the street and closed down Highway 101.

"I've been here 26 years and I've never seen a crowd this big here," said Santa Barbara police Lt. Paul McCaffrey, who estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 people wound their way from Ortega Park to the Sunken Garden during the afternoon protest. "When I was in the L.A. Marathon, there were 26,000 runners and this was what it looked like."

Like protesters nationwide who stayed home from work and school on Monday, the marchers say they want Congress to provide undocumented workers with a path to citizenship, not a jail-sentence or bus ride back to the border, as is being proposed under a bill approved by the House of Representatives in December and still pending before the Senate.

It was the same message protesters in Santa Maria expressed Monday in a march that police estimated reached about 4,000 people, but organizers pegged at more than 10,000 people.
In Santa Barbara, marchers carried signs that read: "No human being is illegal," "Don't give in to racist fear" and "We didn't cross the border -- the border crossed us."

Marchers also waved flags that were overwhelmingly American. At the courthouse, one immigrant woman sang the American National Anthem in English, although few in the crowd knew the words.

Many of the marchers participated as entire families. "I feel so proud to be part of this," said Angelica Umejido, who stood along the sidewalk trying to find her family members in the crowd as hordes of protesters passed by. "They're in there somewhere. I think this is very positive for us, very important for us."

During the afternoon rally, speaker Babatunde Folayemi, a community leader and former Santa Barbara city councilman, greeted the massive crowd with "Mi familia."

He told them the day would go down in history.

"This is the most beautiful day I have seen in Santa Barbara," he said. "But we must remember, this is the beginning. We are making history, but we also have to write history. The battle begins today. We have to organize."

Observing the gathering from a distance, Mr. Folayemi said he was impressed with how well-organized and peaceful the demonstration was. Police confirmed that there were no serious problems with the protesters.

"I've been waiting so long for them to have a voice," Mr. Folayemi said. "What's amazing is even with all this passion, look how gentle, how humble they are."

Police presence was heavy throughout the day, both at the afternoon march and rally, and at an earlier gathering at Chase Palm Park attended by some 3,000 people.

"There's a lot of security with the marchers and that's really helping to guide people," Lt. McCaffrey said.
There was a report of a counter-demonstrator in the 600 block of State Street carrying a white supremacy flag. "I think there's been a couple of those, but it hasn't marred the event," he said.

At a morning protest that began at la Casa de la Raza and ended at Chase Palm Park, a dozen speakers rallied the group with chants or shared stories of their own immigrant experience.

Speaking in both Spanish and English, rally leader Ruben Rey asked the group to take a moment to remember their own family members who made the sacrifice of crossing the border to better their lives and their children's lives.

"I'm so grateful to my father for giving me this opportunity," he said.

He told the group they needed to value education and encourage their children to do well in school. But the protest, he said, was also an opportunity to educate others.

"One of the things we are here to do is try to educate society about who we are," he said. "We are here. We're
not going anywhere. But this is a long fight. In 15 to 20 years, we'll be the power, you'll be the power. That's why there is so much fear. We're a growing population. We refuse to be silent. That's why we're protecting our rights."

A representative from the Chumash Council told the group, "The undocumented immigrant situation is to create division in our communities. They (government officials) want a scapegoat. We are a peaceful people. We are a visionary people. We want good housing for our people, good health for our people, good education for our people."

Another speaker, Jose Martinez, has helped countless local immigrants become citizens.
"Today, we should remember the family members who died crossing the border that we were able to cross," he said.

Marisela Marquez, board president of La Casa de la Raza, riled the protesters by asking them, "Did we come here to exploit America?'"

Thousands of voices responded "No!"

She said corporate greed has led to the exploitation of undocumented people.

Longtime resident and Latina activist Mirna Ramos was pink in the face from a day full of shouting and marching. She told the group, "I'm so proud to see so many people here. We are hard workers. We're fighters. We're not going anywhere."

News-Press staff writers Thomas Schultz and Dawn Hobbs contributed to this story. E-mail Camilla Cohee atccohee@newspress.com.

2006-05-02T10:02:00.001-07:00

Thousands protest immigration changesBy Chris Aguilar/Staff Writer
Santa Maria Times Article

Thousands of people stretched a mile-and-a-half Monday from the Minami Center to Preisker Park as they marched peacefully in Santa Maria to protest proposed legislation that would make illegal immigration a felony.

The nationwide event was touted as “A Day Without Immigrants,” intended to show the economic and social impact of immigrants in the United States.

The marchers in Santa Maria, many of whom missed school or work to attend, held signs in both Spanish and English expressing displeasure with the legislation being considered in the U.S. Senate.

Marchers gathered early Monday outside the Minami Center at Enos Drive and Depot Street, south of the Santa Maria Fairpark, and more and more marchers showed up as the morning fog lifted. Early police estimates put the crowd at 750 to 800, but as the protest got under way around 10 a.m., the crowd grew and it continued to swell all along the route.

As the marchers reached Preisker Park in the northwest part of town, many people waved U.S. and Mexican flags and chanted in English and Spanish. Santa Maria Police Chief Danny Macagni estimated attendance at 5,000.

Marchers stayed on sidewalks and remained peaceful and civil, similar to the March 31 student walkouts, Macagni said. Police appreciated the organizers' advance planning and behavior Monday.

“They even picked up their trash and everything,” Macagni said.
Lt. Chris Vaughn said there were no incidents or arrests.

The SMPD had 14 officers following the crowd to help ensure the safety of protesters and the traffic around them, Macagni said.

Ruby Pinon and her husband Alfonso pushed their 15-month-old baby in a stroller as they marched.

“I think it's a really good turnout,” Ruby Pinon said. “I was amazed at how many people came out to
march.”

“My employer was OK with me missing work to be here. It's really important to be here today and show support,” her husband added.

Christina Camacho, a junior at Righetti High School, attended the rally with her mother Lucia.

“It's important we represent our culture and save our rights,” Christina Camacho said. “We need Mexican migrant workers, and they help us here in the U.S.”

“We are legal, but we have a lot of family in Mexico and even some family who are here undocumented, and we need to support them,” said Lucia Camacho.

Santa Maria city employee Raymond Estrada, who was busy keeping the park clean, said he needed to be at work Monday.

“I feel this cause is a good cause, but you have to pay bills,” Estrada said.

His co-worker Joe Flores joked that Estrada's wife was the real reason he came to work.
“I'm kidding about that, but we have to work - I mean, gas is expensive,” Flores said.

As the rally went on, the crowd heard speeches from leaders of local organizations and political candidates. The crowd showed support by clapping, chanting and marching around the park.

Chris Aguilar can be reached at 739-2159 or caguilar@santamariatimes.com. Staff writer Michelle Hatfield contributed to this report.

2006-05-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

2006-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

May 1st Morning Procession for Dignity and Immigrant Rights
Report from La Casa de La Raza’s Nic Centino

On May 1 2006, community members from all walks of life gathered at La Casa de La Raza to kick off “The Week of the Immigrant.” This week of dialogue, reconciliation and action is sponsored by the Alliance for Immigrant Rights, a new long term coalition dedicated to framing immigrant rights as human rights.

Kicking off this week of activities was a procession and rally from La Casa de la Raza to Chase Palm Park. 6,000 participants gathered to honor the death of individuals this year along the border between U.S. and Mexico. The procession culminated with a gathering at Chase Palm Park with speakers giving testimonials about their human experience regarding world wide refugee status, being deported and Japanese Internment camps. “Current undocumented immigrants aren’t the first segment of society to have ever been unfairly threatened with displacement” said Raquel Lopez, executive director of La Casa de La Raza and Alliance for Immigrant Rights member “Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Middle Eastern Americans and Euro Americans have all faced similar attacks and threat. This gathering and speak-out is meant broaden the dialogue and discussion around the immigration debate.”

The procession and gathering coincides with the International Economic Boycott called for May 1st. It is estimated that immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year. Additionally it is estimated that they earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion. Organizers of the boycott hope to demonstrate the economic power of the immigrant community by demonstrating what happens when immigrants boycott work, school and exchanges of money for a day.

2006-04-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

MARCH IN VENTURA- May 1st Coalition for Student and Worker Justice
-No to HR 4437
-Stop Deporations
-Yes to LegalizationSUPPORT

THE MAY 1ST COALITION FOR STUDENT AND WORKER JUSTICE! Please support the Monday May 1st action taking place at:Inlakech Cultural Center937 West Fifth Street, Oxnard.
8am-5pm
Workshops5pm
Join and Gather at the Inlakech Center to march to La Placita (Plaza>Park)WE NEED YOUR ENDORSEMENTS! WE NEED DONATION OF WATER, SNACKS, ETC.FOR THE DAY LONG ACTIVITIES PLANNED....Please stop by the Inlakech Cultural Center Friday or Saturday to drop offyour donations,etc.
For Endorsement, to Volunteer, to Donate Contact Us: Inlakech Cultural Center: 486-7063Hermandad Mexicana: 483-4620Committee on Raza Rights: 216-5437United Farm Workers: 486-9674 CA State Senate Votes To Support The "Great American Boycott"

2006-04-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

A great teaching and organizing guide
"No Human is Illegal"
http://www.nycore.org

2006-04-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Last May 1 Coalition Meeting before the May 1 March will be:
Saturday, April 29th at 6pm
402 E. Gutierrez St.
Please RSVP to may1santabarbara@gmail.com

2006-04-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

Good cop, Bad Cop

Employers threatening employees with diciplinary action if they participate in political activity on May 1st.

Marborg Industries
Doubletree Resorts

Employers who are supporting the march and supporting the participation of their employees:

Diversity Consulting Group

(if you have any additional information on these or other employers, please email may1santabarbara@gmail.com to help us compile this list)

2006-04-27T01:20:00.000-07:00

Keep the calls coming!
Our legislators continue to get flooded with anti-immigrant calls. Please take a moment and make sure they hear from you!

Congresswoman Lois Capps
(805) 730-1710

Senator Diane Feinstein
(310) 914-7300

White House
(202) 456-1111

Suggested script:

Hello, my name is (your NAME) and I am calling from (your CITY, STATE). I urge you to take a strong stance against the Sensenbrenner bill, H.R. 4437, This mean-spirited, anti-immigrant bill will do nothing to make our nation and communities safer and instead unfairly criminalize millions of immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. This is not a solution to fixing our nation’s failed immigration system. We need realistic, workable and humane immigration reform legislation that will provide a path to citizenship for hardworking immigrants, protect workers rights, keep families together and ensure that our economy continues to grow. I urge you support comprehensive immigration reform solutions. Thank you.”

2006-04-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sample letter to employers

Date: [DATE]

(NOTE CLICK THIS LINK FOR UPDATED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS!!!
http://immigrantjustice.blogspot.com/2006/04/schedule-of-immigrant-rights-events_26.html

To: [OWNER OR MANAGER'S NAME]

Re: May 1, 2006 Immigrant Worker Rights Rally

By this letter, we, the undersigned employees, request permission to miss work on Monday, May 1, 2006, from [NAME OF COMPANY] in order to attend the rally in downtown [NAME OF CITY] supporting legislation that would strengthen and protect our workplace rights and opposing legislation that would lead to the marginalization of our community.

Our communities make an invaluable contribution to this country's economy and to the success of businesses across America. We make an important contribution here at [NAME OF COMPANY]. We believe that the recent efforts by some legislators to criminalize millions of immigrant workers and those who assist them will inevitably lead to discrimination against all members of our community at work, regardless of immigration status. Further, some proposed legislation would create a class of workers without the ability to defend basic workplace rights. We believe that could force this company to compete with unscrupulous employers who will exploit the situation by paying workers less than minimum wages and violating basic health and safety rules.

We, the undersigned employees, therefore, join together in this collective and concerted activity to defend and protect our work place rights and those of our community. We further ask that you permit all other employees in the company to participate as well if they wish and invite you to join us in this historic event.

Sincerely,

[2 or more workers should sign and retain a copy.]

2006-04-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Schedule of Immigrant Rights Events

Several community organizations have planned events for before and after May 1, a National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights. On April 20^th, La Casa de La Raza, convened a meeting of organizations to coordinate activities, and to form a long-lasting coalition called the Alliance for Immigrant Rights. For a complete list of events sponsored by the Alliance for Immigrant Rights for "The Week of the Immigrant" May 1-7 2006, go to http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/events.html. For further information contact the coalition directly at immigrationdialogue@hotmail.com.

The following events are planned by a number of organizations throughout the community. We tried to include a contact for more information when we had it. To submit an event, email may1santabarbara@gmail.com. For events being planned in Santa Maria, call 922-4447.

Immigrant Rights Events Scheduled!

-------------------------
Tuesday, May 2

6:30-8am-Cafe con Lucha at La Casa de la Raza. Sponsored by the Aliance for Immigrant Rights.

7:00-9:00 PM
Citizenship Center workshops on Path to Citizenship. This forum (in Spanish) will explore the path to citizenship and there will be opportunity for question and answers about the immigration system. Sponsored by the Aliance for Immgirant Rights.

@ La Casa de La Raza, 601 E. Montecito St.
Organized by La Casa de La Raza. Contact 965-8581 for more information

(Noon to 1:30)
Immigration 101 Tuesday, May 2 Harbor Room, UCEN
A review of the current economic and demographic information regarding undocumented immigration to the U.S., along with an overview of the legislation being considered byCongress. The current immigration debate will also be placed in the context of immigration history in the United States. This discussion will be led by Dr. Carl Gutiérrez-Jones, Director of the Center for Chicano Studies. Free.

Wednesday, May 3
6:30-8am-Cafe con Lucha en La Casa de la Raza

7:00-9:00 PM
Forum on the Rights of Immigrant Workers at La Casa de La Raza (601 E. Montecito St.) Sponsored by the Aliance for Immigrant Rights.

Wednesday, May 3rd 6-8pm

White Privilege workshop

Wednesday, May 3, 6-8pm at the Olive Mill room at NCCJ's office, 402 E. Gutierrez St.

El Norte: a Film Screening and Moderated Discussion
Wednesday, May 3 (2:00 to 5:00)
Multicultural Center Theater
Mayan Indian peasants, tired of being thought of as nothing more than "brazos fuertes" ("strong arms", i.e., manual laborers) and organizing in an effort to improve their lot in life, are discovered by the Guatemalan army. After the army destroys their village and family, a brother and sister, teenagers who just barely escaped the massacre, decide they must flee to "El Norte" ("the North", i.e., the USA). After receiving clandestine help from friends and humorous advice from a veteran immigrant on strategies for traveling through Mexico, they make their way by truck, bus and other means to Los Angeles, where they try to make a new life as young, uneducated, and illegal immigrants. The film will be followed by a discussion moderated by Dr. Maria Herrera-Sobek, Luis Leal Endowed Chair (Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies). Free.

Thursday, May 4

6:30-8am

Cafe con Lucha en La Casa de la Raza

7:00-9:00pm
Forum on educational rights . At this forum we will discuss the rights students have to exercize their rights of freedom of expression. Students from Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High Schools will be invited to be part of the panal. Sponsored by youth council of LULAC in Santa Barbara.

@ La Casa de La Raza, 601 E. Montecito St.
Sponsored by the LULAC Youth Council in Santa Barbara

Immigration, Politics and Education
Multicultural Center Theater (Noon to 1:30)

An investigation of the ways that immigration, education and politics intersect. This panel discussion will be led by Dr. Laura Romo (Gevirtz Graduate School of Education), by Dr. Edwina Barvosa-Carter (Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies) and by Dr. Marisela Marquez (Director, Faculty Outreach, UCSB Academic Senate). Free.
Friday, May 4

6:30-8am Cafe con Lucha at La Casa de la Raza

5-8:00pm The Real Cinco de Mayo at La Casa de la Raza- Dinner sponsored by Future Leaders of America

8pm-1:00am- Dance "Batalla de Puebla at Casa de la Raza"-Youth Dance. Sponsored by Casa de la Raza

Saturday, May 6th

9am-3pm

5th Annual Conference for Parents "Creating Bridges for our Children to have a Future" @ UCSB Girvetz Hall. Transportation, food, and childcare will be provided at no cost. Presented by La Escuelita of UCSB

Sunday, May 7th

12:00-8:00pm

Festival de la Raza! Cinco de Mayo at La Casa de la Raza. Join us for a day of music, fun, and educational. Co-sponsored by Casa de la Raza, Center of Citizenship, Radio Bronco y La Preciosa

Wedsnesday, May 10th

7pm Immigration-Todays Dilema at Santa Maria Public Library (Faulkner Gallery)

Panal of five local leaders and their opinions on the this issue. The audience will also have a chance to speak. The five panalists are Abbe Kingston, Babatunde Folayemi, Diana Hull, Glen Mowrer, e Ira Mehlman. Presented by the Green Party

2006-04-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Immigration Links

Favorites
www.cirnow.org
http://todayweact.org
www.justiceforimmigrants.com

http://www.nohr4437.org
www.immigrationforum.org

National Sites
American Civil Liberties Union
Includes extensive information on ACLU Immigrant Rights Project programs and lawsuits.

American Friends Service Committee
Offers a broad overview of AFSC's many projects addressing a variety of issues in movements for social justice. Includes information about AFSC projects across the country focused on immigrant rights.

American Immigration Lawyer's Association
National Association of Immigration Attorneys. Includes information about lawyer referral service.

Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Site for only national advocacy organization dedicated to the health concerns of Asian Pacific Islanders, including immigrants and refugees.

Church World Service Immigrant and Refugee Program
Includes information on CWS programs to address conditions for immigrants and refugees. Includes FAQs about refugees.

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
Provides information about trafficking, as well as links to related articles, organizations, and research sources.

Equal Rights Advocates
Dedicated to ensuring equal rights for all women. Highlights include sections on "affirmative action and you" and "immigrant women and work."

www.farmworkers.org
Bilingual website includes info on farmworker organizing, history of Bracero Program, and efforts to educate the public on the plight of agricultural workers.

Forced Migration Project of the Open Forumarchives of work, publications, and related materials are available. Materials focused on issues of migration related to the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia.

International Center for Migration, Ethnicity and Citizenship (ICMEC) A scholarly-based research center operated out of the New School University. Provides information on academic research around migration.

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Features section on asylum program focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and HIV+ immigrants.

ILW
"The immigration portal," provides links and information on resources for immigrants, lawyers, and employers.

LatinoLink
Informal and oriented to Latino culture. Features top news stories, and offers chat and conference options. Includes some immigration related information.

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
Focuses on protecting the human rights of all people, including immigrant and refugees, on both national and international levels through the creation of legal policies and institutions.

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Civilrights.org is a joint project of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Leadership Conference Education Fund. Features links to thousands of other organizations working to promote equal opportunity on a variety of civil and human rights issues.

Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force
Gives information on issues pertaining to bi-national couples, immigrants with HIV/AIDS, gay and lesbian immigrants, and those seeking asylum based on sexual orientation.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
Home of the Detention Watch Network and information about LIRS' asylum projects.

Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
MALDEF is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and promote the civil rights of the more than 29 million Latinos living in the United States. Site features action alerts and policy updates.

Micasa-Sucasa
Allows individuals to share their immigration experiences through an online open forum, particularly focusing on the impact of recent immigration laws.

Migration Dialogue
Coordinated through UC Davis, offers links to a number of forums on migration issues. Features the online newsletter Migration News detailing the preceding month's immigration developments around the world.

National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
The Consortium works to advance the legal and civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans through litigation, public education and public policy, with a focus on anti-Asian violence prevention and education, voting rights, immigration, naturalization, affirmative action, language rights and the census.

National Clearinghouse on Agricultural Guestworker IssuesProvides legislative updates, action alerts, and background information on agricultural guestworker issues.

National Council of La Raza
A nonprofit organization established in 1968 to reduce poverty and discrimination, and improve life opportunities for Latinos. Site features information on immigration program.

National Immigration Forum
Provides information on activities of national advocacy organization for immigrant and refugee issues based in Washington, D.C.

National Immigration Law Center
Focuses on policy advocacy, impact litigation, and providing publications, technical assistance, and training.

National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers' Guild
The National Immigration Project is a network of immigration lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers, and legal workers who work to end unlawful immigration practices. Features information on projects for immigrant women, detainees, HIV+immigrants, and more. Also includes comprehensive "brief bank" for attorneys.

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium Focuses on culture, education, and other related issues of concern to the Korean community, including immigrant rights.

Oxford Refugee Studies Program Documentation Centre
Online library allows you to enter a keyword and receive a wealth of information on refugee issues.

Political Ecology Group (PEG)
Includes useful tools to address the arguments that immigration causes overpopulation and has a negative impact on the environment.

Political Research Associates (PRA)
Provides up-to-date reports on the activities and proposals of the political right, and offers analysis of threats from conservative groups.

Sweatshop Watch
Provides links to sweatshop campaigns around the U.S. and the world, and offers extensive reports and articles.

StateServe
Provides current and exclusive state legislative information on welfare reform and immigration. State legislation is broken up into categories including: cash assistance, medical assistance, nutritional assistance, and naturalization.

Tomas Rivera Policy Institute
Offers extensive access to current research and issues facing the Latino community.

United Methodist Committee on Relief
Assists churches in direct ministry to persons in need in the areas of emergency response, hunger and poverty, and refugees and immigration.

The Urban Institute
Features non-partisan policy research on numerous social and economic issues on both local and national levels.

International Sites

International Sites Asian Migrant Center
Hong-Kong based organization anchors regional network for issues facing migrant workers in Asia. Comprehensive website features links to migrant organizations in Japan, Indonesia, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, and more!

December 18
Online Network for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers, designed around December 18, the international day for solidarity with migrant workers.

Directory of European Ethnic Minority and Migrant Organizations
Provides a unique listing of more that 10,000 organizations.

Global Campaign for Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Migrants
Site of the International Steering Committee of the Global Campaign for Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Migrants. Includes history and current updates around campaign.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Website Includes comprehensive links list to migrant rights' organizations around the world.

Migrants Rights International
Migrants Rights International is the independent global monitoring body focusing on human rights of migrants. Site features information on 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, migrant NGOs, and index of international organizations.

National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
United Kingdom-based coalition campaigning for the rights of immigrants, in particular those facing deportation.

Sans Papiers
Website for the movement for the rights of undocumented African immigrants in France. Also includes immigration reports from throughout Western Europe. Available in 11 languages!

Sin Fronteras
A Mexico City-based organization working for the human rights of migrants and to provide immigrants with social and legal assistance. Bilingual in English and Spanish!

Southern Africa Migration Project
Resource listing, research updates, and migration news alerts for Southern Africa. Focused on regional migration.

Third World Network
An independent non-profit international networks of organization and individuals involved in issues relating to development, the Third World, and North-South issues.

UN World Conference Against Racism and Xenophobia
Website Contains information about the 2001 conference to be held in South Africa.

WWW Virtual Library on Migration and Ethnic Relations
A collection of links to major Internet resources in the field of migration and ethnic relations worldwide.

Anti-Immigrant Groups

Please Note: Following are links to anti-immigrant groups that demonstrate how immigrants have been increasingly scapegoated for economic and social problems. By familiarizing ourselves with anti-immigrant arguments, immigrant rights advocates and organizations can construct stronger platforms and strategies for creating social change. NNIRR is in no way affiliated nor supportive of the following groups.

Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS)
California-based organization founds its anti-immigrant arguments on fears of over-population and concerns about environmental quality.

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
National organization argues that immigrants negatively impact "education, health care, government budgets, employment, the environment [and] crime" in the U.S. Features useful news updates on immigration issues.

Negative Population Growth
Washington D.C.-based organization links environmental degradation, decreased "quality of life," and immigration.

Voices of Citizens Together
California-based group blatantly attacks immigrant rights and social justice activists, focusing in particular on Latino/a organizations. Jam-packed site is possibly the most directly negative and anti-immigrant site of all listed.

California

American Friends Service Committee
U.S.-Mexico Border Program
Roberto Martinez, Director (NNIRR Board Member)
1129 'G' Street San Diego, CA 92101
619-233-4114
619-233-6247 (fax)
usmexborder@peacenet.org
www.afsc.org/pdesc/pd339.htm

California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative
926 "J" Street, Ste. 408 Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-6762
916-448-6774 (fax)
www.nilc.org/ciwc/ciwcindex.htm

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
(CHIRLA)
1521 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-353-1333
213-353-1344
chirla@earthlink.net
www.nilc.org/ciwc/memberschirla.htm

Comité No Nos Vamos
1048 "E" Street Fresno, CA 93703
559-498-6033
iwapgh@aol.com

Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights
(Fresno Office) 4832 E. Florence Fresno, CA 93725
559-252-4785
www.nccir.org

Filipinos for Affirmative Action
Lillian Galedo, Director (NNIRR Board Member)
310-8th St., Ste. 308 Oakland, CA 94607
510-465-9876
510-465-7548 (fax)
faa@igc.org
www.filipinos4action.org

INS Watch/La Raza Centro Legal
Renee Saucedo, INS Watch Director (NNIRR Board Member)
474 Valencia Street, Suite 295 San Francisco, CA 94103
415-575-3500
415-255-7593 (fax)
http://www.emf.net/~cheetham/glanal-1.html

Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights [statewide]
965 Mission Street Suite 514 San Francisco, CA 94103
415-227-0388
415-543-0442 (fax)
icir@igc.apc.org
http://www.igc.org/icir/index2.html

Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights
995 Market St., 11th Fl. San Francisco, CA 94103
415-243-8215
415-843-8268 (fax)
www.nccir.org

2006-04-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

How a bill is passed.

Any member of congress (House member or Senator) can sponsor a bill. Once the bill is labeled and numbered, either the speaker of the house or the officer of the senate then refers the bill to a committee. After the bill is heard in the first committee, it gets revised, sometimes extensively. The bill needs a majority vote from the committee to move forward. The committee then submits this revised bill back to the chamber (House of Representatives or Senate) it originated in to be voted on. If it is passed by a majority vote, it is sent on to the other chamber. Upon reaching the other chamber, the bill goes through the committee process like any other newly proposed bill. If it is passed it goes to the floor of the entire chamber. Another 2/3 majority vote is needed for it to be passed in this chamber as well.

After a bill has been passed in both the house and the senate, it goes to a Conference Committee. This is to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill that each chamber passed. By the end of the process, often the bill has been revised so many times that it barely resembles the original bill. Once the Conference Committee reaches an agreement, both houses must again vote upon the bill. If it passes, it is sent to the President. He can sign it into law, veto it, or take no action at all. If he vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the house that referred it to him. The House and the Senate vote on it again and pass it to the other house. If both the houses pass the bill again with 2/3 majorities, the bill automatically becomes law. If the President takes no action, two outcomes can happen. One, if 10 days expire and Congress is in session, they can pick up the bill and pass it into law without the President's signature. However, if they are not in session, after 10 days the bill is treated as if it had been vetoed.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bill; www.house.gov

One of the concerns with the current legislation is that there are vast differences between enforcement only build the wall- kick out the immigrants House Bill (HR 4437) and the direction that the Senate is going- path to citizenship, dream act, ag jobs. Many are concerned what will happen in Conference Committee, especially since the republican leadership of the House and the Senate are VERY right-wing.

2006-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Highlights of Senate Compromise- this is the proposal currently on the table for the Senate to debate, starting on April 27th.

Legalization provisions

· Immigrants who have resided in the United States for five years and can demonstrate they have worked in the past can apply for a conditional immigrant visa. After the payment of a fine, six years of work, and proof that they are learning English, they can apply for permanent residency for themselves and their immediate family members.

· Immigrants who have resided in the United States from 2-5 years would be issued work visas to enter a temporary worker program. During the first three years of the program, a worker would have to return to a port-of-entry to “touch base,” and have their visa stamped by proper authorities. 450,000 green cards a year would be added for this population and would allow them to adjust to permanent residence in 8-10 years.

· Immigrants who have resided in the United States from 0-2 years would have to return home and apply for the temporary worker program, which would provide at least 325,000 visas a year and would be adjusted annually based on demand.

· The legislation includes AgJOBS legislation, which would legalize up to 1.5 million farm workers over five years, and the DREAM Act, which would help legalize undocumented students.

· Title V of the legislation would help reduce family immigration backlogs by excluding immediate relatives of U.S. citizens from the annual overall cap and by increasing the percentage of visas allocated to specific nations. It should reduce waiting times to one year or less by 2011.

Enforcement provisions

Despite the positive provisions of Title VI, many harmful enforcement provisions are contained in the Senate compromise bill, including the following:

mandatory detention of anyone apprehended along the border, including families, trafficking victims, asylum-seekers, victims of domestic violence, and unaccompanied children;
authorization of local law enforcement to assist federal authorities to enforce federal immigration laws;
expansion of expedited removal along the border, which can deny access to an immigration judge for asylum seekers;
expands ineligibility for future legal status for any immigrant who uses a false social security number or otherwise misrepresents their legal status;
establishes an employer verification system which includes fines for employers who hire undocumented workers;
restricts judicial review of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decisions to deny citizenship based on good moral character.

2006-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting artice:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3811683.html

...and if you want to read more- go here:

http://www.cirnow.org/content/en/media_coverage.htm