PRESS ADVISORY: Press Conference Protests Arizona Governor's Visit, Praises Admin. Lawsuitng

Communities to Protest Arizona Gov.

at National Governor’s Association Meeting

MIRA joins press conference to protest Gov. Brewer-- and applaud federal suit against Arizona

BOSTON — At 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7, community activists will hold a press conference in front of the Sheraton Hotel, the site of this weekend’s annual meeting of the National Governor’s Association. Their message: We will vigorously challenge Arizona law SB1070 and all other similar anti-immigrant bills being considered around the country.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the bill that launched a nationwide anti-immigrant surge, will be attending the annual National Governor’s Association meeting in Boston at the end of this week. The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) joins with the ANSWER Coalition and dozens of other community groups on the East Coast to protest at that meeting. The protest is gathering on Saturday, July 10 at 12 noon at Copley Square.

"The Arizona law usurps federal authority and practically mandates racial profiling, threatening the civil rights of every Hispanic resident and person of color in Arizona," said Franklin Soults, Communications Director at MIRA. "We at MIRA applaud the Obama administration for announcing a federal lawsuit against the state, but it is not enough. We, the people, must raise our voices too. Everyone who treasures this nation's diversity should stand up and let Governor Jan Brewer hear their outrage, wherever she travels."

WHO:

Speakers at the July 7 press conference will include:

• The Most Rev. Bishop Felipe Teixeira, Diocese of St. Francis of Assisi, CCA
• Franklin Soults, Communications Director, Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition
• Dimple Rana, Deported Diaspora
• Jennifer Zaldana, ANSWER Coalition
• Dorotea Manuela, Boston May Day Committee
• Susan Church, National Lawyers Guild-Massachusetts

WHAT:

Press conference to discuss protests against Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's Boston appearance at the National Governor's Association meeting on Saturday, July 10.

WHERE:

In front of the Sheraton Hotel

39 Dalton Street (at Belvidere Street)

Boston, MA

WHEN:  

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

12:15 p.m.

PRESS STATEMENT: Patrick Tries to Resuscitate Immigrant Health Care

With State House approval plan would save "Bridge" for 6 months

BOSTON -- This afternoon Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick held a press conference to discuss his signature of the Massachusetts state budget for fiscal 2011, which begins tomorrow. Barring the increasingly unlikely approval of FMAP funding, this budget would eliminate health care funding for nearly 30,000 legal, tax-paying Massachusetts immigrants at the end of August. In response, Governor Patrick also announced he was filing an amendment letter with the legislature, asking for their permission to allow Bridge to continue operating if funds can be found. Through some creative cost savings and the allocation of excess cigarette tax revenues, the governor then calculates that the program could continue for at least six months, or until the end of December. "We at MIRA join all the other groups in the ACT Coalition to commend Governor Patrick for his speedy and creative response to this crisis," said Nicole Tambouret, State Policy Director at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)."The governor has come up with the plan and the funds; now the legislature needs to act quickly to pass the proposed bill, which will give tens of thousands of hard-working, tax paying immigrants a chance to breathe easier as we all work to craft a permanent solution to this crisis." The Bridge program was created last year as a temporary, low-cost solution to the plight of these 30,000 Massachusetts immigrants, comprised largely of those who've received their Permanent Legal Residency status ("green cards") less than five years ago. Last June, the State House barred this class of immigrants from the Commonwealth Care program, citing federal law which prohibits the group from receiving reimbursement for Medicaid funding. The crisis led the governor to work with the legislature to devise Commonwealth Care Bridge, which began enrolling immigrants at the end of last summer.  "The governor and his administration seem to agree with immigrants and their allies that the Bridge program is not a permanent solution to the plight of these immigrants," Tambouret continued."But we all need the legislature to approve his plan to continue the program through the summer and fall. Not only will it provide six extra months of essential coverage, it also allows us all time to find a way to extend the program until that day when every Massachusetts resident can receive the quality, affordable health care they deserve, no matter where they're from."

PRESS STATEMENT: Immigrant Detainee Dies at Mass. Hospital

A Tragic Reminder that Detention System Needs Reform

BOSTON -- On Monday, October 19, Pedro Juan Tavarez, a 49-year-old native of the Dominican Republic in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, died at Women and Bringham's Hospital in Boston.

ICE was holding Tavarez on immigration violations at The Suffolk County House of Corrections, which transferred him to Brigham and Women's after the correction facility's medical staff suggested possible pneumonia. The hospital was treating Tavarez for heart and respiratory conditions when he died, but the official cause of death has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.

"Mr. Tavarez's death is a tragedy," said Eva Millona, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). "We don't yet know if his passing could have been avoided. But we do know that the current immigration-detention system relies on a decentralized network of local jails that, in many respects, is simply inhumane. It treats the civil infraction of 'immigration violation' like a criminal offense, and it does not adequately protect the health of its most vulnerable detainees."

MIRA applauds the Obama Administration's acknowledgment of the seriousness of the problem. In August, ICE announced plans to "move away from a jail-oriented approach to a system wholly designed for and based on ICE's civil detention authorities." (See the ICE fact sheet). But the process won't be complete for three to five years, and the gravity of this delay was recognized earlier this month in a report by Dora B. Schriro, then ICE's Office of Detention Policy and Planning Director, who wrote a top-to-bottom appraisal of the system before quitting to become New York City's correction commissioner. As The New York Times wrote, the report "calls for prompt attention to individual complaints about a lack of medical care." In an interview with the Times, Department of Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano could only promise "to implement a system to better place people with medical or mental health needs" within six months.

"Six months is not good enough," said Millona. "Five years is far worse. The detention system demands immediate reform because too often its flaws have led to fatal consequences. We ask Governor Patrick, Massachusetts county authorities, and the individual detention facilities to start implementing reforms now. For too many immigrant detainees -- many of whom are hardworking family members who have broken no criminal laws -- this is truly a life and death issue."

Commonwealth Care Bridge Resources

Today marks the second day of Commonwealth Care Bridge in the Greater Boston area. To keep up to date on developments in the program, please check MIRA's state health care website frequently.

Below are some resources that are currently available:

• List of community health center's currently in the CommCare Bridge Greater Boston network and a spanish-language version of CeltiCare Explanation of Coverage for new members.

• Contact information for CeltiCare, including a number exclusively for transition in care issues.

• Frequently asked questions about the CommCare Bridge program, including a schedule of benefits and co-pays.

MIRA will continue to provide updates on its website and blog as we learn more. For a recent press statement from MIRA on the CommCare Bridge program, please click here.

PRESS STATEMENT: MIRA Applauds End of "Immigrant Hunt" Agreement in Mass. Municipalities

Framingham and Barnstable end Immigration Enforcement Deals

BOSTON-- In a major victory for immigrants and public safety advocates, all Massachusetts municipalities have now have ended participation in the highly criticized program that allows local law enforcers to act like federal immigration agents. This morning, the Boston Globe reported that the two remaining Massachusetts localities in the program, Barnstable and Framingham, have canceled their agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 287(g), as the program is known. The program -- "which enlists local law-enforcement agencies to hunt illegal immigrants," as a recent New York Times editorial characterized it -- has been criticized by the Government Accounting Office and deplored by independent reports for decreasing trust in the police and increasing the potential for racial profiling. The Police Foundation, a nonprofit research organization, found in an April report that the program strained budgets and undermined efforts at community policing. As one police chief told the report's authors, "How can you police a community that will not talk to you?" "We applaud the Framingham Police Department and The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office for ending their 287(g) accords," said Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). "It will go a long way toward restoring trust in the police among immigrant communities, thereby making all our towns and cities safer and more peaceful." The only remaining 287(g) accord in the state is with the Department of Correction. "We recognized the importance of detaining dangerous criminals and punishing their illegal behavior to the full extent of the law," Millona continued. "But 287(g) only detracts the police from this primary mission. In fact, its counterproductive effects work against the police's ultimate function-- to serve and protect."

PRESS STATEMENT: "CommCare Bridge" Shaky on Eve of Opening

BOSTON-- The new plan to provide health coverage for 31,000 immigrants rolls out in the Greater Boston area tomorrow. After cutting recent green-card recipients and other legal immigrants from Commonwealth Care coverage in the FY2010 budget, the state legislature compromised with the Patrick Administration and allocated $40 million -- less than one-third the cost of full CommCare coverage -- for a new managed-care plan, run by CeltiCare. On the eve of the roll out of the new plan, dubbed "CommCare Bridge," numerous questions and concerns remain about the bridge's security.

"We appreciate the efforts and commitment of the administration and CeltiCare to make the best of a bad situation," said Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). "But it remains a bad situation.We are concerned about access to affordable and comprehensive health care for these hard-working, tax-paying Massachusetts residents who were singled out for the cuts. In particular, we worry about the adequacy of CommCare Bridge's network of providers, as well as the plan's increased out-of-pocket expenses and its cap on future enrollment."

Currently, all but a small percentage of Boston's 11,500 CommCare Bridge members will need to find new health care providers, since the program's network does not currently include many institutions that have historically served this population, such as Boston Medical Center and Cambridge Health Alliance. Furthermore, with premium costs equal to those in full Commonwealth Care and some higher co-pays, the CommCare Bridge recipients will pay more for less.

"Until we see full restoration of Commonwealth Care coverage for these Massachusetts taxpayers," Millona continued, "we cannot expect them to receive adequate health care. We look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature to restore these important funds."

The plan is scheduled to roll out in Northern and Southern Massachusetts on November 1, and in Central and Western MA on December 1 (see list of service areas and rollout dates). A recent Boston Globe poll found that 43% of MA residents support full restoration of coverage in Commonwealth Care for the population, compared to 28% who felt coverage should remain as it is and 19% who felt coverage should be eliminated entirely.

PRESS STATEMENT: U.S. Supreme Court Stops Misuse of "Identity Theft" Law against Undocumented Immigrants

Boston, MA - The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) applauds the Supreme Court's unanimous decision yesterday in Flores-Figueroa v. United States, which rejected government attempts to stretch criminal law in prosecutions of immigrant workers. Federal authorities have been charging immigrant workers who use false documents to secure employment with aggravated identity theft, a charge that carries a mandatory 2 year prison sentence. The Supreme Court ruling means that immigrants cannot be convicted under the statute unless they knew that the documents in question belonged to another person.

The government has made heavy use of this law against immigrant workers in the past. Most notably, federal authorities charged hundreds of workers with aggravated identity theft in the aftermath of the May, 2008 Agriprocessors raid in Postville, IA. Those workers, wishing to avoid the mandatory prison sentence, plead guilty to lesser charges in expedited criminal proceedings. Most, if not all, of these workers had used documents that they believed to me made up, and not associated with any other person, meaning that the aggravated identity theft charges should not have applied.

Eva Millona, Executive Director of MIRA, said, "While this decision comes too late to help the hundreds of workers who were forced to take a plea deal in Postville, it does mean that in the future, immigrant workers will be treated with more respect. We hope that this decision is only the first step in restoring the rule of law to immigrant workers and ensuring that justice applies to everyone regardless of their race or national origin."

This ruling does not erase all criminal charges for undocumented immigrants who use fake identity documents. There are still provisions of federal criminal law that outlaw such actions. However, what this decision does is clarify the genuine purpose of the aggravated identity theft statute - to target true identity thieves.

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."

Press Statement: Massachusetts Immigrant Community Mourns Shooting Victims in Binghamton

Boston, MA- The MIRA Coalition and the immigrant communities of Massachusetts extend our thoughts and prayers to the families and the Binghamton community in wake of this horrific tragedy. The following is a statement by Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the MIRA Coalition:

"We are deeply saddened by the senseless deaths and injuries brought about by this atrocity. We fear that the lives lost were those of students studying to become citizens of this country. It is heartbreaking that these community members were killed just as they were preparing for one of the final steps on their immigrant journey.

The people who provide English classes and civics classes and serve immigrants and refugees are doing valuable work and fulfilling the social and humanitarian values upon which this country was built. They offer hope and faith to immigrant communities. It is tragic that these innocent people also fell victim to this violence.

Obviously the shooter was deeply disturbed and felt that violence was the solution to whatever problem he may have been facing. This is never the case. Yet, we must be careful not to generalize about the violence of this one individual and how it reflects on an entire community.

Our hearts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to the families affected by this tragedy."

Press Statement: DREAM Act Reintroduced to Congress

Boston, MA- Scheduled to be introduced today, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is bipartisan legislation that addresses the hardships faced by young people who were brought to the United States years ago as undocumented immigrant children, and who have since grown up here, stayed in school, and are strong members of our communities. For the first time, the DREAM Act also enjoys the strong backing of the House and Senate leadership, all of the relevant committee chairs and President Obama.

The following is a statement from Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the MIRA Coalition about the DREAM Act.

"Each year about 65,000 U.S.-raised students, including at least 400 from Massachusetts, who would qualify for the DREAM Act's benefits, graduate from high school. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. We cannot turn our backs on these hardworking kids who have already contributed so much to their adopted country.

Passage of the DREAM Act would allow these multi-lingual and multi-cultural students to access better jobs, to pay higher taxes and to add to our economy. A RAND Corporation study showed that an immigrant who graduates from college will net an annual fiscal benefit of more than $9,000 per year, money that can be used to pay for the education of others. This bill makes fiscal and social sense for our country. We urge the entire New England delegation to sign on to this legislation and to fight for its passage."

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.”