Join us on our next National Faith and Immigration Conference Call, Monday June 1 at 4 pm EST, as we celebrate International Children’s Day by focusing on supporting and protecting immigrant families.

 On Monday June 1 at 4 pm EST, you can join people of faith throughout the country by calling 800-920-7487 and the code, 76723736.  This will be an abbreviated call, with the focus on the recently introduced Senate bill, Reuniting Families Act. After receiving an update about this legislation and some upcoming opportunities for action – we will take action together and call our Representatives on Capitol Hill and urge them to support the Reuniting Families Act in the Senate.

 The second half of the call will be a time for action! Everyone will hang up, and make 3 calls to the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, asking for your Representative and both of your Senators. To each office, we suggest you say:

 Hi, my name is………………… and I’m from…………. As a person of faith, I believe family is the bedrock of American society. Please keep families together by supporting the Senate bill, Reuniting Families Act.

 Once we have finished these calls – we’re not done! Each of us can will then call at least 2 or 3 others in our faith communities, give them the Capitol Hill phone number, and urge them to make the same calls you did with the same messaging. Let’s continue to make the voices of faith communities heard on Capitol Hill. We support comprehensive immigration reform and want to make sure immigrant families are protected! Call in Monday June 1 at 4 pm EST and let’s take this important action together!!

EPPN Alert: Immigration Reform - It's time to get started!

The Episcopal Public Policy Network sent an alert this week in support of immigration reform this year. Congress and President Obama have committed to fixing the present broken immigration system. The issues involved in comprehensive immigration reform are complex and there is a great deal of misinformation about immigrants and their role in today’s America. According to recent estimates by the PewHispanicCenter, there are as many as 10-11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States of which two to three million are children.

The Episcopal Church, through the resolutions passed at General Convention and Executive Council, has committed to working to reform a system that separates families, spreads fear and keeps millions living in the shadows.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Write your Members of Congress asking them to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. With the President, the Congress, business and labor groups all now recognizing the need to act, it is time to move forward.

The Episcopal Church Joins the REFORM IMMIGRATION FOR AMERICA Campaign. And we are asking you to join too!!!

As part of the Episcopal Church’s commitment to “welcome the stranger” as a matter of Christian responsibility, the Church announces that it has joined the Reform Immigration for America Campaign. Reform Immigration for America looks to promote comprehensive immigration reform based in some key principles: immigration reform must be comprehensive; long term reform requires long term solutions; a rational and humane approach to the undocumented population; protect U.S. and immigrant workers; allocate sufficient visas to close unlawful migration channels; enhance our nation's security and safety; promote immigrant integration; and protect fundamental rights for all (you can access the campaign principles at http://www.immigrationforum.org/images/uploads/Campaign/CAbbott/PrinciplesCampaignLaunchFinal.pdf.)

TAKE ACTION TODAY:

Local Organizations and Dioceses:

JOIN  the Reform Immigration for America Campaign  at www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org

 JOIN the Immigration Advocacy Network and sign up for Updates and our Newsletter sending an email to awhite@episcopalchurch.org

NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SUMMIT in WashingtonDC June 3-5

The time is now for advocates and organizers to come together to push Congress to reform immigration this year. Close to 400 Leaders from immigrant community, labor, and faith organizations from around the country will be meeting at a summit to build momentum for the passage of just and humane immigration reform. Join us to build a stronger team and to build greater momentum.
The Summit is being sponsored by the Reform Immigration for America Campaign, a national coalition of advocates and organizations from faith, labor and immigrant communities committed to winning the votes needed to enact a just and comprehensive immigration reform bill in this session of Congress. The Summit will provide leaders and advocates like you with the tools, information, team-building and training necessary to meet the challenge and win. The Summit will be held at Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave N.E., Washington, D.C.   Please register today and commit to attend the Summit on JUNE 3-5, 2009. Your participation will be invaluable and appreciated. 
For more information go to: http://www.communitychange.org/our-projects/firm/firm-summit

If you are planning to attend send me an email at awhite@episcopalchurch.org.

FAITH CAUCUS in the SUMMIT: Wednesday June 3, 9:00 am to 11:30 am

TPS for Haitians Alert

The Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) sent an action alert requesting support for Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Congress established Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to grant safety to those foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home country due to ongoing armed conflict or because of an environmental disaster. The destruction caused by natural disasters has made the safe return of Haitian nationals to their country dangerous. TPS would allow Haitians currently in the U.S. to stay temporarily, as a response to the natural disasters and political strife that have recently plagued the country. You can access the alert and more information here:

Postville Anniversary

May 12th marked the anniversary of the ICE raid on the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa.  You can access information and statements put forward on the anniversary. The statements affirmed that the Postville raid demonstrated that our immigration system is broken and that the need is urgent for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.  For more information: http://www.interfaithimmigration.org/

Administration and Legislative Updates:

The Reuniting Families Act (S.1085) was introduced in the Senate by Senator Menendez alongside Senator Gillibrand, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Schumer. This bill would reform America’s family-based immigration system to end lengthy separations of loved ones, promote family stability and foster the economic growth that immigrant families have provided throughout our history.  Click here for more information (bill summary, text and talking points): http://www.advancingequality.org/immigrationpubs/

AgJOBS
The Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (“AgJOBS”), a bipartisan bill dealing with the unique immigration needs of agriculture, is was re-introduced in the House (HR 2414 introduced by Rep. Berman) and Senate (S. 1038 introduced by Sen. Feinstein). The bill currently has picked up 16 cosponsors in the Senate and nearly 30 in the House. AgJOBS contains two main parts: (1) an “earned legalization” program enabling many undocumented farmworkers and H-2A guestworkers to earn a “blue card” temporary immigration status with the possibility of becoming permanent residents of the U.S. by continuing to work in agriculture and by meeting additional requirements; and (2) revisions to the existing H-2A temporary foreign agricultural worker program.

To read a statement by bill sponsor Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), click here.
For more information, please visit Farmworker Justice's website

CHC Roundtable
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Progressive Caucus held a meeting this month to engage diverse coalitions in support of comprehensive immigration reform.  Representatives of labor, faith, civil rights, human rights, and business met to discuss how to enact reforms this year.  For more information, see their press release.
 
Hearings

ü      Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security for the Judiciary Committee, held his first hearing entitled "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?"  The hearing featured two panels of speakers with expertise ranging from economics to law enforcement, business, faith, government administration, and labor.  The compelling presentations and breadth of coverage showed serious forward motion for immigration reform in this Congress.

ü      On Wednesday, May 6, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing entitled "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security."  Although the hearing covered broad DHS issues from H1N1 to apprehending illicit gun dealers, immigration issues received significant attention.  Napolitano stated her support for the DREAM Act and reworking REAL ID with input from state governments, and answered questions relating to H work visas, detention conditions, and CBP checkpoints.  For more information on the hearing, click here.

ü      T he Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, chaired by Sen. Charles Schumer hold its second hearing related to comprehensive immigration reform on May 20th.  The hearing focused on border issues.  On the first panel: Jayson Ahearn, Action Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Marcy Forman, Director of the Office of Investigations, ICE; and Mark Borkowski, Executive Director of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), US Customs and Border Protection.  On the second panel: Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth; Sheriff Richard Wiles of El Paso County, Texas; Chad Foster, Mayor of Eagle Pass, Texas; and Dr. Douglas Massey, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University.  To learn more, click here.

Presidential Budget
The fiscal year 2010 budget is now posted online.  The immigration-related provisions in the budget demonstrate that the administration is interested in targeted enforcement, increased oversight and accountability. The President's budget, shows an increase in funding in specific enforcement measures that will better target criminals, adjust the fee structure to subsidize refugee visas, increase funding for citizenship and integration programs, and provides funding for E-Verify system.  For more information about the budget, click here.

DHS Guidelines
On Thursday, April 30 the Department of Homeland Security issued new internal guidelines on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should prosecute worksite enforcement.  The guidelines place greater emphasis on prosecuting employers for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants.  However, the guidelines do not end worksite raids and arrests of workers, nor do they address other concerns raised by advocates with respect to humanitarian and labor issues.  The limited scope of the guidelines underscores the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Click here for more information.

The ILRC’s DREAM Act Advocacy Toolkit is now available at http://ilrc.org/dream_act/pdf/DREAM%20Act%20Advocacy%20Toolkit.pdf.  

Detention Material

Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) - New report- Dying for Decent Care: Bad Medicine in Immigration Custody AP Study Shows "The High Cost" of Immigrant Detention

Report: Women Horribly Neglected in Florida's Immigration Jails

Most Immigrants in Detention Centers Have No Criminal Record

ICE locks 'em up, throws away key: immigration becomes a human rights scandal

Immigrants languish in US centers: Amnesty

Weekly Immigration Wire: 'Systemic Failures' in U.S. Detention Healthcare

U.S. immigrant detentions violate human rights: report

The legal limbo of detention

In the immigration spotlight: Detention, immigrants' citizen children

Immigrants face long detention, few rights

Marchers urge end to immigrants' jailing