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Author Archives: Zack L.

I Voted for the Candidate Who Supports Compassionate Immigration Reform

Posted by Zack L. on November 6, 2012

Lilia A. from Nevada explains why she voted for the candidate that supports compassionate and comprehensive immigration reform.

My community and life were rocked last year when one of my good friends was deported during a workplace raid in Nevada. A hardworking Mexican immigrant with no criminal record, she was dropped off in Tijuana with no money and little means to communicate with the husband and three young children she left behind in our community. As a mother, I cannot imagine how her children and spouse felt in the days after this traumatic event.

Can you imagine what it would be like to not wake up next to the person you are married to each day? To not know when you will see them again or how and when you will be reunited? Can you imagine what it would be like to be a young child and suddenly lose the single most influential person in your life? To not hear her comforting voice or feel her touch when you are sick? Unfortunately, my friend’s story is all too common these days. Millions of hardworking parents and older siblings are being deported across the country.

I immigrated to this country with a dream to give my children access to high-quality education and a bright future. Other mothers and fathers have left their countries with similar dreams. They are willing to sacrifice anything to see their children end up better off and more educated. We all come to the United States with a desire to do any type of work possible so that we can provide for our children here, and the families we so painfully leave behind. We do so, because we believe in our children and the American dream.

My friend who was deported worked for years in pursuit of a better life for her children. She never committed a crime. She participated in parent-teacher conferences, went to church each Sunday, helped her children with their homework, and paid her taxes. Now she is gone, and a huge void remains.

Our immigration system is broken, and I chose to vote on November 6th for the only candidate who presented ideas to fix the immigration policies that separate families: President Obama. I want the President to know that now is the time to work with Congress to pass compassionate immigration reform. We elected you for a second term because we know you care. We know it will not be easy, but we believe in hope and a better tomorrow. That is why we came to the United States. That is why we overwhelmingly supported you on Election Day. We know you will work to ensure families are able to stay together. Please, do not let us down.

Ali Noorani: For Young Immigrants, a New Dawn

Posted by Zack L. on August 17, 2012

Today is a new beginning for hundreds of thousands of aspiring Americans.

Yesterday, young undocumented immigrants across America awoke to new hope and new possibility as they requested deferred action via the Obama administration’s new initiative, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Those who receive deferred action will be able to remain in the country legally and obtain work permits.

Across the political spectrum, faith and law enforcement leaders recognize the importance of creating an immigration process that welcomes young people for whom “home” is America alone.

Half a dozen evangelical Christian leaders — including the Reverend Luis Cortes, Jr., president of Esperanza; Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; and Noel Castellanos, CEO of the Christian Community Development Association — expressed their support for the program the day before the government started fielding requests.

“As these children benefit from deferred action, our nation will come to realize that they represent not a burden but a blessing to the collective American experience,” Rodriguez said. “Now we urge Congress to keep pressing forward to pass a new immigration policy that will meet the needs of the 21st century.”

Hispanic evangelicals weren’t the only ones to step forward.

“Today dreams come true for young immigrants who have grown up in America,” said Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. “Now let us all dream of our country with new immigration laws of opportunity and justice for all.”

These leaders see the moral imperative in keeping families and communities together and honoring the fundamental rights of young people who were brought to this country as children — the rights to work, study and pray that we all value.

On the law enforcement side, Mark Shurtleff, Utah’s Republican attorney general, continues to blaze a trail for an immigration debate that goes beyond partisan politics and rhetoric. Shurtleff penned an opinion piece in support of deferred action in which he cited not only DREAM students’ work ethic and loyalty but also strong economic arguments in favor of deferred action.

Oh, and he also made the point that setting priorities helps law enforcement use its limited resources wisely. Deferred action will help Shurtleff and other leaders focus on the real troublemakers instead of chasing down students and workers who contribute to our culture and are committed to our country.

These comments are just one example of an emerging consensus on immigrants and America, led by people who carry a bible, wear a badge or own a business. They appreciate that all of us must and can work together to create a stronger country, no matter where you were born.

Tempting though it may be to celebrate deferred action as a victory, it is a temporary step.

Now we must raise our sights higher, to the goal of federal laws that transcend partisanship and create a new immigration process — one that opens the door to freedom and opportunity for all who call America “home.”

Today is a new beginning. And it is only the beginning.

Ali Noorani is Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum.  

Original post: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/08/16/ali-noorani-for-young-immigrants-new-dawn/#ixzz23oLQDyEq

DREAMers Can Finally Achieve Their Dreams!

Posted by Zack L. on August 15, 2012

Deferred Action Application Process Begins Today

Today, tens of thousands of young DREAM students began applying for the “Deferred Action” policy so they can work and live in the United States for up to two years without fear of deportation.

As the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) began accepting applications, public education workshops and meetings are being held nationwide to make the process as easy as possible for DREAMers.

“This opens the door for DREAMers to achieve their dreams of becoming permanent citizens of the U.S.,” said Irma Rivera, spokesperson for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). “While we are grateful for this step in the right direction, it is just one step toward achieving comprehensive immigration reform.”

“Today is not only the start of applying for deferred action. It is the continuation of our fight to help all undocumented immigrants who have come to this country to achieve better lives for themselves and their families,” River said. “FIRM will be mobilizing DREAMers in its organizing efforts to achieve comprehensive immigration reform on the local, state and federal levels.”

In June, President Obama took a moral stand to protect young undocumented immigrants eligible for the DREAM Act from deportation. These young people were brought here by their parents before they were 16 years old and have been raised celebrating the Fourth of July while also invaluably educating their classmates about their cultures.

“These young people know the United States as their country,” Rivera said. “Finally, they are on a path to that being a legal reality.”

FIRM is a network of community-based immigrant advocacy organizations in 30 states.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012
Contact: Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org (202) 339-9331

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