UPDATE: Walter Lara will not be Deported

Today Walter Lara was granted a one year stay of his deportation.

Tell Secretary Napolitano thank you for exercising her discretion and recognizing the value of students like Walter. Click here to THANK her. The Secretary has acted now it’s up to Congress to act to make the DREAM Act the law of the land.

Walter will deliver the thank you letter to the Department of Homeland Security and you can show your support for Secretary Napolitano and the DREAM Act by co-signing today.

Senator Al Franken: Mark one more for immigration reform

This week, the Minnesota Supreme Court (finally) ruled that Al Franken is, in fact, the newest Senator in the United States Congress. The decision comes after an 8 month long debate over the seat, complete with recounts and the drama of a legal battle. Franken’s victory ousted Republican Norm Coleman, who conceded defeat after the court’s ruling.

The blogosphere is buzzing with what this means for Congress, however, America’s Voice has noted that Franken will most likely be a sensible vote for immigration reform. The evidence includes Franken saying it would be impractical to deport 12 million people and that it should be a priority to keep families together. Check out America’s Voice research here.

Welcome, Senator Franken. We are counting on you to add yet another voice to the call for a sensible and solution-oriented approach to immigration reform.

E-N-G-L-I-S-H Only: Spelling Failure in the Restrictionist Movement

I know this story is two weeks old, but I haven’t had as much time to post lately and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post something this hilarious. Instead of adding my voice to the comments, I’m going to repost what Seth Hoy, at Immigration Impact had to say about this epic fail:

At a c-o-n-f-e-r-e-n-c-e hosted by Pat Buchanan and the American Cause this weekend, America’s best and brightest conservative strategists discussed how Republicans could regain a majority in America. Peter Brimelow, owner of the anti-immigrant website VDare.com, suggested an English-only initiative with the aim of “winning over working class white Democrats.” The only problem with this idea is that the word “conference” on the banner hanging over their heads is misspelled: “conferenece.”

For the full story, check out ThinkProgress’s blog post.

The irony is really too much. For anyone who hadn’t seen this yet, you’re welcome for the morning laugh.

VIDEO: Addressing America’s Health Apartheid

Check out this video of our Executive Director, Deepak Bhargava, addressing the racial disparities of Health Care in America. Equity must be a part of any true reform of the system – one part of that equity is immigrant inclusion.

Originally posted at the CCC blog – HT to Dennis Chin, videographer extraordinaire.

FIRM Spotlight: Voces de la Frontera celebrates In-state Tuition Victory in WI

On June 29th,Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the 2009-2011 state budget, including a provision requiring state Universities to charge in-state tuition to “undocumented students who have lived in Wisconsin at least 3 years prior to graduating from high school or obtaining a GED”. Wisconsin is the 11th state to level the educational playing field, following in the footsteps of  Texas, Oklahoma, New York, California, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Illinois, New Mexico and Washington. This is also another step forward in the passage of the DREAM Act.

This is a historic victory for the youth of Wisconsin, including SUFRIR and SUITS – two youth organizing groups who were integral in the fight for in-state tuition. And while the celebration of victory was ocurring, advocates in Wisconsin also lamented the defeat of a measure in this year’s budget that would have created a drivers’ card for immigrants.

Christine Neumann-Oritz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera (a FIRM partner), said:

This is no doubt a historic day for civil rights in education, but the crisis in the immigrant community created by the loss of drivers licenses will not go away. It goes without saying that we along with our partners in the Coalition for Safe Roads will work to see that legislation is introduced this session for drivers cards.

Congratulations to all of the youth and activists who made this victory possible – especially to VDLF and SUFRIR. We are standing FIRM with you in your fight for immigrant rights and comprehensive reform.

Big-City Police Chiefs Urge Overhaul of Immigration Policy

Yesterday, I noted that law enforcement officials from across the country were gathering in Miami to add their voices to the growing call for comprehensive immigration reform. Today, the New York Times has a detailed write-up of the panel discussion yesterday.

Chief Timoney, Chief Art Acevedo of the Austin Police Department in Texas and former Chief Art Venegas of the Sacramento Police Department said local law enforcement had been undermined by the blurred line between crimes and violations of immigration law, which are civil.

Those who call illegal immigrants “criminals,” they said at a news conference here, are misreading the law and hurting their own communities by scaring neighbors who could identify criminals.

“When you remove the emotion from the debate,” Chief Acevedo said, “no one can argue that it is in the best interest of public safety to keep these people living in the shadows.”

The police chiefs here, having spent most of their careers in cities with large immigrant communities, said it would be impossible to send the nation’s 10 million to 15 million illegal residents home. They criticized last year’s roundups of illegal immigrants at workplaces, and the federal 287(g) program that has given at least 63 police departments a role in deporting illegal immigrants.

I have been writing about the 287(g) program and its negative effects for the past year, and its extremely encouraging to see law enforcement officials stand up for public safety in their own communities.

So, to re-cap, police chiefs from across the country believe that the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country should be brought out of the shadows in order to make our communities safer. I think it is also worth highlighting that even law enforcement agents believe the criminalization of undocumented immigrants is detrimental to communities.

Faith leaders, labor leaders, law enforcement leaders, community organizations, leadership of the House and Senate, the President of the United States and the majority of the American public believe that the time is now for immigration reform. I’m not sure how to make a more convincing argument for why this legislation urgently needs to happen this year.

Police Officers Speak out for Immigration Reform

This morning, leading law enforcement officials from across the country are voicing their opinions about immigration reform. A panel discussion took place in Miami, FL that included: Chief John Timoney, of Miami; Chief Art Acevedo, of Austin, Texas; and former Chief Art Venegas, of Sacramento, Calif. Acevedo is also head of the National Latino Peace Officers Association.

It seems as though even law enforcement agrees that the current immigration system is broken and must be reformed. The panel comes on the heels of  the Washington State Sheriff’s Association issuing an urgent call for changes to the immigration system. Our partner group One America reports that the Sherriff’s Association released a letter to the Department of Homeland Security detailing their support of reform. Below is an excerpt:

For years, the federal government has failed to deal with the broken immigration system and left our communities to deal with the effects:  illegal drug trade; smugglers who take advantage of immigrant workers and families; criminals who prey on immigrants because they believe they won’t be reported; the expense on local courts and local jails… The time is now to fix the broken immigration system and its safe-guards.

It is clear that even law enforcement officials understand the toll our broken immigration system is having on the country. It is time to reform immigration, for public safety.

ACTION: 3 ways to Help Stop Walter Lara’s Deportation

Walter Lara is a 23 year old Honor Student. He graduated from high school and college with honors. He has lived in the United States since he was 3 years old, when his family immigrated from Argentina.

Walter Lara will be deported in 5 days, unless Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano intervenes on his behalf.

Here are three ways you can help:

1. Call Janet Napolitano, using SEIU’s “click-to-call” page by clicking here.
2. Sign the letter to be delivered to DHS tomorrow by clicking here.
3. If you are on Twitter, follow Walter here and then re-tweet this post: RT @WalterLaraUSA: This is my last chance,please call Secretary Napolitano right now.  http://www.seiu.org/callforwalter

Senator Bill Nelson has drafted a letter to Sec. Napolitano requesting that they defer action on Walter’s deportation because “he has earned the chance to live and work here and call America home.”

The provost of Miami Dade college, where Walter earned his degree had this to say about Walter’s impending deporation:

”Now that we have educated this individual with 15 years of public American education, we are going to send him back to a foreign country. I consider that a waste.”

I couldn’t agree more. Because of talented (and undocumented) youth like Walter, the United State MUST pass the DREAM Act.

Also, for coverage of the recent DREAM Act graduations across the country, check out DreamActivist – I have been wanting to do a round-up of this coverage but sadly have had little time to dedicate to blogging recently. This will change soon. I hope.

A Way Forward on Immigration

Last Thursday’s meeting at the White House was hailed by many as merely a symbolic gesture to “dampen” expectations of immigration reform this year. The truth, however, is that it was a clear sign that immigration reform under the Obama administration will happen – and soon.

Today, the New York Times has an insightful op-ed on what the meeting means in the fight for reform.

It led to a persuasive show of unity among Republicans and Democrats. Both sides made the case for getting a comprehensive reform bill written and passed this year, or early next. Mr. Obama announced that the homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, would lead a working group of both parties and houses of Congress to do that.

It now seems more likely than before that Mr. Obama is ready to lead the way, uniting problem-solvers in both parties out of a long-stalemated debate.

For the skeptics out there who think that the administration will only continue to pay lip-service to this issue, with no action, I think you must consider what is at stake if the administration fails to act

He’d better, because the alternative — another crashing letdown and the traditional exchanges of blame — is awful to consider. Expectations for reform have been steadily rising since the unprecedented Hispanic turnout and Democratic victories of last November. Those hopes have been given a dreadful urgency by the harsh enforcement regime of raids and deportations begun under the Bush administration, which have piled suffering onto hopelessness for millions of people, but not brought the country any closer to a solution.

The way forward is clear. Immigration reform is priority for Congress and the Obama administration and it will be addressed.

Obama Rings the Opening Bell on Immigration Reform

Obama’s remarks from last week’s White House meeting on immigration reform.