San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network
Media Release for:
Event Address:
Mission High School
3750 18th St (between Dolores and Church Sts)
Schedule:
5:00pm Interfaith Vigil
5:30pm Elected Officials available for interview
6:00pm Townhall begins
On Migrants' Day, Hundreds Issue Urgent Call to Pelosi: Champion Compassionate Immigration Reform
Testimonies Highlight Human Costs of a Broken Immigration System for Workers and Families
At Packed Townhall, Advocates Offer Sensible Solutions To Move the Country Forward
San Francisco, CA - Hundreds of immigrants, joined by prominent local and state elected officials, clergy, and community supporters, will assemble tonight at Mission High School and unite behind a call for "100 days of action" to build momentum for much-needed changes to US immigration law. A diverse group of African, Asian, and Latino community members will provide moving testimony of their personal stories that highlight various failures of our current immigration system.
Powerful testimonies: Ju (last name withheld), a Korean American from Oakland advocating for the legalization of undocumented youth, stated, "I am one of tens of thousands of students across the country who would benefit from the DREAM Act. Though we are young, we have already made great contributions to American society. We should have not have to fear ICE agents coming to our homes in the middle of the night." Advocates at the event explained that the DREAM Act would provide young people who are out of status the opportunity to become legal permanent residents.
Luz (last name withheld), a Mexican immigrant from Oakland, inspired the crowd as she described her coworkers' courage in the face of ICE intimidation. After workers at Emeryville's Woodfin Hotel stood up for their rights under a local living wage law, the hotel moved to fire them based on purported immigration status, despite the fact that many had been employed there for years. Through an interpreter, she stated, "I deserve to be treated fairly and equally as all other workers. Is my labor worth less just because I am from another country? Immigration reform must address the discrimination that is rampant in service industries."
Bill's introduction a promising step forward: Earlier in the week, Congressperson Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), introduced legislation that was the first major step towards reform - the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, CIR ASAP. Event organizer Eric Quezada, Executive Director of the Dolores Street Community Services, stated, "The CIR ASAP bill is welcomed and long overdue. But we know that the forces of intolerance will seek to disrupt the debate coming in 2010. We must fight to ensure that regressive measures which fail to reflect our values of equality and opportunity for all are not part of the final package presented to the President."
Another convener of the event, Diana Rashid, Immigrant Rights Organizer with the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, elaborated, "There are key components of immigration reform that must be included in order to move our nation forward. Without fundamental protections put into place for immigrants and their families, we will simply end up in the same position 20 years from now. These provisions include the restoration of due process, expanded worker protections, and rational border policies."
Christopher Punongbayan, Deputy Director of the San Francisco legal group, Asian Law Caucus, added, "Equal treatment under the law is a fundamental American value and right. Immigrants must no longer be treated like second-class members of society. Fundamental changes must be enacted to prevent against the abuses of power that cause mothers to be separated from their children and that cause immigrants to live in fear of their government."
Other legislative priorities from the group included: enacting a legalization program that will maximize the reduction in the size of undocumented population and creating a workable framework for managing future immigration to the United States.
Call to Action: Event organizers ask that supporters make 100 phone calls over the next 100 days to national leaders to express the need for reform to happen by early 2010. The elected officials that are key to reform are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Attendees were urged tell the Speaker and Senators to "Stand behind immigrants and bring dignity and fairness to all communities."
The townhall event was convened by a collaborative called the San Francisco Immigration Legal and Education Network, SFILEN. The Network first came together in 2006 when federal immigration reform efforts resulted in massive street demonstrations across the country. Since then, the Network has closely monitored developments on the federal level while providing essential legal services and community education to the City's diverse immigrant population.
International Migrants Day was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 to recognize the large and increasing number of migrants in the world. The United Nations encourages Member States and non-governmental organizations to observe International Migrants Day by promoting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants through the sharing of their experiences and actions that will ensure their protection.
