Change takes courage Mr. President!

Today the change takes courage campaign is taking action across the nation urging the Obama administration to use its power and take action. We urge you to join us in this campaign and sign the Petition!

Deportations under President Obama have reached record levels. It’s a moral outrage that families are being separated, young people are being robbed of their future and public safety is being threatened by a system the president knows is broken. This must stop.

Too many families have been broken up thus far. It's time to change, time to show courage:

The Change Takes Courage Campaign is urging President Obama to keep families together by:

1. Keeping families together.

• End the deportations of parents of U.S. citizen children. Separating parents from children is a morally reprehensible act. It’s violation of America’s core values.  Consider the plight of Raul Cardenas of Denver who has been married to a U.S. citizen for more than 8 years and has a young daughter who is also a citizen and now faces deportation.
• End the deportations of military veterans. Our nation must not turn on the very people who serve it and help preserve it. That is exactly what our broken immigration system is doing. Consider Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, who served the Army National Guard and sustained injuries that left him in a wheelchair and now faces deportation.
• End the deportations of DREAM-eligible young people.   In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama said: “Let’s stop expelling talented, responsible young people who can staff our research labs, start new businesses and further enrich this nation.” He was right, and he could end the practice right now with a stroke of his pen. Here are two students to whom he should be true to his word: Jackie and Jaime, high school seniors in Maryland, have been fighting to gain in-state tuition that will allow them to continue their education.
• End the deportations of immigrants who have families, jobs and deep roots in America and are contributing to their communities.  Our economy and our communities are made stronger by immigrants and immigration. We need look no further than the story of Mauricio Bautista who has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, works at a bilingual school and is beloved by his community.
• Provide protection for all immigrants who are vulnerable to deportation simply because their paperwork is currently in process, and they are trapped in a bureaucratic backlog. It’s intolerable that our broken system is punishing people who have legitimate and legal claims to be in this country. For example, Saad Nabeel was deported unfairly to Bangladesh last year but should have been allowed to stay to give time for his case to run it course.

2. Discontinue ICE programs that undermine the public safety of all communities

Making local police the agents of the Federal government contributes to civil rights violations, terror in communities and makes our neighborhoods less safe.

• ICE should immediately clarify that states and municipalities are indeed allowed to opt out of Secure Communities.
• It is clear that programs such as 287g, Secure Communities and the Criminal Alien program increase the likelihood of civil rights violation. The aggressive promotion of these programs should end immediately.
• Where agreements already exist, ICE should defund/reduce funding.
• Secure Communities should only be used for its intended purpose, to remove only those convicted of Level 1 offenses.
• The Justice Department should immediately repudiate the memo from 2003 that purported to recognize the inherent authority of local and state law enforcement to enforce immigration law.

3. Protect all our workers

We must recognize the importance of those who live and work in our midst. No economic recovery can be achieved by our nation without respect for worker rights as a key element.

• Moratorium on I-9 audits by ICE and SSA no-match letters
• Protect workers’ rights to organize
• Prevent unscrupulous employers from using any ICE and other federal resources to break up unions.
• End use of E-Verify

Tide Turning on Immigration Reform; Naturalization at an All-Time High

This morning's newspapers greeted immigrants and advocates with great news about comprehensive immigration reform. A week after President Obama put immigration reform back on the political map, The New York Times ran not one but two articles that highlight the importance of immigration reform to fixing our economy, and reaffirm the relationship between immigrant rights and worker's rights while uniting the struggle of working class people with the struggle of all immigrants to improve their lives and those of their families.

The AFL-CIO and Change to Win have both come out in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

“The labor movement will work together to make sure that the White House as well as Congress understand that we speak about immigration reform with one voice,” Mr. Sweeney said in a statement to The New York Times.

The Times' editorial board also put out a piece applauding the news of a united labor front on immigration reform and Obama's promise to begin the debate this year.

"We are also heartened that American labor is speaking with a united voice in hard times, rejecting the false claim that fixing the immigration system will somehow hurt American workers. Even in a bad economy — especially in a bad economy — getting undocumented immigrants on the right side of the law only makes sense."

Anti-immigrant folks from around the country will no doubt rally around the positive news on immigration and continue to shout their negative, anti-change messages for all to hear. But with the hope of a new administration that looks to welcome new Americans and shun divisions, immigrants and advocates are prepared to push for reform that upholds the American values of opportunity, family, and fairness.

"It will take courage to defend the wisdom and necessity of fixing the immigration system. It will take even more courage to engage in the serious fight to do so. It is what the country needs and what American voters elected Mr. Obama to do."

And, finally, if that wasn't good enough news, "Ya es Ora, Ciudadania!" celebrated a record number of naturalizations this year. More than 1 million immigrants naturalized last year, which represents an increase of 58 percent over the previous year. For anyone who has not seen a naturalization ceremony in person, it is an amazing experience to share with your fellow Americans. To read about the benefits of citizenship and how new voters are contributing, read this MIRA report.

Press Statement: NY Times Confirms Obama's Commitment to Immigration Reform in '09

Boston, MA - In a front page lead story today, The New York Times confirmed President Obama's intention to reform immigration this year. A senior administration official told the paper of the president's commitment to build "an orderly system," including finding a way to bring undocumented workers onto the path of legalization. "He intends to start the debate this year," said the official, Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of the White House's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

MIRA applauds the president and those who stand with him in Congress for taking this politically courageous step. President Obama's public commitment recognizes not only the urgency of reform for thousands of immigrant families, but also for millions of American workers and business owners imperiled by the current economic crisis.

The following is a statement from Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the MIRA Coalition, about the Times story:

"One out of twenty working families in America is currently deprived of labor and wage protections. The Administration should be commended for recognizing that this broken, unjust system hurts every American worker. In Massachusetts, thousands of families currently live and labor in the shadows and are easy prey to exploitation. Creating sensible, permanent, and humane reform will not only bring these families into the light, it will also brighten everyone's economic prospects. Reform will give immigrants a better chance to increase their purchasing power; it will create a fair and level field for wages; and, ultimately, it will improve the state's tax base. The administration gets it, and we are ready to get behind the president and his supporters in Congress to mobilize working families, communities of faith, labor, and businesses to push for this vital reform."

Obama Announcess Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

In a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, President Obama vowed to push Comprehensive Immigration Reform in his first term, with a plan to pass CIR scheduled for release in early May. Immigrants rights groups and allies from across the country celebrated the news and called for quick action from the President and Congress. From Massachusetts to Colorado to the Nation's Capitol to the Blogosphere.

Press Statement: President Obama Reiterates Promise for Immigration Reform

Boston, MA – Earlier today, President Obama met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss the issue of immigration reform. During the meeting, President Obama reiterated his support for comprehensive immigration reform and announced that he will make a public statement in May that will lay out his plans for just and humane reform.

Below is a statement from Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition:

“We are pleased that the President met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to reiterate his commitment to immigration reform and that he will be laying out his plan for such reform in early May. Creating a just and humane immigration system in this country is long overdue. For too long, families have been torn apart, workers have been forced to live in the shadows and the country has been suffering because of our broken system.

We need a comprehensive approach that gives the hard working men and women already here an earned path to citizenship, keeps families together and provides legal avenues for future workers to seek out opportunities here and join our struggle to strengthen our economy. Especially in this time of economic crisis, we need to work together to push for immigration reform. Legalization would bring more workers into the tax system and increase tax revenue. It would enable these workers to receive the protections all workers deserve, and give immigrants the opportunity to contribute more freely to our economy through purchasing power. A workable immigration reform would contribute significantly to the long-term economic growth and stability of our country.

America is a country founded on the values of inclusiveness, shared responsibility, shared sacrifice, and hard work. Our policies, including our immigration policy, must reflect our values. We look forward to working with the President to pursue just and humane immigration reform.”