A project of the Center for Community Change

Center for Community Change Calls for Jim DeMint’s Resignation

Posted by Sarah English on May 9, 2013

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 9, 2013
Contact:
For English language Media:
Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org, 202-339-9331, 202-441-3798 (cell)
For Spanish language Media:
Ricardo Ramírez, rramirez@communitychange.org,  202-339-9371, (202) 905-1738 (cell)

Leader of Conservative Foundation Should be Held Accountable for Repulsive Racialization of Immigration Debate

(WASHINGTON)–In response to the controversy over a Heritage Foundation report on immigration, Kica Matos, director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change, issued the following statement calling for Jim DeMint, President of the Foundation, to resign:

“No one should be surprised by the results of the Heritage Foundation’s “economic study” about the cost of immigration reform. After all, its president, Jim DeMint, is someone who has a history of unabashed opposition to immigration reform. And the Foundation has been an outspoken opponent of any type of legislation that would provide a path to citizenship to the 11 million undocumented immigrants in our country.  This toxic combination led to the release of a report that has been widely criticized for its intellectual dishonesty and blatant racism.

The results from The Heritage Foundation’s study would be laughable if the undercurrents of the study weren’t so disturbingly anti-immigrant and openly hostile to immigrant families.

Heritage completely ignores...

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Children, Grandchildren, Urge Congress to Reunite Their Families Separated by Broken Immigration System

Posted by Sarah English on May 9, 2013

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 9, 2013
Contact:
For English language Media:
Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org, 202-339-9331, 202-441-3798 (cell)
For Spanish language Media:
Ricardo Ramírez, rramirez@communitychange.org,  202-339-9371, (202) 905-1738 (cell)

Kids’ Caregivers Either Deported or Facing Deportation

(WASHINGTON)—As the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first markup on the immigration bill, the children and grandchildren of deported caregivers or with parents facing deportation held a vigil today on Capitol Hill as part of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement’s (FIRM) effort to improve the path to citizenship in the immigration proposal and to keep families together now.

Jacqueline Garcia, 16, of Arizona, spoke of her grandfather’s deportation in 2012. Since he had been the guardian for her and her 14-year-old brother, Jacqueline spoke of the hardship her family has faced ever since.

“I work two jobs because my grandmother is disabled and cannot work, so I have to support my family now,” said Garcia, who is a member of the FIRM group Promise Arizona. “I want Congress to know how much my grandfather sacrificed for me and my brother and one day, I hope to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice so I can make sure no other family is separated like mine because...

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Reminding Congress That the Fight is About Families

Posted by Sarah English on May 8, 2013

Now that the long-awaited immigration reform bill has been introduced, the real work begins. Amendments to the bill are now available online for public review. Tomorrow, the process known as markup will begin, in which the Senate Judiciary Committee will review amendments and debate and rewrite the proposed legislation.

To ensure that critical changes are made to the bill, such as expansion of the right to reunite, restoration of the family visa program and expansion of the path to citizenship by shifting the date of presence requirement, the Center and our allies will be working tirelessly to put pressure on Congress and remind lawmakers that, in the words of Angelica Salas of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, “This fight has always been, and continues to be, about our families.”

Families affected by deportation will be attending hearings and holding vigils outside Congressional buildings throughout markup. Congressional offices will be flooded with lobby visits from hundreds of family members. Legislators will be receiving tens of thousands of photographs of families that will be impacted by the bill, all in an effort to keep the stories of families like Silverio’s a top priority.

silverio's family

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