A project of the Center for Community Change

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Immigrant Rights Coalition Gives Senate Deadline to Introduce Immigration Bill

Posted by Alesia on February 21, 2013

For Immediate Release: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013

Contact:

For English-Speaking Media:

Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org, 202-339-9331, 202-441-3798 (cell)

For Spanish-Speaking Media:

Ricardo Ramirez, rramirez@communitychange.org (202) 905-1738

 

**UPDATED VERSION**

Immigrant Rights Coalition Gives Senate Deadline to Introduce Immigration Bill

Families Will Tell their Stories of Hardship Under Current Immigration Laws

March 21st Deadline will be Marked with Daily Stories

 

(WASHINGTON)—The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) today gave the Senate’s “Gang of 8” until March 21st to introduce an immigration reform bill that lays out a clear path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country.

“We will only support legislation that contains a reasonable time to attain citizenship, and, keeps our families together as they work toward becoming full-fledged Americans,” said FIRM spokesperson Kica Matos. FIRM is a coalition of immigrant rights groups in 30 states. “The Gang of 8 and all other members of Congress should be aware that our families will be telling their stories of how the broken immigration system has torn their families apart.”

The families will be telling their stories during FIRM’s “Keeping Families Together” national bus tour that kicks off on Monday, Feb. 25, in Chicago. The tour will take place in 19 states and in over 90 cities, with families at every stop telling why achieving comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship must be the number one priority of Congress.

Some bus tour facts:

*Traveling in 19 states, logging more than 20,000 miles
*Visiting over 90 cities
*Over 500 families participating
*Visiting over 100 congressional districts and 38 U.S. Senate offices

Jennifer Martinez, an American citizen, will tell how her four children still are fearful that she too will someday be taken by police, as their dad was last year and deported back to Mexico.

“My children cry every day for their daddy and I cry whenever I have to leave them,” Jennifer said. “I never get to see them because I need to work two jobs to support us. My family has been torn apart.”

Jose-Antonio Machado, 17, and his twin brother, Juan-Manuel, may never see their mother again, since she was deported back to Nicaragua two years ago.

“My brother and I are lucky because we have been granted Deferred Action status because we are DREAMers,” Jose-Antonio said. “But I want my mother to be able to live here in the U.S. with us so we can be a family again.”

FIRM is asking the Gang of 8 to adhere to several principles, outlined here (link to shortened letter) as they craft an immigration bill:

**Completion of enforcement “triggers” must NOT be tied to a path to citizenship
**Reform must include a meaningful, unencumbered path to citizenship
**Family reunification must be the bedrock of a reform package that includes LGBT people
**Reform must provide opportunities for safe future migration and ensure worker protections

“FIRM will stand firm on these principles and we are prepared to press the Gang of 8 to adhere to them,” Matos said. “We WILL hold firm to the March 21st deadline and when the bus tour kicks off on Feb. 25th, will be start our ’25 Stories, 25 Days’ countdown to the deadline.”

“I hope on March 21st, the story we tell that day will be of a Senate bill that includes a path to citizenship,” Matos added.

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Jose Antonio Vargas Gives Voice to Families in Immigration Reform Testimony

Posted by Alesia on February 14, 2013

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013

Contact:

English-language media: Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org (202) 339-9331

Spanish-language media: Ricardo Ramirez, rramirez@communitychange.org (202) 905-1738

Jose Antonio Vargas Gives Voice to Families in Immigration Reform Testimony

Senate Must Take Action Now on a Bill With a Path to Citizenship 

(WASHINGTON)—Jose Antonio Vargas today provided a powerful voice to undocumented immigrant families in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship. And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she has never seen a better opportunity to pass a comprehensive immigration bill until now.

The Senate must seize this opportunity and take action on a bill with a path to citizenship. And they must remember Vargas’s testimony and the words of other undocumented immigrants, said Kica Matos, spokesperson for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a coalition of immigrant rights groups in 30 states.

Vargas asked the Senate Judiciary Committee members “What do you want to do with us?” before recounting how he was brought to America from the Philippines by his grandfather an American citizen. Vargas is the only member of his extended family who is undocumented.

“The Senate must not let political infighting and one-upmanship derail bipartisan legislation that is humane and compassionate and will allow the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country work to become full-fledged Americans,” said Matos, also the Director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice for the Center for Community Change. The Center is a FIRM member.

“The House must also remember families as they craft legislation that must include a path to citizenship,” Matos added. “We will not support any legislation that does not provide undocumented immigrants a way to become full-fledged Americans.”

 

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Immigrant Rights Groups Won’t Settle For Anything Less Than a Path to Citizenship

Posted by Michael on January 29, 2013

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013

Contact:
English language media: Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org (202) 441-3798
Spanish language media: Ricardo Ramirez, rramirez@communitychange.org (202) 905-1738

 

Immigrant Rights Groups Won’t Settle For Anything Less Than a Path to Citizenship

Fair Immigration Reform Movement Praises President
Nearly 40 FIRM Family Members Attend Obama’s Speech

(WASHINGTON)—The nation’s largest grassroots immigrant rights organization today said it won’t settle for anything less than a clear and reasonable path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country.

Members of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) applauded President Obama for making immigration reform his top priority and are encouraged by the bipartisan plan issued by a group of Senators, while stressing the importance of lawmakers focusing on keeping families together.

“FIRM is adamant that all immigration bills that come before Congress must include a path to citizenship, and keeping all families together,” said FIRM spokesperson Kica Matos, also the Director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice for the Center for Community Change, which is a member of FIRM. “Our current patchwork of failed and mismanaged immigration policies is tearing families apart every day. Today, the President put that reality and some of the solutions creating a more just and humane immigration system front and center.”

“A roadmap to citizenship must be fair and without insurmountable barriers so that it will not take decades for immigrants to become full-fledged Americans,” Matos added. “Latinos and immigrants spoke loud and clear during the 2012 elections and we will continue to harness our political power to get an immigration bill passed that includes citizenship and measures that keep families together in this country.”

FIRM has launched a campaign called “Keeping Families Together” to give a voice to undocumented people living in our country. The men, women and children who have had their families torn apart by our nation’s broken immigration are speaking out about the need for reform that includes a path to citizenship.

Present today at Obama’s speech was Zuleyma Barajas, a Deferred Action recipient. Zuleyma and her sister were brought to America by their parents from Mexico. Last June, the President took a moral stand to protect young undocumented immigrants eligible for the DREAM Act from deportation.

“This is my country, I’ve been here since I was a child,” Zuleyma said. “My sister and I are grateful for our Deferred Action status, but I want my parents to have the same opportunity to remain in America and continue to work toward our citizenship.”

Zuleyma worked with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) last year helping the group inform registered voters to go to the polls. She hopes to be able to vote in the next election cycle.

For more stories, go to www.keepingfamiliestogether.net.

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