A DREAM DEFERRED - Watch the vid, SIGN the petition

Brave New Films has just launched- A DREAM Deferred - a blog and video project in support of the DREAM Act. Individuals and organizations from around the country are joining forces to tell WHOEVER is president that we want the DREAM Act in the first 100 days.

Over 4,500 folks have signed in the first day, let’s keep ‘em coming!

Watch the VIDEO >> Sign the Petition >> tell a friend!

Who is on our bus? and where is this bus going? Progressives see light after 8 years….

 Wanted to share this speech with our community….

Deepak BhargavaRemarks at Closing of Take Back AmericaMarch 19, 2008 

Thank you to the Campaign for America’s Future for its work and for organizing this progressive gathering.  It is a pleasure to be speaking here today with such extraordinary progressive leaders as Anna Burger, Cecile Richards and David Bonior.  

 It seems that the progressive bus is moving down along the highway, and after 8 brutal years, that is worth celebrating. The big questions for progressives today are: “who is on our bus?,” “who is driving the bus,” “where is this bus going” and “who might get run over by the bus along the route”? 

Our history is instructive.  A Republican President, Richard Nixon, gave us affirmative action and proposed a guaranteed annual income for the poor.  Our last Democratic Administration gave us welfare reform, NAFTA, a disastrous crime bill, and punitive immigration reform.  The point is not that elections don’t matter: they matter a great deal.  The point is that the strength of outside movements –and who and what we hold to be at the moral center of our agenda– matters very much to our collective future. 

As happens every even numbered year, there will be massive voter mobilization efforts in low-income communities of color.  The question for all of us is: will those constituencies be central or marginal to the progressive agenda after the election is over? 

This question will play out in ways big and small in 2009.  

Will we put justice for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina at the center of our agenda?  How about reducing or eliminating poverty?  A path to citizenship for 12 million undocumented immigrants? Relief for the victims of subprime lending? 

The evidence of the last couple of years is not heartening in this regard.  As we speak, a hardy band of House Democrats are pushing for a bill that would be just as bad as the Tancredo bill that sparked the mass mobilizations in immigrant communities in 2006. Talk about wresting defeat from the jaws of victory. 

Issues that will probably be at the top of a new President’s agenda in 2009 at first glance have little to do with poverty or race on further consideration pose some stark choice for our movement.    

One of the hidden consequences of climate change legislation is that the increase in energy prices would amount to a tax of $1000 on the poorest 20% of Americans –who earn about $13,000 per year.  Will we as progressives hold as a bottom line the notion that we won’t tolerate driving families more deeply into poverty? 

We hope that universal health care legislation will be on the table in 2009.  We know from the SCHIP debate that immigrants will be the leading wedge used by the opposition to derail the legislation.  Will we throw immigrants under the bus as a matter of expediency?  If so, we should probably call the legislation “health care for more of us,” not “health care for all of us.” 

John Powell has made the case for a set of principles for progressives that he calls “targeted universalism.” The idea is that we should fight for broad policies that benefit everyone, but in so doing that we pay special attention to the most vulnerable parts of our coalition –typically in our society, low-income people of color.  This is necessary because without that attention, our history shows that even historic advances of the kind achieved in the New Deal do not end up benefitting everyone, least of all those most in need.  The Federal Housing Administration created redlining, and the Unemployment Insurance and AFDC systems systematically excluded workers of color for decades. 

It would be wrong to think that this is only a moral question of inclusion, though surely it is.  It is also a strategic question: are we capable of showing that electoral outcomes make a difference to the lives of poor people of color, and in so doing replace the vicious cycle of under-participation with a virtuous cycle of increasing participation?  Do we want to build a progressive movement that can win not only today, but in the demographically changing America that is arriving?   

Progressives should embrace three principles going forward: first, the idea of community values –that we are all in it together, that we are striving to build a beloved community.  That means everyone is on the bus, we don’t let anyone get run over, and especially not the most vulnerable.  Second, we have a collective obligation to make sure that the politically most vulnerable have strong, well resourced organizations from the grassroots to think tanks so that they can drive the progressive bus. 

Finally, we must not confuse the electoral road with the progressive bus.  This is a mistake that conservatives have never made.  Electoral politics are means, not ends in themselves.  A progressive victory that does not reduce poverty and racial injustice will be neither progressive nor a victory.  We hold history in our hands, and now is the time to break some of the patterns of exclusion that have held our movement and the country back.  It’s up to all of us to rise to the challenge.  

FIRM Update 3.24.08

Building America Together! 

FIRM is partnering with the National Training and Information Center around a major event in Washington, DC April 12-14 called National People’s Action.  Please consider attending this event.  For more information, go to www.npa-us.org. 

Many organizations in FIRM are planning events on May 1st.  If your organization is planning to hold an event on or around May 1, please send a brief description of the event to rstolz@communitychange.org by April 4, 2008. 

In response to a request for videos on immigration and community values, the Movement Vision Lab received some great examples of videos that are now available for you to view.  Vote on the one that you like the best!  http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog/your-votes-community-values-immigration-video-contest/view 

Immigration Politics & Elections in 2008 

Quotations from the three major presidential candidates as reported on in US News and World Report: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/03/17/where-clinton-obama-and-mccain-stand-on-immigration.html An interesting quote from Senator McCain cautioning Republicans on use of anti-immigrant rhetoric in the 2008 elections: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/17/politics/politico/thecrypt/main3944618.shtml 

Congressional News 

Congress will be on recess for one more week before returning to Washington, DC April 1.  Now is the time to keep the pressure on US Representatives to make sure they do not sign the discharge petition on the SAVE Act.  For more information about the SAVE Act please contact rstolz@communitychange.org.  T

here are 181 signatures on the discharge petition; Republicans need only 218 to force the bill to the floor.  Keep the calls coming! The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights launched a full campaign against the SAVE Act last week.  To see a video a blog coverage of their campaign, go to http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/03/illinois-immigrants-communities-urging.html.  Here is a letter to the editor that Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights published last week: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-080320saveact_briefs,0,4905317,print.story. 

In the Senate, a coalition of United States Senators have formed the US Senate Border Security and Enforcement Caucus.  To see the members, go to http://vitter.senate.gov/bordersecuritycaucus.html Pressure is also mounting to support an H1B visa renewal.  http://blogs.computerworld.com/five_reasons_why_the_h_1b_visa_cap_will_increase (Note that this will continue to grow in significance in coming months as the business community maneuvers to get the Democratic Leadership to renew these visas without hitching it to broader immigration reform proposals.) 

State & Local News 

Before wrapping up their legislative session, Utah enacted an anti-immigrant bill that will allow local law enforcement agencies to coordinate with federal immigration officials, require public employees and contractors to verify the legal status of workers, and forbid localities from adopting so-called sanctuary policies.  The provisions of the bill will not be implemented until 2009 in hopes that a federal law may be enacted, and the bill did not include efforts to repeal in-state tuition.  To view the legislation go to http://le.utah.gov/~2008/htmdoc/sbillhtm/SB0081S01.htm.

 In Tennessee recent polls suggest a shift in opinion regarding immigration, as reported on in the Nashville Tennesseean: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080314/NEWS01/803140426 I

mmigration Agencies and Federal Regulations 

After a lot of waiting, the Department of Homeland Security is poised to release its new regulations on Social Security No Match letters next Tuesday.  Please find attached a copy of the rule prior to publication.  A number of national organizations have already begun to analyze the document; assuming that the regulation is released next week, anticipate a flurry of information, including action alerts in the coming days. 

An article in the NY Times higlights the abuse of power that some immigration agents have used against naturalization applicants.  This story focuses on an example of alleged sexual coersion: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Other articles have raised serious concerns regarding management of the immigration agencies and criminal behavior on the part of some agents, particularly those that deal with issues of immigration enforcement: http://www.star-telegram.com/national_news/story/512023.html 

Raids, Detentions and Deportations 

Please find attached an interesting article framing the growth of the “national security state, one raid at a time” by Robert Lovato for Public Eye. org: http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v23n1/immigrant_crackdowns.html 

FIRM Member Activities

 The Ayuda Business Coalition recently celebrated victories in the Virginia State Legislature, won in part by a wide range of community-based immigrant groups across the state.  For a summary of ABC’s role, please go to: http://ayuda.com/pages/page.cfm?id=41&pid=&eid=37;  For a review of state bills in Virginia, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/14/AR2008031403912.html. 

Allies and Partner Activities 

Last week the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) launched a new website: http://www.truthinimmigration.org/.  The purpose of the web site is to bring attention to the myths and hate speech being aired against immigrants and immigrant communities. 

On May 8, the Rights Working Group Liberty and Justice for All Campaign will be holding The Night of 1000 Conversations in support of immigrant rights and civil liberties.  For more information about the event, please go to http://www.rightsworkinggroup.org/?q=NOTC_May08. 

A new pro-immigrant organization, America’s Voice, announced its creation last week in Washington, DC.  The organization, which was created by the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and partner groups, received coverage on CNN: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/19/pro-immigration-group-opens-dc-war-room/ 

The Southern Poverty Law Center will hold a live webcast on March 26 at 2 PM Eastern Time to brief interested parties on their Year in Hate report, including the exponential rise in hate crimes and hate speech against immigrants and immigrant communities.  To register for the webcast go to: http://www.webcastgroup.com/client/start.asp?wid=0890326083995 

News to Use 

In the debate on health care, immigration has become a wedge issue being used by opponents of needed reforms to try to defeat such proposals.  At risk in this debate are immigrants themselves, regardless of their status.  This column ran in the Washington Post last weekend: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/15/AR2008031500172.html?referrer=emailarticle; it demonstrates why everyone should be covered.

 Please find the link to report from the National Employment Law Project highlighting economic risks states face by enacting harsh anti-immigrant legislation: http://www.nelp.org/docUploads/Costly%20in%20every%20way%20022108.pdf 

And here is a column that ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune linking strategies around reforming NAFTA to the immigration debate: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080229/news_lz1e29lewis.html 

Announcements 

The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is seeking an Immigrant Rights Project Manager.  Job announcement attached. The National Immigration Forum announced this week that Ali Noorani, currently head of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, would take the Forum’s executive director position.

GIVE a video maker $1,000 bucks!

HEY the movmeent vision lab has a great video contest for clips on immigration and community values.

Check out the videos and VOTE! You’ll help one of the video-makers to get $1,000!!!!

http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog/your-votes-community-values-immigration-video-contest/view

Live Blogging at Take Back America

hey folks,

We’re at the Take Back America conference- live blogging at the Movement Vision Lab.

FIRM UPDATE- want your feedback

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK - let us know on this post- are these updates useful? is there info missing? would you like to see other info? 

Want to get these updates in your email box? Sign up for our RSS feed (on the right hand bar).

FIRM is coordinating a range of activities in support of the organizing that we’ll need to do to strengthen our base and build our organizational membership going forward.  One of our main priorities is the Democracy Schools program, which was inspired in part by the Freedom and Citizenship Schools of the Civil Rights movement.  Organizations can get information on this multi-faceted curriculum at http://www.fairimmigration.org/learn/civic-engagement/democracy-schools.html.  For more information about the Democracy Schools curriculum (an open source curriculum that is adaptable to organizational needs), please contact Mayron Payes at the Center for Community Change at mpayes@communitychange.org.  

 Immigration Politics & Elections in 2008 

As reported in the US News and World Report, Sen. McCain is attempting to thread the needle between Hispanic and conservative voters on the immigration issue: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/03/14/mccain-must-appease-both-hispanics-and-conservatives-on-immigration.html 

A recent internal Republican poll in Colorado found that a majority of Republicans and Independents polled in Colorado CD 6 do not agree with the stances taken by the anti-immigrant wing of the Republican party: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8552360 

The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a hit-list of Democrats wrong on Immigration: Baird (WA), Bishop (GA), Boucher(VA), Boyd (FL), Braley (IA), Carney (PA), Edwards (TX), Hodes (NH), Kanjorski (PA), Larsen (WA), Loebsack (IA), McNerney (CA), Michaud (ME), Mollohan (WV), Shea-Porter (NH), and Welch (VT). 

Congressional News 

Last week, Republicans in the House of Representatives began circulating a discharge petition that could force the SAVE Act to the House floor for a vote if it receives 218 signatures, a simple majority of Representatives.  The move signaled a renewed anti-immigrant attack geared at vulnerable Democrats.  There are now 181 signatures on the petition (to see the list go to http://clerk.house.gov/110/lrc/pd/petitions/Dis5.htm).  For more information about discharge petitions and how they work, go to http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/97-552.pdf. 

The ACLU of Southern California has issued an alert that does a good job of framing the issue from a civil liberties lens: http://ga1.org/campaign/OpposeSAVEAct. 

The New York Times published an editorial on the SAVE Act and related measures last week: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/opinion/13thu1.html 

While the House is lurching toward a possible floor vote on the SAVE Act, there are negotiations also underway around a possible negotiated package of immigration-related measures.  Initial news reports suggest that this package will include some provision to renew the H2B Visa program, a modest renewal of the H1B Visa program, an employment verification provision and some elements of the SAVE Act related to border security, and provisions advocated by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus providing relief to undocumented immigrant families that could include a waiver of the 3 and 10-year bars on return for immigrants that have committed immigration violations, a five-year non-renewable temporary visa, and relief for familiy members of individuals in the military. These negotiations are driven by pressure on the SAVE Act, pressure on H1B Visas, pressure on H2B Visas and the CHC’s effort to use their leverage to prevent these other measures from moving forward without some relief for undocumented immigrants.  This article in the New York Times reflects pressure being directed toward the CHC by the business community to back off of their efforts: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/14visa.html?_r=2&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1205593313-HdoUcsgbhg48c3ivhhCYkA&pagewanted=print.

 In the mean time, in the Senate, a series of immigration related amendments were debated and voted on as part of the fight over the Senate’s budget resolution.  Note that the budget resolution is not binding, but provides parameters for future debates on binding legislation.  These amendments are a signal for where Senators are on a range of issues related to immigration heading into the elections and 2009.

 –Kennedy amendment to increase funding for the Department of Education’s English Literacy-Civics Education State Grant program, with an offset (#4350) was agreed to by a roll-call vote of 95-2.

–Alexander amendment to take $670,000 used by the EEOC in bringing actions against employers that require their employees to speak English, and instead use the money to teach English to adults through the Department of Education’s English Literacy/Civics Education State Grant program (#4222) was agreed to by a roll-call vote of 54-44.

–Menendez amendment to establish a reserve fund for immigration reform and enforcement (#4259) was agreed to by a roll-call vote of 53-45.

–Sessions amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for border security, immigration enforcement, and criminal alien removal programs (#4231) was agreed to by a roll-call vote of 61-37. 

–Vitter amendment to create a reserve fund to ensure that Federal assistance does not go to sanctuary cities that ignore the immigration laws of the United States and create safe havens for illegal aliens and potential terrorists (#4309) was tabled to by a roll-call of 58-40. 

–Dole amendment to increase amounts budgeted for States and local governments for expenses related to immigration enforcement training and support under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, with an offset (#4208) was accepted by voice vote. 

–Reid amendment to establish a reserve fund for studying the effect of cooperation with local law enforcement (#4373) was accepted by voice vote.

–Biden amendment to increase FY 2009 funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by $100 million, with an offset (#4166) was accepted by unanimous consent.

–Feinstein amendment to provide for a total of $950,000,000 in outlays for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program in fiscal year 2009. (#4225) was accepted by unaminous consent.

–Leahy amendment to add a deficit-neutral reserve fund for legislation that improves the participation of naturalized citizens in the US political process, strengthens national security by improving and expediting FBI security name checks, and reduces the backlog of naturalization applications for individuals seeking to become naturalized citizens (#4270, as modified) was accepted by unanimous consent. 

State & Local News 

Tired of waiting for the federal government, Arizona and Colorado are now considering legislation to create their own guest worker programs: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZoEanK6LDPjZgsMKkyMLLAGgLRAD8VDCAIO1 

A widely publicized employer crackdown bill in Indiana died in conference committee this week: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/LOCAL19/80313072 

A compelling article about a principle taking a stand for immigrant students in Arizona: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/education/12education.html 

FIRM Member Activities 

Organizations in Colorado, including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition denounced a racially motivated assault in Boulder, CO last week.  “It is time to stand up to the politicians and commentators who are fanning the flames of insecurity and prejudice around the immigration debate. They continue to contribute to racial and ethnic hostility,” Julien Ross of CIRC (julien@coloradoimmigrant.org).  

Following on worksite raids on Microsolutions in Van Nuys, California, CHIRLA has been organizing a major response with a wide range of allies in the region.  Please take a moment to review this video describing the impact of the raids at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG7cCxS5RH0&feature=email. 

A settlement associated with a law suit against ICE for conduct in these raids was announced last week. Hate Free Zone and a coalition of allies worked with the Governor to issue a new executive order on how Washington State will treat its newest Americans.   

Allies and Partner Activities 

The Progressive States Network recently launched a new coalition: State Legislators for Progressive Immigration Policy.  For more information on the effort, please go to http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1665/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=951. 

Federal Regulations, Naturalization Backlogs & Social Security No Match 

Emilio Gonzalez, the head of the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, announced that he will be leaving the agency last week.  He leaves in the midst of enormous naturalization backlogs that threaten to disenfranchise tens of thousands of immigrants that have filed to naturalize since the agency increased fees for naturalization applications. 

News to Use 

In Arizona, the Colores Actors-Writers Workshop is running a production called “The DREAM Act” by James E. Garcia.  For more information, go to http://www.americanlatino.net/caww/. 

The Immigration Policy Center recently released a new report on problems with the SSA No Match database and other employment verification proposals.  To view the report go to http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/index.php?content=fc080313b. 

The National Immigration Law Center recently released a paper providing additional information about problems with Employment Verification proposals.  http://www.nilc.org/immsemplymnt/ircaempverif/e-verify_infobrief_2008-03-13.pdf.  Additional information is available at http://www.nilc.org/immsemplymnt/ircaempverif/index.htm. 

An article in the Arizona Daily Star addressing the question: Why Don’t People Come Here Legally? http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/border/228697

ACTION ALERT- STOP the SAVE Act!!!!

Today the Republican leadership filed their “discharge petition” on the SAVE Act (the Shuler-Tancredo bill) and they are gathering signatures to force the bill to the House floor for a vote. 

1)  Get on the call:  National Advocates are inviting everyone onto a call this afternoon, Tuesday, March 11 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (4 Central, 3 Mountain, 2 Pacific) to provide updates and answer questions about these developments in Congress. 

Call-in information: 1-641-715-3300
Participant Access Code: 835651# 

2)  Call your Representatives TODAY and urge them to oppose the SAVE Act.   For a list of Representatives on the SAVE Act go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR04088:@@@P;  Urge these Representatives, especially the Democrats, to not sign the discharge petition.  At least one Representative who has co-sponsored the bill, Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) has publicly stated that he would not sign the discharge petition. 

We’ve included an action alert and background materials for your use. 

Urgent Action Alert  Call Your Representatives TODAY and demand that they reject the SAVE Act! 

Today the Republican leadership filed their “discharge petition” on the SAVE Act (the Shuler-Tancredo bill) and they are gathering signatures to force the bill to the House floor for a vote.   Call the Capitol Switchboard today at 202-225-3121 to reach your Representative. What would the SAVE Act do?

• It would require more than six million employers to verify the work status of more than 130 million workers within four years, regardless of their status, using a federal database already known to have an unacceptably high error rate. 
• It would make it easier for the government to put religious and humanitarian workers behind bars for so-called “alien smuggling.”
• In a half-baked attempt to address our immigration crisis, the bill would throw more resources toward ineffective border and interior enforcement rather than offer a comprehensive solution.

 We need leaders who will tackle the tough issues and solve a complicated problem intelligently, not offer false promises and empty rhetoric.  The SAVE Act is the return of the Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437).  It represents a failure in leadership and a cynically motivated attack on immigrant families. Who supports the SAVE Act?The chief co-sponsors of the SAVE Act are Rep. Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina), Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-California), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) who has made a career, including a failed presidential candidacy on anti-immigrant rhetoric.  Rep. Bilbray leads the House Immigration Reform Caucus and is a former lobbyist of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization recognized as a hate group by mainstream civil rights and research organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center. For a list of co-sponsors on the SAVE Act, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR04088:@@@P. 

Don’t let cynical election year politics hijack opportunities for real reform.  America needs rational, workable and humane immigration laws.  Make sure your voice gets heard!  

 The anti-immigrant groups are mobilizing too. 

I’ve pasted in an alert that they sent out this afternoon for you to see: 

Time to Act: Let’s Put on the Pressure!!!
Now Being Circulated: House Discharge Petition to force the “Enforcement-Only” SAVE Act to a Floor Vote!!
Urge Your Representative to Sign on Now!

House Minority Leaders are now introducing a “discharge petition” to force Speaker Pelosi and her leadership to bring the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act (H.R. 408 to a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.  SAVE is a bi-partisan bill that enjoys widespread support. 141 House members have signed on as co-sponsors. House Majority Leaders do not want the bill to move quickly to the floor. Therefore, a “discharge petition” is needed to move it to the floor for immediate consideration.A “discharge petition” is a special procedure designed to allow House members to bypass obstructionist committees and move a bill directly for full House consideration. 218 House members must sign the petition to allow it to go to the floor. If successful, the discharge petition will bring the bill before the House for a vote.  Moving the SAVE Act to the floor is our best chance this year to get the full House to vote on a pro-enforcement bill that can help stem the tide of illegal immigration.

About the SAVE Act:  The SAVE Act is a bi-partisan bill written by Congressman Heath Schuler (D) of North Carolina.  FAIR Advisory Board co-chair Congressman Brian Bilbray (R) of California has taken the lead for Republicans. The SAVE Act has been around since November 6, 2007, but it has languished in committee despite its widespread support in the House, including 48 Democrats. 

What would SAVE do? The SAVE Act would reduce illegal immigration by both increasing border security and by improving interior enforcement. The measure would add technology, infrastructure and personnel at the border.  It would provide grants to border towns and counties to assist with enforcement of criminal law.  The number of federal judges would be increased in border states,thereby  increasing the number of immigration offenses that could be tried in those states.  The SAVE Act would also bolster the alien smuggling and harboring provisions of INA §274. 

Most importantly, the SAVE Act would make it mandatory for all employers to use the E-Verify electronic employment verification system, creating a quick and efficient way to verify the legal status of their employees. This would reduce the employment magnet bringing so many illegal immigrants into the U.S.To repeat: The House Discharge Rule provides a way for members to bring legislation to the floor when it has become mired in the committee or when the majority refuses to allow floor action.  Under House Rules, a member may submit a discharge petition to the Clerk of the House on any bill committed for more than 30 days.  The Clerk then keeps the petition available for members until 218 signatures are achieved.  Once the discharge petition receives 218 votes, a member can make a motion for the bill to be discharged from committee and brought to the floor for a vote.

Please call your Representative TODAY to urge them to sign the discharge petition on the SAVE Act!

Please call your Representative TODAY to tell them that the SAVE Act — H.R. 4088 — is a common-sense first step in solving the immigration crisis.  Tell them that signing the discharge petition on the SAVE Act will help promote real immigration reform in the United States.  And tell them that if they have not yet co-sponsored the SAVE Act, NOW is the time to do so.We want Members of Congress to support this bill, and if they won’t, explain why publicly.Meantime, FAIR will keep you posted on the development of this strategy and provide you with up-to-date information on any counter-maneuvering by some pro-amnesty Members of Congress that could require a quick response. To find the phone numbers of your Representative, click here. 

FIRM Update 3.11.08

Immigration Politics & Elections in 2008 

Last Saturday, Democrat Bill Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis in a special election to replace former and retiring Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.  Oberweis, an anti-immigrant nativist, by all accounts should have won given the fact that this particular district in suburban and rural Illinois trends Republican.  The defeat marked an embarrasing loss for Republicans.  For commentary on the race go to http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/10/oberweis-immigration/. A summary of recent positions taken by the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates can be viewed on DailyKos at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/4/103149/5143/334/468521. 

Congressional News 

Last week, Republicans in the House and Senate announced a full court press on several anti-immigrant enforcement measures in both chambers of Congress. In the House of Representatives, Republican sponsors of the SAVE Act have begun to circulate a discharge petition in an effort to gather enough signatures to force a vote on the SAVE Act on the House Floor.  Only a simple majority is required to trigger the discharge petition.  At least a handful of Democrats are likely to sign the petition.   In the Senate, a coalition of Republican Senators is planning to introduce a series of anti-immigrant bills to try to raise the temperature on immigration in the Senate.  The list of bills follows, but it’s not complete.  For more information, e-mail rstolz@communitychange.org.   

·  S. 2710, sponsored by Senator Sessions, authorizes Homeland Security to use an employer’s failure to resolve a “no match” notice as evidence that the employer knowingly hired an illegal alien in violation of federal law (INA §274A(a));

·  S. 2711, sponsored by Senator Sessions, requires employers to use E-Verify and raises the penalties on employers who hire illegal aliens;

·  S. 2712, sponsored by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), mandates that Homeland Security complete the 700 miles of fence required by the Secure Fence Act by 2010;

·  S. 2713, sponsored by Senator David Vitter (R-LA), prohibits federal community policing funds from being distributed to states and municipalities with sanctuary policies;

·  S. 2716, sponsored by Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), authorizes the National Guard to continue guarding the border;

·  S. 2717, sponsored by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), expands the participation of state and local officials in the enforcement of immigration laws through the 287(g) program;

·  S. 2720, sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), denies financial aid to countries and prohibits the issuance of visas to nationals of countries that unreasonably delay or deny repatriation of those ordered removed by the U.S.;

·  S. 2721, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), modifies the U.S. citizenship examination; and

·  S. 2722, sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), prohibits aliens who are repeat drunk drivers from receiving legal status or immigration benefits.  

State & Local News 

This week, NPR ran the following story on Sheriff Joseph Arpaio of Maricopa County whose reign of terror against immigrants has gotten him a lot of press and has only added to his controversial image in Arizona politics: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88002493. In New Haven, CT public officials have reinforced their decision to not disclose the list of individuals who hold municipal ID cards.  This is in response to a tactic by anti-immigrant activists to access the list through a Freedom of Information Act request.  http://www.nhregister.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/BigDaily;jsessionid=JRSdHTfKb3rGXQlXml1XfXMLTNGRdCTZ27yVBQWPXJFLvfRMCpnB!-1410432021?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FNHR%2FHome&r21.content=%2FNHR%2FHome%2FTopStoryList_Story_1683982. 

Border News 

A judge ruled last week that the federal government violated federal laws in their rush to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.  To review the actual ruling please go to http://www.nnirr.org/resources/docs/EloisaTamezCase3-7-08-Order.pdf.  This is the most recent in a series of setbacks and mistakes by the Department of Homeland Security in their misguided efforts along the US border with Mexico.  In another court case represented by the Center for Constitutional Law and Human Rights, a border patrol agent on trial for murder was given a reprieve when the jury deadlocked and was unable to come up with a verdict.  Eye witness accounts and testimony from the defendant were completely contradictory.  Decision on a retrial is pending.  For coverage: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/110827 

FIRM Member Activities 

Hate Free Zone, a FIRM-member from Washington State recently developed some materials for presentations for non-immigrant and/or potential allied organizations, including an attached Myths and Facts document and a powerpoint presentation.  In the powerpoint presentation, participants in the sessions were asked to write down and submit questions they had about immigration, which accounts for the first few pages of the presentation.  For more information, please contact Shankar Narayan at shankar@hatefreezone.org. 

Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER) in Florida is organizing to defend one of their own who last week faced a court date and potential deportation.  Gaby Pacheco, who has been a leader in student government in Florida and a leader in FIRM at numerous events, is arguing in her defense that ICE acted selectively when they chose to single her out for speaking out on behalf of herself and students and other immigrants in similar positions.  For more information, please contact Jose Luis Marantes at joseluismarantes@gmail.com.  

On March 1st, the Graham Memorial Community Church in Denver (led by Rev. Patrick Demmer who spoke at the FIRM Summit Press Conference) and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) convened an ethnic diversity prayer breakfast, “Black, Brown and Beyond: Tearing Down Walls and Building Bridges.” Over 75 people attended from the African American and Latino community and the diverse program speakers challenged participants to unite across lines of race for the common cause of justice and not to allow anti-immigrant groups to wedge communities against one another. For more information on event, contact julien@coloradoimmigrant.org. 

Allies and Partner Activities 

Farmworker Justice, which has been at the forefront for the push for worker rights for farmworkers, recently launched a new interactive web site and blog called Harvesting Justice: http://www.harvestingjustice.org/. The Southern Poverty Law Center yesterday issued a report “The Year in Hate” that details the growing number of hate organizations across the United States, many emerging out of the anti-immigrant movement.  To view the report go to http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp.  For coverage of the report on ABC News go to http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4421921&page=1. 

On April 12-14, National People’s Action will hold a nationa conference and training in Washington, DC bringing together a diverse group of more than 600 grassroots leaders from across the country working together on a wide range of issues, from housing foreclosure to immigration.  www.npa2008.org 

News to Use 

The National Immigration Law Center recently released new fact sheets on the REAL ID Act and drivers licenses policies in the states.  To view these materials please go to http://www.nilc.org/immspbs/DLs/resrc_guide/index.htm. The Immigration Policy Center recently launched a new web site that brings together fact sheets and other useful data for immigrant advocates to use at http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/index.php?content=onpoint.  The three top articles include: Why Don’t They Just Get in Line?, Immigration as a Wedge Issue, and Basic Pilot/E-Verify: Not a Magic Bullet.

FIRM Update!

Building America Together! 

Join the pledge to Build America Together! www.buildingamericatogether.org! Questions about the pledge or should be directed to mgraciosa@communitychange.org. To support our campaign, FIRM is partnering with other organizations to create training opportunities for immigrant organizers.  A March 7 deadline for applications for a training that will be held in Chicago April 5-9 is fast approaching.  For more information about the training, please go to http://www.communitychange.org/genchange/what-we-do/advanced-leadership-support/advanced-leadership-support.html.

 Immigration Politics & Elections in 2008 

As the Democratic candidates prepare for their primary showdowns in Ohio and Texas next week, Senator McCain is flip flopping on this immigration stance.  Reported in the Associated Press: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hASkL7CyMOJGBunkx_s-mXyCZhtgD8V2TIN02.  This, despite hopes that Republicans have pinned on McCain to gain ground among Hispanic voters: http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080227/NATION/267093512&SearchID=73310165848243. 

Congressional News 

Earlier this week you received an action alert on the SAVE Act.  For an updated summary of the SAVE Act, please go to http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/index.php?content=fc071215.  Immigration politics within the House of Representatives are being driven by efforts by the Democratic Leadership to head of the possibility of procedural motions that would allow sponsors of the SAVE Act to force a vote on the floor over the objections of Democratic Leaders, including Speaker Pelosi.  Please call your representatives now and urge them to oppose the SAVE Act.  We also need to pressure the Democrats on the bill to withdraw their support for the SAVE Act. A list of Democratic co-sponsors of the SAVE Act is attached. Yesterday, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced an alternative employment verification bill that would take a different approach than the SAVE Act, though it may be just as bad.  An article from the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/022908dnbuseverify.1cd9039.html. Recent polling has suggested that Democrats should shift their language on legalization toward a tougher stand that would allow them to be more proactive in debates in immigration with anti-immigrant candidates in the general election.  Namely, polls suggest that Democrats say that immigrants should be “required to legalize” or leave the country.  A debate has begun among Democrats about whether this language will really work.  The Huffingpost broke the story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/29/confidential-study-sugges_n_89077.html. 

State & Local News 

Today the Indiana legislature passed an anti-immigrant bill that includes a crackdown on employers hiring undocumented immigrants and a requirement that law enforcement agencies cooperate with federal authorities.  The Indianapolis Star: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802290420. 

A coalition of pro-immigrant organizations and legislatures introduced a package of bills to fight off anti-immigrant proposals in the Rhode Island state legislature.  For coverage on the proposals go to http://www.projo.com/news/content/IMMIGRANTS_02-29-08_DE96HCF_v21.1ab07e2.html. 

In Utah, a package of anti-immigrant bills appears to be losing momentum in the state legislature, though the Governor has been ambiguous about whether he’s support or oppose them. Coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8403372. 

A new report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategies provides examples of possible pro-immigrant ordinances at the local level: http://www.cows.org/about_publications_detail.asp?id=422 

Border, Raids & Deportation 

Rep. Solis (D-CA) is the sponsor of the Families First Enforcement Act, which would create new standards for how the Department of Homeland Security conducts immigration raids in worksites and communities.  Sen. Kerry (D-MA) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.  For information about the legislation, please go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.03980:. 

The Washington Post reports on the Department of Homeland Security failed virtual fence project (Boeing had the contract): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022703747_pf.html. The ACLU filed a law suit in federal court against the federal government for mistakenly deporting a US Citizen.  Coverage in the San Jose Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_8390857?nclick_check=1 

FIRM Member Activities 

Several FIRM members are in preparation for mobilizations on May 1.  For example, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Voces de la Frontera will be holding a major mobilization calling for the end to the war on immigrants, with a special focus on the Social Security No Match letters.  For more information go to http://www.vocesdelafrontera.net/.  If your organization is planning a mobilization on May 1, please send a note about your plans to rstolz@communitychange.org. Last Monday, Casa de Maryland held its annual Immigrant Action Night involving town meetings with state legislators and rallies to bring attention to anti-immigrant, pro-immigrant and important labor and workplace legislation in the state legislature.  A flyer for the event is attached.  For more information go to http://www.casademaryland.org/. 

Allies and Partner Activities 

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union continued their campaign against ICE misconduct in worksite raids this week with a meeting of a commission to study the extent of abuses by ICE officials and agents.  For more information about the UFCW campaign, go to http://www.ufcw.org/icemisconduct.cfm.  An article on the commission ran in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022503369.html The Southeast Asian Resource Action Center released their federal policy priorities for 2008 this week.  A copy of the policy priorities is attached to this document.  For more information about SEARAC, please go to http://www.searac.org/. 

Federal Regulations, Naturalization Backlogs & Social Security No Match 

Advocates are anticipating the new Social Security No Match regulations will be released by the Department of Homeland Security any day now.  A briefing on No Match concerns will be held for Congressional staff in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 5. Speakers will include experts from the National Immigration Law Center, the Immigration Policy Center, Jobs with Justice, and the American Federation of Government Employees.  For more information, please go to www.lwiw.org. Here is a link to a story on CNN about the naturalization backlogs: http://www.criticalmention.com/vg/seiu/2008-2-22_cnn_2327.wmv 

News to Use 

A useful summary article on the relationship between NAFTA and immigration from the Americas Program: http://americas.irc-online.org/am/4705?utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=317992&utm_campaign=The%20North%20American%20Union%20Farce%20%7C%20Laura%20Carlsen. 

 A similar column ran on the Movement Vision Lab: http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog/migration-and-corn. A recent study demonstrates that there is no correlation between immigration and crime.  The report by the Public Policy Institute of California can be found at http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=776.  

Time Magazine reports: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1717575,00.html.