A-list message, [A-List] Fw: Alert,May 1-National and local events

Dear friends,

Last year on April 9, 2006, over 500,000 people from throughout North Texas marched for immigration reform and justice. Thousands of high school students walked out throughout America and Dallas and got involved in demanding a change for millions of families who live in the shadows of this society.

On My 1, 2007 a national day of action will be held with major marches planned in Los Angeles and Chicago. In Dallas a march will be held at 5pm, starting in the heart of Dallas' Latino community in Oak Cliff. The march will start at St.Cecilia church and go down W. Jefferson Blvd. to the Bank of America-Oak Cliff at Zang and Jefferson.

Congress has two bills pending that will provide the opportunity of the American dream. We need to make a final push to move this New American Civil Rights movement to victory. Please forward this to your friends and family. Leave work early or come after school to this important event.

May 1 Action events:

Press Conference
Date: Sunday, April 29

Time: 3pm

Place: Tejano resturant,110 W.Davis,Dallas,Tx (take I-35 south,exit Eighth street, go west, Eighth turns into Davis. Intersection of W. Davis and Beckley.)

Mega March Coalition Meeting
Date: Monday, April 30

Time: 7pm

Place: 110 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75208- Tejano Restaurant

MARCH for New American and Justice
Date: Tuesday, May 1

Time: 5pm

Place: 1809 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75208- Santa Cecilia Catholic Church- parking lot

From http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/

Latest Immigrant News

4/18 - 4/20: National Call-In Days To Oppose the President Bush's Immigrant Proposal/STRIVE Act

We are organizing White House and Congressional call-in days (Wednesday, April 18 - Friday, April 20) to express your concern about their proposed immigrant legislative bills to the President Bush and the STRIVE co-sponsors Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ):

White House Comment Line: (202)456-1111

Representatives Luis Gutierrez: (202)225-8203 (Washington D.C.)

Representatives Jeff Flake: (202)225-2635 (Washington D.C.)

And tell them about the following statement:

"We would like express our concern about your recent immigration proposals that require undocumented immigrants to pay large fines, excess background checks, and to leave the country in order to apply legal immigratnt status is unacceptable.

We also cannot accept the militarization of the U.S-Mexico border and building a new border fence.

We want to support the immigration bill that includes the following propose by National Immigrant Solidarity Network:

1) No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.
2) No to militarization of the border.
3) No to the immigrant detention and deportation.
4) No to the guest worker program.
5) No to employer sanction and "no match" letters.
6) Yes to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
7) Yes to speedy family reunification.
8) Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.
9) Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.
10) Yes to the education and LGBT immigrant legislation.

Immigrant Legislative Updates

Bush's proposals, along with Congress's STRIVE Act have many similarities, while they both advocate for "path to the citizenships" includes granting work visas to undocumented immigrants and eventually permanent resident status. But that's a serious flaw--it requires them to return to home and pay hefty fines to become legal U.S. residents, they also need to go though a very tough background check by the government >> Read More

3/23: New Immigrant Bill Introduced at Congress: STRIVE Act of 2007

The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act (STRIVE Act H.R. 1645)

H.R. 1645, Introduced by Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and 28 other original co-sponsors on March 22, 2007. Among other things, the bill tightens borer security and interior enforcement, establishes an employment verification system, provides a new worker program for the future flow of immigrant workers, overhauls the family immigration system to reduce backlogs, contains an earned legalization program for the undocumented living in the U.S., and facilitates the integration of immigrants.

The Full 697-pages bill

A four-page overview | A longer 12-page summary

Analysis from Arizona Congress Watch

For More Information and analysis, go Immigrant Legislation Watch Home Page

3/22: Recent Sign-On Letters from Major Immigrant Organizations

For the past several weeks, several national immigrant organizations and coalitions had circulated their sign-on letters to promote their vision of the immigrant reform:

March 2007: "Unity Bule Print" for Immigrtant Reform

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) 3/12-13 Advocacy Day Statement

3/5: Detention Watch Network Principle Sign-On Letter to the Congress

Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) February 2007: PRINCIPLES FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

3/29 Illinois: Immigrant driver bill approved by House

>> Read More

3/26 AZ: Immigration hawks seek to put two measures on Arizona's ballot

Advocates for tougher border enforcement filed two proposed ballot measures in Arizona that would make it a state crime to knowingly hire those who sneak in the country and criminalize the presence of undocumented immigrants in the state >> Read More

3/27 Morristown, NJ: City council endorses immigrant crackdown

The Morristown Council voted 6-1 tonight to endorse the mayor's effort to get the town's police deputized as federal immigration officers despite a protest by hundreds of people >> Read More

3/1: NO TO DREAM ACT

[Somos Raza] We the undersigned youth and student led organizations do not recognize the measures that congress tries to impose on us without consulting with us, and without a dialogue. We are opposed to a DREAM ACT that will send us to war forcibly. You do not speak in our name. Our dream will not be a nightmare! >> Read More

For more latest Immigration Legislation Updates, Please visit: Immigration Legislation Watch

Detention and Deportation News

4/27-28 Washington D.C.: Detention Watch Network conference

The 2007 DWN Conference is an opportunity for members to re-connect, re-energize and strengthen their collaboration. The need for focused public education, coordinated advocacy and resource-sharing has never been greater >> Read More

3/30: ADC, ACLU, and JACL Alarmed that Census Violated Privacy in World War II

ADC, ACLU, and JACL Alarmed that Census Violated Privacy in World War II, Urge Congress to Ensure Similar Actions Are Not Happening Now >> Read More

3/30: Papers show Census role in WWII camps

The Census Bureau turned over confidential information including names and addresses to help the Justice Department, Secret Service and other agencies identify Japanese-Americans during World War II, according to government
documents > Read More

More Immigrant Detention Centers Across The Country

3/30: NEW IMMIGRATION COURTS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN CHARLOTTE, OMAHA, KANSAS CITY

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) plans to establish new immigration courts in Charlotte, N.C.; Omaha, Neb.; and Kansas City, Mo., by late 2007. These cities were selected to address growing immigration caseloads, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced >> Read More

3/30 Phoenix, CA: ICE Opens Office In Phoenix Prison

The federal agency that deports immigrants is scheduled to open its first office inside a prison Friday in an effort to expedite the deportation process >> Read More

3/29 Baltimore, MD: Dozens arrested in Md. immigration raid

Immigration agents arrested 69 people Thursday (3/29) in raids on a temporary employment agency's offices and places where it provided undocumented workers, including the port of Baltimore, authorities said >> Read More

3/28 San Diego, CA: Border Fence Co. Execs Sentenced For Hiring Undocumented Immigrants

Two executives of a Southern California fencing company were sentenced to home detention Wednesday (3/28) for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants >> Read More

3/27: Judge dismisses toture/prisoner lawsuit against Rumsfeld

Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cannot be tried on allegations of torture in overseas military prisons, a federal judge said Tuesday in a case he described as "lamentable." >> Read More

More >From The Detention News

Minutemen Watch

3/31 Cucamonga, CA: KKK/Minutemen Harrasing Migrant Workers Met by Larger Counter Protesters

By about 7:45am, the KKK , branch from Yucca Valley, appeared on the street corner (about 5 to 7 of them) facing at least 100 workers, families and friends of day laborers, with maybe an additional hundred or so showing up througout the morning >> Read More

More Legal Troubles for Minutemen

3/28 San Diego, CA: Criminal Charges Filed Against Minuteman

[March 28, San Diego IMC] SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego City Attorney's Office filed criminal charges yesterday against 36-year-old John Monti, a member of the Minuteman Project, for acts of violence against two day laborers at a Rancho Penasquitos hiring site in November 2006.

According to the City Attorney's Office, Monti allegedly began taking photographs of the workers and calling them "Mexicano Cochinos" (dirty Mexicans). Monti then stuck his camera in a worker's face. The worker, Estanislao Gonzales, who is disabled, tried to walk away from Monti, but Monti began punching him.

A second worker, Roberto Pena, tried to help Gonzales get away but was also assaulted by Monti. Immediately after the incident, Monti contacted the police, claiming he had been robbed and assaulted by 6-8 migrant workers.

The charges filed by the City Attorney's Office include four counts of battery, four counts of interfering with day laborers' civil rights, and one count of filing a false crime report with the San Diego Police Department. Monti is scheduled to appear in court on April 13.

For More News About the Minutemen, please visit Minutemen Watch

Current and Recent Immigrant Solidarity Network Campaigns

Jan 29, 2007 Washigton D.C. Congressional Lobby
and National Call-In Day for Immigrant Rights

Organized by: National Immigrant Solidarity Network

On Monday, January 29, a group of us, representatives from San Francisco La Raza Legal Centro, National Organization of Women, veterans and I met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staff on immigration and present our open letter and exchanges ideas on the immigration issues. In addition, thank you for everyone who had visited and call your representatives at the Call-In day, at dozen states. >> Read the Congressional Lobby Day Report

May Day 2006 - We Have Made History!

Ten Millions Across the Country Take to the Streets to Demand Immigrant Rights!

http://www.NoHR4437.org http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org

Today was one of the most important days in U.S. history: ten millions of immigrants, activists and allies in over 200 cities from across the country chose to skip work, school, and the normal daily routine to participate in "A Day Without Immigrants." We held a national boycott, general strikes, rallies and symbolic actions in order to demand basic rights for all immigrants, and to build a new multi-ethnic united civil rights movement for the 21st century!

Report from Spirng 2006 Immigrant Mobilizations

Recent Campaigns and Issues

--
Alberto Ruiz
Cell: (214) 868-6920
Office: (214) 941-8300

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