solidarity with undocumented youth in Chicago
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Rosi Carrasco
Jul 7, 2010, 2:51:28 PM7/7/10
to mayday, National Alliance for Immigrant Rights C Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL. - Leaders from Chicago’s business, faith, higher education and advocacy communities, along with families stood in solidarity with undocumented youth in support of passage the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act as stand-alone legislation, and an incremental step towards immigration reform. Leaders are urging President Obama and congress- on both sides of the aisle- to take action to move forward on immigration and pass the DREAM Act this year.
“The DREAM Act would acknowledge the potential that we are wasting as a nation, and be a downpayment approach toward immigration reform. It is and continues to be a movement driven by energy from our immigrant youth; however, support for this bill, as you see here today spans across many sectors,” explained Oscar Chacon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), and part of the newly formed coalition Immigration Acuerdo. “We see the DREAM Act as a necessary down payment the president must make as we continue to strive for a brand-new US immigration policy,” he concluded.
Parents of immigrant youth were also present supporting the passage of DREAM as stand alone legislation this year, even though they would not directly benefit from the bill. Yesenia Sanchez, an organizer with the West Suburban Action Project (PASO) said that to the parents that she works with the DREAM Act is part of achieving their hopes for their children. “For so many parents who came to this country so that their children could have a better future, the DREAM Act is the only option. If it passes, it would offer our youth hope and resources that they would then share with their families. It would be beneficial for the entire community, as a first step” said Sanchez.
The press conference took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, where faculty and students have been increasingly active in support of immigration reform. Professor Amalia Pallares said that “As faculty we see the struggles our talented students face. This bill would provide them with a pathway to the future they’ve worked so hard on building.” She added that the DREAM Act would in addition mean increased access to federal financial resources for institutions of higher education and for state university systems, which already enroll undocumented students.
As part of the wide-range of organizations supporting passage of the DREAM Act, labor representatives spoke of the legislation as one step in raising the level of labor conditions by bringing a large sector of the workforce out of the dark. Similarly, business representatives spoke of the increased access they would have to a large domestic pool of highly skilled and U.S. trained employees.
The groups of youth present made a commitment to a reformed immigration system that benefits all immigrants, but stated that the passage of the DREAM Act is only one step along the way. The Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) announced their participation in a mass mobilization taking place in Washington DC from July 19th-21st to urge legislators to move the DREAM Act this year (for more information visit www.thedreamiscoming.com).
The DREAM Act would provide tens/hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth with access to higher education and a pathway to citizenship. This is a bipartisan proposal that has a history of advocacy and growing legislative support, with 124 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 40 co-sponsors in the Senate.
Organizations present included: Erie Neighborhood House, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), American Jewish Committee Chicago, NALACC, Latino Policy Forum, Latinos Progresando, ENLACE Chicago, Telpochcalli Community Education Project, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), PASO, the Immigration Acuerdo, Southwest Chamber of Commerce, SEIU Local 1, Latino Organization of the Southwest, and the Immigrant Youth Justice League, New Sanctuary Coalition, Arise Chicago, Federacion de Chihuahua, United Merchants of Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII), Mexicanos Unidos del D.F., Federacion de Mexicanos del D.F., United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), P.A.S.O. - West Suburban Action Project, Nuestra Voz, Organization of Latin American Students (HWC), Latino Organization of the Southwest, Arab American Action Network, Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights, United African Organization, Immigrant Advocacy Project, Polish Initiative of Chicago, Latino Union of Chicago, Women Center at Grand Valley State University, Workers United for Eco Maintenance, Korean American Women in Need (KAN-WIN), Working Hands Legal Clinic, OLMC Community Center, IIID Graphics Inc, S&G Construction, Durango Unido en Chicago, Federacion de Guerrerenses.
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.
Answering Obama’s call to ‘move forward,’ Chicago community leaders
declare support for the DREAM Act and urge passage this year
Chicago, IL. - Leaders from Chicago’s business, faith, higher education and advocacy communities, along with families stood in solidarity with undocumented youth in support of passage the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act as stand-alone legislation, and an incremental step towards immigration reform. Leaders are urging President Obama and congress- on both sides of the aisle- to take action to move forward on immigration and pass the DREAM Act this year.
“The DREAM Act would acknowledge the potential that we are wasting as a nation, and be a downpayment approach toward immigration reform. It is and continues to be a movement driven by energy from our immigrant youth; however, support for this bill, as you see here today spans across many sectors,” explained Oscar Chacon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), and part of the newly formed coalition Immigration Acuerdo. “We see the DREAM Act as a necessary down payment the president must make as we continue to strive for a brand-new US immigration policy,” he concluded.
Parents of immigrant youth were also present supporting the passage of DREAM as stand alone legislation this year, even though they would not directly benefit from the bill. Yesenia Sanchez, an organizer with the West Suburban Action Project (PASO) said that to the parents that she works with the DREAM Act is part of achieving their hopes for their children. “For so many parents who came to this country so that their children could have a better future, the DREAM Act is the only option. If it passes, it would offer our youth hope and resources that they would then share with their families. It would be beneficial for the entire community, as a first step” said Sanchez.
The press conference took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, where faculty and students have been increasingly active in support of immigration reform. Professor Amalia Pallares said that “As faculty we see the struggles our talented students face. This bill would provide them with a pathway to the future they’ve worked so hard on building.” She added that the DREAM Act would in addition mean increased access to federal financial resources for institutions of higher education and for state university systems, which already enroll undocumented students.
As part of the wide-range of organizations supporting passage of the DREAM Act, labor representatives spoke of the legislation as one step in raising the level of labor conditions by bringing a large sector of the workforce out of the dark. Similarly, business representatives spoke of the increased access they would have to a large domestic pool of highly skilled and U.S. trained employees.
The groups of youth present made a commitment to a reformed immigration system that benefits all immigrants, but stated that the passage of the DREAM Act is only one step along the way. The Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) announced their participation in a mass mobilization taking place in Washington DC from July 19th-21st to urge legislators to move the DREAM Act this year (for more information visit www.thedreamiscoming.com).
The DREAM Act would provide tens/hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth with access to higher education and a pathway to citizenship. This is a bipartisan proposal that has a history of advocacy and growing legislative support, with 124 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 40 co-sponsors in the Senate.
Organizations present included: Erie Neighborhood House, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), American Jewish Committee Chicago, NALACC, Latino Policy Forum, Latinos Progresando, ENLACE Chicago, Telpochcalli Community Education Project, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), PASO, the Immigration Acuerdo, Southwest Chamber of Commerce, SEIU Local 1, Latino Organization of the Southwest, and the Immigrant Youth Justice League, New Sanctuary Coalition, Arise Chicago, Federacion de Chihuahua, United Merchants of Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII), Mexicanos Unidos del D.F., Federacion de Mexicanos del D.F., United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), P.A.S.O. - West Suburban Action Project, Nuestra Voz, Organization of Latin American Students (HWC), Latino Organization of the Southwest, Arab American Action Network, Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights, United African Organization, Immigrant Advocacy Project, Polish Initiative of Chicago, Latino Union of Chicago, Women Center at Grand Valley State University, Workers United for Eco Maintenance, Korean American Women in Need (KAN-WIN), Working Hands Legal Clinic, OLMC Community Center, IIID Graphics Inc, S&G Construction, Durango Unido en Chicago, Federacion de Guerrerenses.
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages