WELCOME – UULMCA Immigrant Justice Webinar

Agenda

AGENDAPresenters: Daniel Stracka, Richard Hobbs, and Rev. Lindi Ramsden

UULMCA Immigrant Justice Steering Committee members

•Opening Words•Welcome and Intros •Comparison of President and Senate “Gang of 8” Proposals with Compassionate Immigration Reform •Next Steps•Resources•Q & A •Closing

Opening WordsExcerpt from Prayer for Migrants

By Jane Deren

For all those who see "home" and all it meansDisappear behind them;

For all those who cannot see a homeIn the days ahead of them;

For all those who dwell in Daily insecurity;

For all those who are weary andWithout a safe place to rest their heads;

For all families in migration we pray.

Welcome & Introductions

• Your Name• Congregation • On this ground hog day,

where you live, what is your weather report for immigrant justice?

Ground Hog Day Have we been here before?

What is today’s Immigration Weather Report?

• The politics are more public

• Less posturing• Softer language…

• Potential to create an underclass• Pre-conditions will prolong family

separation• Eroded civil liberties of those with no

criminal background• Penalties

but…some clouds

Compassionate Immigration Reform

What is Compassionate Immigration Reform?

• Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform (Interfaith Immigration Coalition)

• Rectifying the Violation of Fundamental Human Rights

The right to live in family – The right to work – The right to vote & participate – The right to federal jobs – The right to serve on juries – The right to a safety net – The right to higher education – The right to drive and travel -- The right to live free from fear

• Compassionate vs. Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Compassionate Immigration Reform

1. Prioritize family unity. 2. A reasonable path to earned citizenship.3. Create stability – to study, to work, to hire

employees. 4. Foster safe inclusive communities.5. Restore due process and humanitarian

values.

Five Essential Features of Compassionate Immigration Reform

President’s & Senate’s “Gang of 8”

proposals share some broad principles.

But…the details matter!

1. Create a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants already here

2. Improve our legal immigration system & attract the world’s best and brightest

3. Implement strong employment verification

4. Admit new workers and protect worker’s rights

Senate “Gang of 8” Proposal

1. Continue to strengthen border security2. Crack down on employers who hire

undocumented workers3. Earned citizenship4. Streamline legal immigration

President’s Principles

Prioritize Family Unity

Proposals •Reduce Visa backlogs –

• President calls for immediate temporary increase in visas:• Senate is silent on how to reduce backlog

•President calls for keeping families together, including same –sex couples, Senate does not.

•Neither mention removing “unlawful presence penalties” (currently a 3 or 10 year wait before allowed to re-enter the US)

Currently - families are separated for decades due to: • long visa backlogs, • 3 and 10 year bar to re-entry• restrictions on who is eligible for relief of deportation • same-sex couples are excluded.

Earned legalization

Proposals •Both offer a path to permanent residence and eventual citizenship (opponents call this amnesty)

• Registration process with additional background checks,• Require that unauthorized go to the “back of the line”• Pay taxes• Learn English and civics• Show history of work in US and current employment

•Senate proposal has major preconditions before allowing permanent residency (next slide)

Currently: 11 million immigrants are unable to: live with family, work legally, vote, drive, serve on a jury, receive a loan for higher education

Earned legalization

Senate Proposal – has major preconditions before allowing permanent residency

• securing the borders first - using drones & increased militarization

• a commission to determine when security is achieved, • a visa tracking system to make sure legal immigrants

leave when required

President’s proposal does not have pre-conditions

Currently: 11 million immigrants are unable to: live with family, work legally, vote, drive, serve on a jury, receive a loan for higher education

Opportunities to work and study

Both Proposals:

•Support Dreamers, agricultural workers, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)

•Require mandatory E-Verify – however, President’s phases in over 5 years and has exemptions for some small business

President’s proposal creates a tamper resistant Social Security Card and Work authorization

Currently lack legal access to higher education and stable work

Safe Communities

Neither proposal discontinues “Secure Communities”

Both target for deportation immigrants who have committed crimes

Militarization makes border communities unsafe

Currently “Secure Communities” has deported over 90,000 in California alone, ripping apart families and creating distrust of local law enforcement

Immigrant Integration

President’s proposal encourages linguistic, civic and economic integration of immigrants

Currently, language and citizenship classes not adequately funded

Restore Due Process Protections and Humanitarian Values

President’s proposal

•addresses humanitarian concerns by eliminating current limitations for asylum seekers

•Increases number of immigration judges

•Streamlines deportation of undocumented for national security reasons (raises concern for due process)

Currently families are separated when a parent is removed - about 2 million U.S. citizen children who have at least one parent who is undocumented.

Priorities for Advocacy

Support: Compassionate immigration reform, including:• A generous, not onerous, earned legalization• Increase in visa numbers • Full equal rights for same sex couples

Priorities for Advocacy

Priorities for Advocacy

Oppose: •Increased militarization of the border •Conditioning the grant of permanent residence on border security•Temporary guest worker programs that don’t lead to green cards •Requiring the undocumented to go to the “back of the line” (19 year wait if family visa caps are not increased) •Continued use of “secure communities”

Priorities for Advocacy

We are poised at a historic moment with the opportunity to affect one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time. 

67% of Americans support immigration reform

Unitarian Universalists and people of faith can help engage and educate those who are not “the usual suspects.” We need the whole community!

 This is the time to act!

We Can Do This!

• Pew Hispanic Center • Immigrants & Demography Research

(some fascinating studies!)

• Immigration Policy Center • Legalize Who? A Portrait of the 11 Million Unauthorized Immigrants in the United Stat

es (IPC Fact Sheet, 1/13)

• An Immigration Stimulus: The Economic Benefits of a Legalization Program (IPC Fact Sheet, 1/13)

• Back to the Future: The Impact of Legalization Then and Now (IPC Special Report, Republished 1/13)

• Economic Progress via Legalization: Lessons from the Last Legalization Program (IPC Special Report, 11/09)

Immigration Research Resources

Compassionate Immigration Reform

1) Focus on the President, Senate Leaders and National immigrant advocacy organizations to get a compassionate bill without inhumane enforcement mechanisms.

3) Advocate with the House of Representatives.

4) Piecemeal Legislation if CIR Does Not Pass• DREAM Act • AgJobs• Residency Campaign for Central Americans with TPS• STEM Act• Uniting American Families Act (LBGT)

Strategies - National

Compassionate Immigration Reform

• The California TRUST Act – AB4 (Ammiano) - starts in Assembly Public Safety – Orange County and San Diego key

• Drivers License Bill – AB60 (Alejo) - starts in Assembly Transportation

• Get the Governor’s support

Strategies - Statewide

Strategies - Local • Mayors, City Councils, County Boards, Police

Chiefs & Sheriffs• Business and Congregational endorsements

Advocacy

Senator Feinstein – 4 regional offices •San Francisco Los Angeles•Fresno San Diego

As a person of faith, I urge the Senator to support a common sense, humane immigration reform bill that prioritizes family unity and creates a generous pathway to citizenship for aspiring Americans who are currently undocumented. I ask that she recognize that onerous enforcement mechanisms can create a permanent underclass which harms families and divides communities.

CIR Advocacy in the Senate

Many New Members of Congress

53 California Representatives

How we can help

•Identify stories of family separation where the family is willing to be public.

•Sign on letter from your congregation or clergy to endorse compassionate immigration reform.

•Identify supportive “Grass Tops” in your congregation and community.

How We Can Help

Public Witness

• Passover (starts March 26)

• Easter Week (March 24 -31)

Join with your local interfaith coalition!

Faith events & Vigils

Public Witness

•February – build coalitions, seek endorsements

•March 15-16 LA Central American TPS

•March 12 – 14 1 Million Calls to Congress

•April 10 – National Day of Action in DC with local echoes

•May 1st International Worker Day Mobilization in Major Cities

Timeline for Action

UULM Lobby Day in Sacramento

May 19th evening & May 20th

Immigrant Day in Sacramento

Come up Sunday evening to build UU community, or come on Monday to join with our allies at California Immigrant Policy Center

• March 23 – Orange County

• April 6 - San Joaquin Valley (tentative)

• April 26 (3-5PM Friday) UU Western Regional Assembly – San Jose

• May 11 – Sacramento (tentative)

Motivate: EducateUULMCA Regional Spring Justice Trainings

Educate Experiential Learning

Human Rights on the Border TripMarch 14 – 17, 2013Register Here

Contact Rev.Tera Little at PSWD

Farmworker Reality TourWatsonville from May – November – arrange a date with: Human Agenda and the Center for Farmworker Families

Link with local immigrant services partners

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Detention Center VisitationHealthcare EnrollmentDay Labor SupportDREAMers

Detention Visitation

Detention Visitation ResourcesLost in Detention – Frontline Video• Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement CIVIC• Detention Watch Network• Visiting Immigrants in U.S. Detention Facilities - Detention Watch Manual• The Sojourner Detention Program video • Lutheran Access Toolkit• Women's Refugee Commission

If your congregation is interested in learning more please contact: Jan Meslin from the UULMCA Immigrant Justice Team jmeslin@cox.net

CIR Collaborating Organizations

Asian Pacific American Legal Center APALC (LA)

CCC Center for Community Change (DC)

CHIRLA Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights for LA (LA)

Interfaith Immigration Coalition (national)

CIPC California Immigrant Policy Center

CA CLUE Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – (East Bay, LA, San Jose, San Diego)

COFEM Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamérica (LA)

Episcopal Diocese of California (SF Bay Area)

JFI – Justice for Immigrants (Catholic Bishops)

Mi Famila Vota (Riverside)

NDLON National Day Labor Organizing Network (LA and National)

PICO California (19 local faith based federations across the state)

NBOP – North Bay Organizing Project (Gamaliel)

SIREN Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network (Silicon Valley)

United Farm Worker Foundation (LA, Salinas, Bakersfield)

Community Partners TRUST Act

California Immigrant Policy Center

ACLU Immigrant Rights Project

California Dream Network

National Day Labor Organizing Network

Asian Law Alliance - Santa Clara County

UU & Interfaith Resources

Unitarian Universalist

UU Legislative Ministry, CA & UULM Action Network, CA

UU RISE UU Refugee and Immigration Services and Education

UUA Immigrant Justice Resources

PSWD Border Issues & Migration Resources

Interfaith

Interfaith Immigration Coalition

PICO California Affiliates Photo by Mike Kerwin East Bay UUs protest expansion of Contra Costa Jail to hold more immigrant detainees

California CLUE Interfaith Committtee for Worker Justice (San Diego)Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (SF East Bay)

Ventura County Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice

Stay Connected!

• UULMCA Immigrant Justice monthly callsPlease send the name of your congregation’s Immigrant Justice contact to lramsden@uulmca.org

• UULM Cluster Collaboration with the forming Alliance for Citizenship “Tables”

• Daniel Stracka – San Diego County• Jan Meslin – Orange County• Richard Hobbs – Santa Clara County• Barbara Moore & Rev. Tera Little – LA County• Bob Lane – Contra Costa• Amy Moses Lagos – SF and Peninsula• Natalie Da Silva – Alameda County

Make Friends

Q & A - General Discussion

Together we are making a difference.

The UULMCA Immigrant Justice Team has made great strides in engaging UUs in moving from promise to commitment, from talking justice to doing justice. Together we are doing more than we could ever do alone!

Thank you for joining us!www.uulmca.org