Broad support for Pres. Obama’s #ImmigrationAction

Please share: Below are resources that you can use as you continue to inform your audiences on today’s executive actions.
USCIS breakdown of initiatives, who is eligible and how to apply:
http://www.uscis.gov/immigrationaction,
http://www.uscis.gov/es/accionmigratoria

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 20, 2014

News Release

Mayor Kasim Reed Statement on President Obama’s Administrative Relief Order

ATLANTA – “President Obama’s Administrative Relief order is a significant step forward in achieving meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform. In an effort to provide millions of aspiring citizens the opportunity to rightfully and legally contribute to our nation’s economy, President Obama’s decision to enact reform through executive action is imperative if we are to truly address our broken immigration system. In fact, previous Presidents of both parties, including President Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush, have taken executive action to address immigration issues. In Atlanta, the economic and social contributions of immigrants continue to strengthen our city’s cultural fabric, economic growth and global competitiveness. Under President Obama’s leadership, our aspiring citizens—individuals who already contribute significantly to Atlanta by opening businesses, being customers in local stores, and paying taxes—will finally be able to come forward without the fear of deportation and be afforded the opportunity to achieve the American dream. As a city and a nation, we are stronger when we embrace and support the diversity and vitality of immigrant populations. I invite all Atlantans and Georgians to join us in building a stronger community. The President’s decision holds great potential for our country as we welcome immigrant communities into the economic, cultural and social mainstream.”

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2014

CONTACT:
Amanda Bosquez, abosquez@naleo.org
(202) 546-2536 ext. 112, (361) 548-6989 (cell)

Paula Valle Castanon, pvalle@naleo.org
(213) 747-7606 ext. 4414, (323) 253-6431 (cell)

NALEO Educational Fund Supports Administrative Relief for
Millions of Immigrants Living in Shadows

Organization launches new (844) 411-iAMERICA (844-411-4263) bilingual hotline to
provide timely information to immigrants who may benefit from new policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund today issued the following statement regarding administrative action aimed at overhauling nation’s immigration system:

“Administrative relief aimed at overhauling our immigration system is a positive first step in putting our nation on a path that will benefit all Americans. While only a short-term solution, executive action will serve the economic and civic interests of our nation by bringing millions of tax-paying immigrants who are already making significant contributions to their communities out of the shadows and into the light.

“Our nation has suffered as a result of our broken immigration reform system for far too long. It is time that we stop ripping American families apart and straining the already limited resources of law enforcement by putting in place solutions that will allow immigrants to contribute as full participants in our nation’s economy and democracy. A broad coalition of leaders—from business to law enforcement to the faith community—support unilateral action from the President that will allow us to benefit fully from the skills and work ethic that immigrants bring to the table.

“We applaud the President for demonstrating his commitment to this important issue by announcing action on meaningful administrative relief for millions of immigrants. To ensure this solution is effective, the program will need to include fair and reasonable requirements, a vigorous outreach campaign to the immigrant community, and ample support for the state and local governments who will be responsible for implementing these new policies nationwide.

“While a welcomed bold first step, we must remember that administrative relief will only be a temporary fix. Our nation will continue to suffer from the consequences of a broken system until Congress acts to pass bipartisan immigration reform legislation that upholds our values and grows our economy through the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship and robust integration support for the millions of immigrants living in the shadows today. We will continue to closely monitor movement on this issue and work with the President and new Congress to find an immediate and cost-effective permanent immigration reform solution that will make our country more prosperous and our democracy stronger.

“Continuing our tradition of providing timely and relevant information to the Latino community, NALEO Educational Fund will launch a new administrative relief hotline — (844) 411-iAMERICA (844-411-4263) — in partnership with the iAmerica campaign. In the absence of specific details on eligibility and the application process, this hotline will ensure potential beneficiaries are informed about their rights, the executive action process and legal assistance resources in their area. The hotline will join NALEO Educational Fund’s existing civic participation information and referral hotlines, 888-VE-Y-VOTA (voting and elections), 888-839-8682 (citizenship) and 855-DREAM-D1 (DACA).”

To view the NALEO Educational Fund’s principles on comprehensive immigration reform, click here or visit our website at http://www.naleo.org/downloads/NALEO_PrinciplesImmReform.pdf.

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About NALEO Educational Fund
NALEO Educational Fund is the nation’s leading non-profit organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

November 20, 2014 Julian Teixeira

jteixeira@nclr.org

(202) 776-1812

LEADING CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY BOLD EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION WILL BENEFIT EVERY COMMUNITY

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today,16 civil rights groups representing a diverse coalition of communities joined together to support President Obama’s decision to use an executive order to address immigration. The president’s pending executive action is expected to provide millions of aspiring Americans from all walks of life with relief from unnecessary deportations.

National leaders from groups including Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Define American, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mi Familia Vota, MomsRising, the NAACP, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Action Network, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), the National Urban League, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), Rock the Vote and Voto Latino united behind the upcoming executive order, noting that every community has been affected by the nation’s chaotic broken immigration system and stands to benefit from a bold action from the president.

“The faces and stories of Asian immigrants are often left out of the national immigration conversation, but Asian American families face similar hardships caused by our broken immigration system as other immigrant groups,” said Mee Moua, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. “Nearly 1.3 million Asian Americans are undocumented. More than 250,000 Asian Americans have been deported in the past six years; many are refugees. More than 1.8 million people from Asian countries are waiting decades for a family-sponsored visa to join with loved ones in the United States. The president can provide us temporary relief and we call on him to do what Congress has failed to do: keep families together.”

“I’ve been pledging allegiance since middle school to an American flag and government that have yet to recognize me, possibly until this very day,” said Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, filmmaker (“Documented”) and founder of Define American. “While this step to ensure we can live with less fear is wonderful, the real shift cannot happen with any piece of legislation—it must come from a shift in culture. It must come from responsible journalism and a change in the way we view immigrants as a nation.”

“Millions of undocumented immigrants who have been waiting in perpetual fear for far too long will finally have relief thanks to the strong leadership of President Obama,” said Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “Administrative relief from deportation for thousands of LGBT people who want nothing more than pursuing happiness and living openly, honestly and without fear of deportation is an important interim step. It’s now up to Congress to do its job and pass comprehensive, lasting immigration reforms.”

“We applaud President Obama’s decision to provide immigration relief. For too long, undocumented immigrants have suffered wage theft, sexual harassment, death and injury on the job because unscrupulous employers use their legal status to exploit them,” said Hector E. Sanchez, Executive Director of LCLAA and Chair of NHLA. “This historic announcement could give millions of undocumented Latinos a voice on the job and a life without the fear of deportation. While this executive order will not fix our broken immigration system, it is the right response from the president until Congress acts on a sensible permanent solution.”

“Immigration reform is a defining civil and human rights issue of our time and it is crystal clear that this is not only a Latino issue: Immigration reform is an American issue. We applaud the President’s willingness to act where Congress has failed us all. We stand behind this decision to help build a nation that’s as good as its ideals,” said Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

“With these provisions, the president has used his executive authority for administrative relief. The president has changed the lives of millions of people,” said Brent Wilkes, National Executive Director, LULAC. “Students can go to school without fear that their parents will be deported and parents can go to work without fear of being separated from their families. More young people will be allowed to work legally and contribute to the only country they know as home. By taking executive action, the president has answered the will of the American people. Today’s executive order not only does right by the families of countless Latinos, it will also serve to benefit our economy.”

“President Ronald Reagan saw the value of immigrants and gave me a chance to become the proud citizen of the United States that I am today,” said Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota. “I stand before you as someone who did not give up hope, and I don’t want you to give up hope. We will continue fighting, with all our might, in the halls of Congress and at the election polls until we get a Congress that will fight for us. Don’t give up hope and don’t give up the fight. This is our first historic step in the march toward immigration reform.”

“The NAACP strongly supports the rights of immigrants and has called for comprehensive immigration reform for decades. We applaud President Obama for using his executive power to begin the process of fixing our nation’s broken immigration system. The depth of the need for this type of decisive action by the president is also matched by the diversity of the problem. We believe that it is crucial to provide documentation for millions of immigrants that live in our country and contribute to our society,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP. “From Haiti to Honduras, from Senegal to St. Croix, family members hoping to reunite with loved ones and refugees working to build a new life in the United States deserve our attention. The NAACP remains committed to advocating on behalf of Americans and those seeking legal citizenship to establish an immigration system that protects all U.S. workers and guarantees the safety and security of our nation without compromising fundamental civil rights, human rights and civil liberties. This executive order is a critical step on the road to comprehensive immigration reform.”

“Fixing immigration is not an option—it is a necessity. The United States has richly benefited from the influence and industry of immigrants across the globe who dared to dream of a better life within its borders. Now, President Obama has shown the courage to address the throbbing issue of immigration reform responsibly and surgically. By doing so, he will preserve the sanctity of family and invest in our economy. President Obama’s courageous step forward on immigration reform paves the way for a more just economic system that will help various marginalized communities, including African Americans, find their footing in the American economy and in American society,” Janai S. Nelson, Associate Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

“The executive action by the president is a huge step forward for the civil and human rights movement that wants to see people treated in a humane but thought-out manner. This is a constructive way to deal with a human problem in which everyone wins. The president had no choice but to do what Congress has failed to do and that is to move forward on this issue,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, President, National Action Network.

“The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and the Black Women’s Roundtable Public Policy Network (BWR) stand united with these organizations in urging President Obama to take immediate action on immigration. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s the American thing to do,” said Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO, NCBCP, and convener, BWR. “For those of you who don’t think immigration impacts the African American community, think about the fact that one-fourth of the Black population in New York, Boston and Miami are foreign-born and more than three million U.S. immigrants are of African descent. Also, repairing the broken immigration system will stop enabling employers to exploit immigrant and African American workers, which will aid in the fight for jobs with livable wages.”

“As an overarching civil rights, human rights and economic empowerment issue, immigration is of great concern to the National Urban League,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “In the absence of congressional action to pass a bipartisan bill on immigration, we fully support President Obama’s planned—and precedented—executive order as one step toward fixing a broken system and affording millions of workers the legal protections they need to avoid exploitation and human rights violations. Immigration is an issue that impacts all of us, and while we welcome the president’s action, we implore Congress to pass comprehensive legislation that will offer American workers at every level of the workplace their rights, fair wages and full labor market mobility.”

“The array of leaders at today’s event demonstrates that there is broad support for the president to take actions to help working and often vulnerable families and communities, including on immigration,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO, NCLR. “All those involved in this issue should heed this call for unity and support the president’s leadership to remedy a broken immigration system on behalf of our country. And the House Republican leadership should use this moment to at long last move forward on comprehensive immigration reform legislation.”

“Immigration reform is an American issue, and one that greatly impacts the lives of young people in our country,” said Heather Smith, Chairwoman, Rock the Vote. “The Millennial Generation is the largest, and most diverse, in our nation’s history, and fixing our broken immigration system is consistently a top issue of concern for these young voters. We are encouraged by the President’s pending executive actions, and will continue to call for comprehensive immigration reform on behalf of young Americans.”

“We recognize the significance of the president’s pending executive action on immigration reform. However, a permanent solution can only come from Congress. We call on congressional leaders to lay aside partisan differences and come together immediately to pass comprehensive reform on behalf of all Americans,” said María Teresa Kumar, President and CEO, Voto Latino.

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Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO, reacting to Mundo Hispanico: http://mundohispanico.com/news/2014/nov/20/anuncio-sobre-inmigracion/

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Miguel A. Gonzalez

November 20, 2014 202-822-7823, mgonzalez@nea.org

NEA: Educators welcome White House’s administrative action to keep families together

Bold action brings out of the shadows of society millions of aspiring Americans

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama today announced that he will take administrative action to keep families together as a direct result of Congressional inaction to reform our nation’s broken immigration system.

NEA President Lily Eskelsen García issued the following statement:

“After years of waiting in the shadows of society, today millions of aspiring new Americans are a step closer to reaching the light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the bold administrative decision to keep families together taken by President Barack Obama. This action is necessary and has precedent as previous presidents from both sides of the political aisle have taken similar administrative relief actions on immigration.

“We know that this decision will shield from deportation families seeking to stay together, add to the rich and robust cultural tapestry of our country, contribute to our economy, and pursue the American dream.

“More to the point, this is the morally right thing to do for our students and their families. Educators know from experience that family unity plays a critical role in student success. Yet a growing number of public school students live in fear that our nation’s immigration policies will break up their families, forcing them to choose between their country and their loved ones. Keeping families together is essential to keeping American strong.

“That’s why we welcome the president’s proposal to expand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the immigration policy tool that helps DREAMer-eligible students and their families stay together. Since its inception two years ago, DACA has kept an estimated 700,000 students and their families together. Expanding DACA will lift the cloud of deportation from the lives of many more aspiring Americans across the nation.

“While we welcome this necessary action, we still have a long way to go. This is only a temporary fix. We need something permanent. As a country, we have an obligation to do that what is morally right and just and bring about comprehensive immigration reform now. We urge Congress to pass a comprehensive bill that creates a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million aspiring Americans; continues to preserve the unity of family, traditional and untraditional; and includes the DREAM Act and DACA.

“Educators will continue to push to end the harmful paralysis in the U.S. House of Representatives and demand swift action on comprehensive immigration reform. Political posturing and threats should not shatter the lives and dreams of children and families. Congress can make or break their dreams.”

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

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President’s Executive Action on Immigration Reform Good News for Small Business, Economy

Statement by John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, regarding the president’s announcement today of executive actions to reform the nation’s immigration system

The president’s decision to instate a host of executive actions to reform our nation’s immigration system will help drive new business growth and ensure small businesses have adequate access to a skilled workforce.

Having access to a qualified workforce is of paramount importance to entrepreneurs looking to grow and expand their businesses. Our scientific opinion poll found 1 in 5 small business owners who have hired immigrants say it’s because they can’t find enough U.S. citizens to fill jobs. In fact, many small employers who have chosen to hire immigrants say one of the biggest challenges they face in using immigrant labor is concern about following the letter of the law.

This underscores why it’s critical to improve our immigration system and make it easier for employers to understand and comply with its requirements—and why executive actions that move us closer to fixing the system are so crucial.

However, we still need Congress to move forward on comprehensive reform. This will create a more stable workforce—something small businesses desperately need right now. Specifically, three-quarters of small business owners agree it’s important for the country and for the overall economy to allow more high skilled foreign workers who might work in the high-tech industries, and another two-thirds believe we should allow more low-skilled foreign workers who might work in the agricultural, restaurant or service industries into this country legally.

A resounding 88 percent of small employers believe our current immigration system is broken. The president’s actions takes us one step closer to repairing our flawed system, reinvigorating the entrepreneurial spirit and getting Americans back to work. But there’s still more work to be done. The time to do it is now.

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About Small Business Majority

Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America’s 28 million small businesses today. We actively engage small business owners to drive smart public policy and get entrepreneurs the resources they need to thrive. We conduct extensive opinion and economic research and work with our rapidly growing network of 30,000+ small business owners across the country to ensure their voices are an integral part of the public policy debate. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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For Immediate Release: Contact: Michael Earls

November 20, 2014 202-494-8555

Frank Sharry on Executive Action: “The Biggest Victory for Immigrants and Their Allies in 25 Years”

Washington, DC – With the details of the president’s immigration executive action now public, Frank Sharry of America’s Voice shares his reflections:

“This is the biggest victory for immigrants and their allies in the past 25 years. We rejoice with the millions who can come forward, get a work permit and live without fear.

“Giving some 5 million immigrants a chance to work legally and live in dignity, combined with the end of the misnamed Secure Communities program, is a significant step towards bringing our dysfunctional immigration system into balance after years of ramped up deportations, out-of-control enforcement and millions of families being ripped apart.

“With this historic move President Obama will help to make long overdue improvements to our nation’s immigration system and better the lives of immigrants and the communities in which they live. Executive action is no substitute for the permanent legislative overhaul we still need, but finally someone is doing something to take action. We congratulate the President for stepping up and leaning in.

“We recognize that we have a fight ahead of us. We know the Republicans are bent on stopping the President’s policies before they are implemented. But we will challenge them at every turn and pull back the veil on their process objections to expose the truth: 1) they have no policy alternative other than deportation; and 2) if they let the nativists define and direct their party’s response, they will be permanently branded as a party hostile to Latinos, Asian-Americans and other immigrants. We pray for a change of heart, but if that is not forthcoming, we will work for a change of Congress.

“As for Democrats, to date we have been encouraged that most Democrats are defending this executive action with full-throated support against the howls of Republican opposition. We expect all Democrats to follow suit.

“Finally, we salute the brave immigrants and immigrant advocates who have worked so hard to bring about today. This is a tremendous victory for our movement and shows that we will not be denied. This matters because we are far from done. We will keep fighting until all 11 million undocumented immigrants in America live freely and are treated fairly.”

Follow Frank Sharry and America’s Voice on Twitter @FrankSharry and @AmericasVoice.
America’s Voice – Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform
www.americasvoice.org

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** Media Release**

November 20, 2014
** Media Contact **
Douglas Rivlin (douglas.rivlin@mail.house.gov )

(202) 225-8203 OR (202) 558-8240

Rep. Gutiérrez on President’s Announcement

of Executive Actions on Immigration

“President Obama is using his pen to help the country

and we celebrate his courage.”

Washington, DC – Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) will join President Obama on his trip to Nevada on Friday as the President announces a series of executive actions he is taking on immigration, enforcement and deportations. The Congressman was briefed by the President and his staff last night and by Secretary Jeh Johnson today on the scope of the actions the President will take.

“President Obama is using his pen to help the country and we celebrate his courage,” Rep. Gutierrez said. “I am going sign up the families that are covered, keep fighting for the families that are not covered, and we are going to make the City of Chicago a model for the rest of the country. We all must recognize that no executive action is a substitute for legislation, so the fundamental challenge of getting legislation through the Republican-controlled House remains the same.”

Congressman Gutiérrez is working with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (www.icirr.org), and leaders from across the City of Chicago to begin preparations for implementing what the President announces tonight. Rep. Gutiérrez and Mayor Emanuel will join ICIRR and hundreds of Chicagoans at Benito Juarez High School in Chicago on Saturday, November 22 at 9:30 a.m. CT. to celebrate the President’s announcement and to help launch the Illinois Is Ready campaign (www.ilisready.org).

The Congressman also recorded two video messages (ENGLISH: http://youtu.be/EX9KIIM6xRg and SPANISH: http://youtu.be/AUVkIFxqB6o) for his supporters about the President’s announcement encouraging people to celebrate this momentous occasion and to gather information about what the President is announcing so that they can make informed decisions about whether this series of policy adjustments will apply to them and their families. The videos are posted on the Congressman’s Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ RepGutierrez), YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/ RepLuisGutierrez), and on his website (http://gutierrez.house.gov).

Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez represents the Fourth District of Illinois, is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is a Member of the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, and is the Chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

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For Immediate Release

November 20, 2014

Media Contact: Samantha Friedman, West End Strategy Team

Office: (202) 776-7700; Cell: (202) 215-9260; samantha@westendstrategy.com

HIAS Commends President Obama on “Immigrant Accountability Executive Action”

NEW YORK—This evening, the White House announced a plan that recognizes the contributions of immigrants and honors our history as a nation of refugees and immigrants. HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees, supports the President’s plan to allow millions of immigrants who have raised families, worked hard, and contributed to communities across the country to remain in the U.S. legally. President Obama’s new policies will prevent hardworking immigrants—some of whom have been in this country for decades—from being needlessly torn from their homes, jobs, communities and families.

HIAS also reaffirmed its position that the Administration must prioritize finding a solution to help those who flee violence and come to this country seeking safety, and ensure that they are not needlessly detained or returned to persecution.

Mark Hetfield, HIAS’ President & CEO, said, “President Obama’s action is not just good for those who will directly benefit, it is good for the country. Throughout our history, immigrants and refugees have contributed to our economy, culture and communities in countless ways. It is no different now. Our immigration system has been broken for decades while immigrants have lived with daily fear of being deported. Today, the President has shown his commitment to addressing this injustice.”

Hetfield added, “The President’s plan to bring immigrants out of the shadows also benefits our national security.”

As President Obama notes, today’s actions are just a step. Congress still must enact comprehensive reform to fix the broken immigration system. HIAS urges Congress and the President to work together to enact the legislative proposals contained in the Senate’s immigration bill, S. 744. That bill includes crucial improvements to our system for welcoming refugees and how we treat asylum seekers arriving at our border seeking protection.

Melanie Nezer, HIAS’ Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, said, “Of course we are relieved to see the President put policy before politics in leading the country towards a more effective and efficient immigration system. But at the same time, the Administration must prioritize support and solutions for those who flee violence who come to this country seeking safety. We must ensure that those who seek safety at our border are not needlessly detained or returned to persecution.”

In July, HIAS coordinated a statement signed by 20 national Jewish organizations, urging the U.S. government to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children who arrive in the U.S. alone. HIAS also submitted testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, and published several opinion pieces on this issue, calling for the U.S. government to provide migrants—particularly children—a meaningful opportunity to request asylum.

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HIAS is the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees—including women and children, and ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities—whose lives are in danger for being who they are. Guided by our values and history, HIAS helps refugees rebuild their lives in safety and advocates to ensure that all displaced people are treated with dignity.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 20, 2014

CONTACT:

Liz Cattaneo

liz@jwj.org or 202-393-1044 x104

Statement from Jobs With Justice on the President’s Executive Order on Immigration

Washington, D.C.–“We applaud the president’s announcement that he will use his legal authority to begin to fix our broken immigration system and improve the lives of millions of our friends and neighbors. While his action is limited and temporary, it’s long overdue and welcome. Americans have waited on Congress for years to deliver on the promise of a comprehensive solution – only to watch House Republicans block reform. There is clearly a moral justification for the president to take action. We’ve seen too many families in our communities torn apart by unchecked enforcement. And there have been too many men and women threatened by bad employers with immigration enforcement for blowing the whistle on unsafe and unjust jobs.

The president’s decision to offer work permits to an estimated 4 million undocumented individuals is particularly meaningful. We all know that immigrants are being taken advantage of by companies that have figured out how to evade basic labor standards under our broken immigration system. The ability to work with status is the single most important protection for immigrant workers as it helps ensure that bad employers can’t use the threat of immigration enforcement to retaliate against them. Now, millions of men and women will no longer have to work in fear of being separated from their families for speaking out against illegally low pay and dangerous conditions. That’s good for all workers, citizen and immigrant alike, and for decent employers who play by the rules.

The announced relief could help people like Anabel Barron, a mom of four U.S. citizen children from Lorain, Ohio. Anabel has worked in various jobs since moving to the United States 16 years ago, and currently works as a medical interpreter.

“When I found out I started crying. I was in tears. Not for me, but for all the families who will qualify. This means many of my friends and neighbors will be able to ask for better jobs without being scared. Before I was just hiding in the house. And now people like me can now go outside without being fearful of the police and can get more involved in the community without worrying if they will be taken away. This is going to change a lot of lives.

However we are concerned by the proposed increase in access to temporary visas that employers can use to lower standards. As we have maintained throughout the immigration reform debate, these programs should be reformed, not expanded.

Nevertheless, today is an important step toward fixing our broken immigration system – one that we should celebrate. And yet more must be done. Ultimately Congress must do its job and pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. While we wait for Congress to act, Jobs With Justice will continue to stand with those workers and their families who will not qualify for this relief and will not be spared the injustice of the current system. And we will keep up the fight for a bill that offers a path to citizenship for all 11 million, strong worker protections, and temporary foreign worker visa programs that respond to the needs of the labor market, not the wishes of corporate campaign donors.”

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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Contact:

Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org 202.339.9331

Bernardita M. Yunis Varas, byunisvaras@communitychange. org 202.339.9377

Joyous Families Celebrate Historic Breakthrough on Immigration

Years of Courage and Persistence Pay Off in Huge Step Forward on Immigration

(WASHINGTON)—Today, millions of immigrant families are celebrating the historic breakthrough on immigration that provides them with the opportunity to remain in the U.S. and continue to contribute to America. The new deferred action program for parents, crucial updates to the existing DACA program for DREAMers and a series of other administrative and enforcement reforms to update our outdated immigration system will provide major relief to immigrant families.

“President Obama did not win or lose and the GOP did not win or lose today,” said Kica Matos, spokesperson for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). “This is a major victory for the immigrant rights movement in America. This victory belongs to the millions of immigrants who stood up and were unafraid.”

“This victory was more than a decade in the making and it shows that America does give way to the voices of real people,” Matos added. “Women won the right to vote, the labor movement built the middle class, people standing up for civil rights ended Jim Crow, LGBT people are ending marriage discrimination as we speak. And today, the immigrant rights movement led by families took a huge step in the fight for immigration reform and toward citizenship.”

“The President’s decision will transform the lives of millions of people who came to this country in search of a better life. This year, families will sit down at the Thanksgiving table with less fear that a broken immigration system will tear them apart.”

Matos noted the administrative reforms announced by President Obama will not cover all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

“The struggle is not over until everyone has freedom from fear of detention, deportation and family separation,” Matos said. “We will not stop fighting until everyone has a path to citizenship.”

She also noted that the enforcement reforms announced by the Administration could offer protection to many of the people not covered by deferred action – if they are actually implemented properly by DHS.

“We are committed to keep fighting to ensure that DHS reins in ICE and CBP, agencies that routinely ignore their own stated enforcement priorities,” Matos said.

She also noted that the action announced today is temporary and that we need comprehensive immigration reform as a permanent fix.

“To those who would try to take this victory away and tell immigrant families ‘you are not welcome,’ we say you are on the wrong side of history,” Matos said. “Like all those who have stood against the arc of justice, you will be judged harshly. We will not forget. The immigrant rights movement is committed to full scale mobilization, not only to protect this historic step, but to parlay it into full inclusion and citizenship for all families.”

“This victory belongs to immigrants who stood up and said ‘I am a part of America and I am not afraid,’” Matos said.

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The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is the nation’s largest immigrant-rights coalition, with grassroots organizations in 30 states fighting for immigrant rights at the local, state and federal level. For more information, go to www.fairimmigration.org or follow us on Twitter @Re4mImmigration.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2014

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, 213-400-7822, delatorre@nilc.org

Obama Immigration Fix Will Bring Relief to Millions
WASHINGTON — Up to five million people will be shielded from deportation and given work authorization under an expanded deferred action policy that President Obama will announce today. This expansion of a policy initiated in June 2012 comes after several years of advocacy and organizing by immigrant communities and represents a historic shift away from a deportation-only immigration strategy. Below is a statement from Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center:

“This is a victory for our country. A victory that has come about through inspiring organizing by immigrants — including their children — who have marched, engaged in civil disobedience and hunger strikes, and advocated for these changes. President Obama is showing that he can be as bold as these courageous immigrants by following in their footsteps and using his executive authority to bring about life-changing relief not only to the millions of immigrants who qualify, but also for their families and communities.

“For far too long, mothers have feared being torn away from their children, and immigrants lived one traffic ticket away from banishment from the lives they built. Once they apply for the opportunity to obtain temporary relief from deportation and work authorization, immigrants will be able to work lawfully and pay more taxes, supporting themselves and their families and contributing to our communities and economy.

“Free from the fear of deportation, parents will be able to actively engage in their children’s schools and their local communities, and many fewer workers will be subjected to abuse by employers who retaliate against them. Instead, they’ll be empowered to improve working conditions for all.

“We will continue to fight for the rights of those who have been excluded from this program and who remain at risk of being detained under an aggressive deportation machinery, including parents of the children President Obama himself called American in every way, except on paper. By failing to include parents of certain immigrant youth brought here as children, workers with long-term ties to the United States, and other undocumented Americans, President Obama’s proposed solution is limited and not as comprehensive as the problem we face. Those who do qualify for relief should have the same rights and responsibilities to lead healthy, productive lives as anyone else.

“We will continue working closely with the administration and diverse stakeholders to ensure full and fair implementation of this new program so that low-income immigrants will be able to realize their dreams.

“With today’s announcement, President Obama has provided the nation with a temporary, but much needed, solution to a complex problem. Our country will only reap the benefits of this significant policy change if the federal government is able to swiftly and efficiently implement the program. We call on all policymakers to do what is best for our nation to ensure that the president’s plan, as outlined tonight, becomes reality.”

For a detailed explanation of today’s announcement, visit www.nilc.org during the coming days.

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Obama Immigration Actions Protect Children and Families

For Immediate Release: November 20, 2014

Contact: Ed Walz, (202) 657-0685

Washington – The Obama Administration today released a set of “immigration accountability executive actions” aimed at reforming the Nation’s broken immigration system. The reforms include the expansion of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by removing the upper age cap, extending the required date of entry to before January 1, 2010, and changing the program term to 3 years. The reforms also include a new 3-year renewable deferred action program for parents of U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) who have been in the country for more than 5 years and pass background checks, which has the potential to protect 4.5 million U.S. citizen children from losing parents to immigration enforcement actions. The parents of DREAMers who are not also parents of a U.S. citizen or LPR will not be eligible for relief under this new program. Altogether, the executive actions have the potential to provide an estimated 4.9 million individuals with relief.

Reacting to the Administration’s announcement, the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus released the following statement by First Focus president Bruce Lesley:

“The Obama Administration acted where a divided Congress failed, delivering meaningful and common-sense reform for children in immigrant families. Because of President Obama’s leadership, millions of children will no longer have to live in fear of the government coming during the night to take their parents away. Now it is time for Congress to act on immigration reform that will promote the best interests of children and provide permanent relief for children and families.”

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First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit firstfocus.org.

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ACLU Comment on President Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2014

WASHINGTON – Tonight, President Obama will announce a package of executive actions that could temporarily shield more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Below are preliminary thoughts from ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero:

“The ACLU supports the President for taking necessary action to restore some fairness to our broken immigration system, and to place limits on the devastating deportation machine that has torn apart countless families for too long. Now, millions of people, who have lived under the daily threat of deportation for years, can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

However, President Obama’s executive actions are not a complete solution to the problems plaguing this system. We are extremely concerned about the rights of all six million immigrants excluded from deportation relief, including those who are long-standing neighbors in our communities. Today’s executive actions will also result in more militarization in Southwest border communities, without increasing accountability measures for Customs and Border Protection, the nation’s largest and most dangerous police force. We’re disappointed because at the height of CBP’s crisis of abuses, the White House is requesting more border-security resources, more boots on the throats of border residents.

Today we celebrate with immigrant families around the country, but tomorrow, we join our fellow advocates, organizers and movement leaders to continue the fight for the six million immigrants left unprotected as well as for residents in Southwest border communities – citizen and immigrant alike.”

This press release is at: https://www.aclu.org/ immigrants-rights/aclu- comment-president-obamas- immigration-executive-actions- announcement-0

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tara Tidwell Cullen
ttidwellcullen@ heartlandalliance.org
(312) 660-1337

NIJC APPLAUDS PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PLAN TO OFFER IMMIGRANTS AND FAMILIES RELIEF FROM DEPORTATION FEARS

CHICAGO (November 20, 2014)—Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) applauds President Obama’s announcement of a new program that will give relief to approximately five million immigrants and families, and stability to the American communities where they live.

NIJC Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy issued the following statement in response to the president’s announcement:

“We are relieved and grateful that President Obama finally has kept his promise to address our broken immigration system and relieve the fear of permanent exile and family separation that has plagued immigrants and American families. With this temporary relief, parents of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident children, as well as adults who have been raised and educated in our communities, will have the opportunity to pursue their educations, open businesses, advance their careers, and continue to contribute to our cities and economy. The president’s plan will help restore some stability to American families, neighborhoods, schools, and businesses that have struggled in recent years as the government has detained and deported people at a record pace. While the president’s program is a step in the right direction, we regret that it still excludes many parents and other individuals who have deep roots in U.S. communities. We will continue to encourage Congress to fulfill its obligation to create a permanent solution that makes our immigration system more humane and functional for everyone.

“NIJC also welcomes the demise of the Secure Communities program, in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested that local law enforcement agencies unconstitutionally hold individuals so the agency could decide whether to initiate removal proceedings. We will keep a watchful eye on its replacement, the Priority Enforcement Program, as well as other announced shifts in enforcement priorities which we hope will significantly reduce the number of people who are unjustly and unnecessarily targeted by immigration enforcement efforts.

“NIJC laments the administration’s failure to address the continuing detention and rapid deportation of children and families who have sought protection from Central American violence. Even as the U.S. government extends relief to millions of people with long-term ties to our country, it also should uphold its history of welcoming those who seek refuge from persecution. Our nation has the resources and the compassion to do both.”

About the president’s immigration plan:

The new program, called the Immigration Accountability Executive Action, will allow an estimated 4.9 million people to apply for deferred action and seek a temporary respite from the fear of deportation. NIJC’s legal staff will release within 48 hours a more detailed summary of the program’s eligibility requirements and benefits. Individuals are strongly encouraged to seek legal advice from qualified immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations before submitting any applications to the government.

The president’s announcement includes a general overview of individuals likely to benefit:

• About 4.1 million of those expected to be eligible for the program are parents of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident (LPR) children, regardless of age or marital status of the child, who have resided in the U.S. since January 1, 2010. They are required to undergo background checks and pay taxes. The application process will begin in about 180 days.

• Another 300,000 are individuals who were brought to the United States as children and have been raised as Americans but were too old to qualify for the 2011 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program announced today removes the upper age limit for DACA eligibility and updates the required date of continuous residence to January 1, 2010. The application process will begin in about 90 days.

• Individuals will be allowed to apply for three-year work permits, temporary protection from deportation, and advanced permission to travel abroad.

In the coming days and weeks, NIJC will roll out its response plan to ensure that Illinois residents have access to qualified immigration legal services to help them determine their eligibility for relief.

To sign up for regular updates about the administrative relief program, including events and locations where individuals can obtain legal screenings, visit immigrantjustice.org/ administrativerelief.

Link to this statement: http://immigrantjustice.org/ press_releases/nijc-applauds- president-obama-plan-offer- immigrants-and-families- relief-deportation

With offices in Chicago, Indiana, and Washington, D.C., Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through a unique combination of direct services, policy reform, impact litigation and public education. Visit immigrantjustice.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

November 20, 2014 Joseph Rendeiro

(202) 776-1566

jrendeiro@nclr.org

NCLR HAILS PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION

Announcement will bring relief to millions of American Families

WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) today hailed President Barack Obama for showing courageous leadership on a challenge that has lingered for far too long. Tonight the president made the long-awaited decision to provide relief from deportation to up to five million people, including the parents of children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The action will prioritize enforcement resources for pursuing those who pose the greatest threat and harm to our country, as well as recent border crossers. The president made the announcement in a speech to the American people tonight from the White House.

“This action is a victory for the president, a victory for millions of American families and workers, a victory for our country, and a victory for common sense. The president has exercised the leadership we needed him to, acting in the country’s best interest and opening a path for Republicans in Congress to legislate on the issue,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Executive action will improve our security by getting people living in the shadows to come forward and go through criminal background checks. It will bolster our economy so those who are working will do so legally in a way that increases tax contributions for the nation and prevents bad employers from pitting them against U.S.-citizen workers. And it will bring greater stability to millions of families—which include U.S. citizens and legal residents—as well as the communities in which they live.

“To those who say they will fight this action tooth and nail, let me be clear: You are not picking a fight with the president,” Murguía continued. “You are picking a fight with the millions of American families who will find some relief—even if temporary—while extremists in Congress squandered the best opportunity our country has had in decades to resolve this issue. We also note that this is just the beginning. This action is not a path to a green card or to citizenship, and it does not cover millions of worthy immigrants contributing to our country every day, to whom we vow to continue working for reform legislation in Congress. But it will benefit the nation, and needs to serve as a wake-up call for House Republican leadership to finish the job, and deliver the reforms the vast majority of Americans support, which include a path to citizenship for aspiring Americans.”

For resources, facts on the case for executive action and updates on how to apply for administrative relief, please visit NCLR’s administrative relief site: http://nclr.us/adminrelief.

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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http://www.pfaw.org/press- releases/2014/11/pfaw-calls- executive-action-immigration- historic-step-right-direction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Layne Amerikaner or Drew Courtney

202-467-4999 / media@pfaw.org

November 20, 2014

PFAW Calls Executive Action on Immigration “Historic Step in the Right Direction”

WASHINGTON – In response to President Obama’s announcement that he will take executive action on immigration, People For the American Way President Michael Keegan released the following statement:

“We applaud President Obama for taking the steps he can within his legal authority to protect millions of undocumented immigrants. By continually blocking progress on immigration reform, Congressional Republicans have chosen to stand with anti-immigrant extremists instead of with the American people. While Congress still needs to reform our nation’s immigration laws, this is a historic step in the right direction.

“This action is the right thing to do for families bearing the weight of our broken immigration system, a system in which approximately 1,100 peopleare separated from their families every single day. Today, millions of Americans will be able to breathe easier, knowing that their families will no longer be next.

“Action to provide relief to immigrant families cannot and should not wait. We applaud the president for moving our country forward. Now, we must continue to urge Congress to pass immigration reform and fix our broken immigration system once and for all.”

Today People For the American Way and American Bridge released a new videohighlighting Congressional Republicans’ continued demeaning rhetoric about immigrants and immigration reform. Last year PFAW released a report, “Congressional Republicans’ Clear Choice on Immigration: Stand With Pro-Reform Majorities or Cave to Anti-Immigrant Extremists,” detailing the strategies that have been used by the Right to block progress on immigration reform.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2014
Contact: Sidney Traynham, 703-909-6934, straynham@cwsglobal.org

National Religious Leaders Respond to President’s Historic Action on Immigration

Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Jewish and Muslim leaders from across the religious community are responding to the President Obama announcement of temporary relief for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Selected quotes from national religious leaders:

Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
“Tonight the prayers of millions have been answered. Soon many of our neighbors will no longer be at risk of deportation. Still, we lament for those who will not gain relief from this program. This church will stand with those that qualify for relief as they enter the process and we will also continue to stand with those still at risk of deportation by visiting them in detention, protecting them in our sanctuaries and by praying and pressing for broader and more lasting relief through comprehensive immigration reform.”

Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service:
“Our immigration system has been broken for far too long. The president has the full constitutional authority, and a moral obligation to keep families together and stop needless deportations. We applaud his historic leadership and we urge all members of Congress to support the implementation of this executive action. We celebrate alongside millions of our immigrant brothers and sisters who will be able to shed the fear of deportation and live anew. But we also remember the millions who are still in need of relief. As people of faith, we believe in the dignity of all people, in the unity of all families, and in the power of redemption, and that the implementation of this executive action should reflect those values.”

Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby:
“We thank President Obama for his executive action to mitigate some of the worst impacts of our flawed immigration system. The suffering and pain within our immigrant communities has gone on for years. While it will take a few months to implement these new approaches, the president is doing what he can to address the problems of our broken system. But, as we rejoice tonight, we are also keenly aware that this is just a small step toward fixing a deeply flawed system that harms our communities, our economy and our nation as a whole. We call on Congress to fulfill its duty to the 100% and pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

Rev. David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World:
“We applaud President Obama’s decision to craft improvements within his authority to our confused and unnecessarily harsh immigration system. The president’s action is controversial and has important implications for our political parties. So we also want to acknowledge those Republican leaders in Congress who are trying to respond in a way that does not disrupt this year’s appropriations process. Our support of the president’s action is not about partisan politics. It’s about millions of families who will have some respite from worry and new opportunities to work their way out of poverty. It is about our faith; the Bible is clear on how we should treat immigrants. It is one piece of our commitment to opportunity for all people.”

Rev. Linda Jaramillo Executive Minister Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ:
“Leaders from throughout the United Church of Christ have been working hard to change our broken immigration policies for years. We have advocated, held vigils, marched, fasted and joined in civil disobedience to stop the deportations and stop family separations. We are deeply heartened that the President’s executive action reflects the call to hospitality and welcome that is at the heart of our faith traditions and is a core American value. We applaud the President for this historic move to do the morally right thing and provide relief from deportation for 5 million people. In the absence of congressional responsibility to address immigration reform, the President’s action was essential to address this critical national issue. We will continue to pray and walk alongside our immigrant brothers and sisters who are not eligible and commit to advocating for an inclusive implementation process.”

Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners:
Millions of families will no longer live under the daily threat of having their lives torn apart by senseless deportations, which is something all Christians – whether Republican or Democrat – should celebrate. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, who have spent significant portions of their lives hiding in the shadows, can now enjoy the flourishing God intends for us all. Their joy and well-being must inform our judgments of the president’s action, especially in light of the biblical call to “welcome the stranger.”

Rabbi Steve Gutow, President, Jewish Council for Public Affairs:
“Today, millions of our neighbors and community members have the security and certainty that they will be able to stay with their families – at least temporarily– without the fear of deportation,” said, “but no Presidential action can fix our broken immigration system. We reaffirm our commitment to a comprehensive, legislative solution. Congress has the ultimate power and must act. In Leviticus 19:34, we are commanded ‘You must love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ We must remember our tradition, teachings, and history as we work towards making the future brighter for all those who wish to build a home in the United States.”

Saif Inam, Muslim Public Affairs Council Policy Analyst:
“The President’s executive actions highlight the desperation of our current immigration climate. These actions are a direct result of delays and political brinkmanship that have delayed our legislative branch from passing comprehensive immigration reform. We hope that Congress acts to address our immigration system in a comprehensive, long-lasting, and humane way.”

Mark Hetfield, President & CEO, HIAS:
“President Obama’s action is not just good for those who will directly benefit, it is good for the country. Throughout our history, immigrants and refugees have contributed to our economy, culture and communities in countless ways. It is no different now. Our immigration system has been broken for decades while immigrants have lived with daily fear of being deported. Today, the President has shown his commitment to addressing this injustice.”

Sister Anne Curtis, Institute Leadership Team, Sisters of Mercy:
“I am elated that President Obama expanded deferred action on deportations to include undocumented parents. No longer will millions of children fear the loss of their mothers or fathers to deportations. The President’s action is recognition that families need to be kept together and that the system of mass deportations harms entire communities, destroys families and causes long-term negative consequences for millions of American children. This is an action worth celebrating, but our work is not done just yet, as we continue to push Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

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HIAS Commends President Obama on Executive Action

Hetfield added, “The President’s plan to bring immigrants out of the shadows also benefits our national security.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 20, 2014

CONTACT: Dawn Le, 202-549-6798

President Obama Makes Life-Changing Announcement with Executive Action Tonight

Five million immigrants can now live, work, and stay in America without fear, yet the fight continues on for 6 million more parents, grandparents, workers, and young DREAMers

Below is a statement by Lia Parada, the Legislative Director of Alliance for Citizenship, and her mother, Edelmira Parada:

“There are a lot of mothers and daughters sitting in front of their TVs tonight, watching with anticipation of what the president will say and whether their lives will change for the better. And tonight, President Obama kept his word.

“With this historic announcement, now five million immigrants can exhale and without fear, know they can live, work, and stay with their families here in America. Finally, President Obama took this monumental first step toward a permanent solution to fix the broken system, but regrettably it will not cover all the families living day-to-day still in the shadows. Tonight we rejoice for the millions of families whose lives will be changed and recommit ourselves to the fight for the moms, dads, workers, and youth immigrants that are left out from tonight’s historic victory.

“Our fight continues for all 11 million.”

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For Immediate Release

November 20, 2014

Contact: Felipe Benitez, felipeb@mifamiliavota.net;

Statement from Mi Familia Vota on Immigration Executive Action Announcement

WASHINGTON, DC- In response to today’s announcement from President Obama on Executive Action on Immigration, Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota issued the following statement:

“President Obama has taken a historic step for our immigrant families and American communities. We are moving closer in our fight for commonsense immigration reform

Today, we shed tears of joy and sorrow. We celebrate for all the millions of families that will benefit from this measure but we are also sad for those left out. We will continue to fight for a long-term solution for all immigrants in this country.

Immigration should not be a political game. The lives of real people are at stake — Americans like my own sister and brother-in-law who have lived in the United States for 27 years, have three grown children, pay taxes and have a small business. The president has stood for Latino and immigrant communities, and we will stand with him against unwarranted attacks he may receive.”

Latino voters spoke with a united voice in the recent election on two critical points: Immigration remains the top issue for this fastest-growing segment of the electorate; and, politicians who ignore us will be ignored by us at election time. The Latino community is ready to engage immigration opponents who try to stop administrative relief and block commonsense immigration reforms, as we prepare for the 2016 elections.
—
Juana EsquivelCommunications Associate
Mi Familia Vota
1525 Third St., #E
Riverside, CA 92507
Cell: (323) 317-6311
Visit us online: www.mifamiliavota.org | Facebook | Twitter

Mi Familia Vota is a national non-profit organization that unites Latino, immigrant, and allied communities to promote social and economic justice through increased civic participation by promoting citizenship, voter registration, and voter participation. Mi Familia Vota is one of the premiere Latino civic engagement organizations in the country with operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Texas.

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For Immediate Release

November 20, 2014

Contact: Ross Adair ross.adair@berlinrosen. com

We Belong Together Celebrates President Obama’s Announced Executive Action, Historic Step to Reunite Undocumented Women with Their Families

Washington, DC – Today We Belong Together joins with immigrant women and children around the country to celebrate President Barack Obama’s leadership in taking the critical first step to reform the broken immigration system. These reforms include granting relief from deportation and work authorization to up to 5 million members of our country’s undocumented community, reforming immigration enforcement practices and dismantling the Secure Communities program, increasing protections for victims of workplace abuse and indicating an intent to address the backlogs in the family immigration system.

“There is no doubt that history was made today – thanks in large part to immigrant women who came out of the shadows and have been fearless advocates for change. Over 75% of undocumented immigrants are women and children. Women bear the burden of trying to raise their families while working and living under the constant fear of deportation. The President’s actions bring hope to immigrants across the United States and throughout the world.” states We Belong Together co-chair, Miriam Yeung.

In addition to celebrations, advocates are expressing a commitment to continue pushing for permanent solutions. According to We Belong Together Co-chair, Andrea Cristina Mercado, “While this is the first step in fixing a punitive and dysfunctional immigration system, our work is far from over to ensure a true democracy. We are deeply concerned about the increased border enforcement and militarization proposed in the President’s plan, and the ongoing expansion of family detention.” In the new We Belong Together report, The Heart of the Matter: Women, Children and the Way Forward on Immigration Policy, several alternatives to enforcement are identified, along with policy recommendations that promote the human rights and dignity of immigrant women and children.

“Today my heart is relieved – I have lived here for 14 years and I am happy President Obama has taken a step to ease the pain of many families like mine. As the mother of two U.S. born children I will finally get some relief. At the same time, I know that many of my friends and neighbors will be excluded from relief. I urge Congress to now work with the President to pass immigration reform that will bring relief to all 11 million undocumented immigrants as well as all others who are stuck in visa backlogs waiting to be reunited with their families,” said Maricela Osorio, a domestic worker in Seattle, WA.

“This moment is a culmination of the brave risks that undocumented women and their families took to reveal that our current immigration system isn’t working. Their families can no longer wait. This action is a bold step for all women – when women are granted stronger protections against violence and more social and economic freedoms, it moves equality forward,” states Terry O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women.

We Belong Together affiliate organizations will be celebrating the President’s announcement on Friday, November 21st at rallies and events across the country. For a list of events and more analysis of the announcement, visit www.webelongtogether.org .
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Contact: Rebecca Morgan, 202.495.2553, rebeccam@nafsa.org
Katie O’Connell, 202.495.2559, katieo@nafsa.org
President Obama Keeps His Promise to the American People and Takes Action on Immigration

Statement by Marlene M. Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2014 – In response to President Obama’s announcement of executive action on immigration, Marlene M. Johnson, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators issued the following statement:

“We commend President Obama for following through with this necessary and lawful executive action to address the nation’s immigration crisis. For far too long, the country has waited for Congress to take action on this important issue, and has received no relief.

“Immigration, at its core, is about people and their hopes for better lives for themselves and their families. This is just as true for immigrants who come to the United States to work in the fields harvesting crops as it is for immigrants working in the laboratories at our most prestigious universities. Therefore, the President’s actions allow aspiring Americans to come out of the shadows while, at the same time, reducing the challenges faced by high-skilled immigrants who wish to become full contributing members in our communities.

“As we continue to lose our market share of globally mobile students and scholars to countries with friendlier immigration policies, we particularly applaud the President for recognizing the importance of having avenues for students to stay and work here.

“Again, we commend the President for his leadership on this issue and we look forward to working with the White House to implement these changes for our students, scholars, families, and communities. We also call upon Congress to work in a bipartisan way to create a realistic immigration system that keeps its promises to our nation and represents the values this country is founded upon.”

Read more about NAFSA’s priorities for immigration reform.

—

Sample Tweet: .@NAFSA applauds President’s #ImmigrationAction. #IntlStudents create jobs: http://bit.ly/1uYbp3U

About NAFSA: With nearly 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/policy. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.ConnectingOurWorld. org and @ConnectOurWorld on Twitter.

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NEA President Lily Eskelsen García this week is on the road for the Association’s annual American Education Week. She taped this quick video from San Antonio, Texas. Watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IW1xu2TVy-A&feature=youtu. be&list=UUXwFtLCUu10dJKKWD_ TD2LQ

NEA president responds to White House announcement on deferred action. Millions of our students and their families are being given a chance to come out of the shadows of society and the fear of deportation.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2014

MEDIA CONTACT
Jennifer Bell, Rabinowitz Communications, Jennifer@rabinowitz.com, 202-265-3000

JCPA Appreciates Effort to Provide Certainty and Security for Millions of Undocumented Immigrants, Calls on Congress to Follow Suit

NEW YORK – In a move to prevent about 5 million undocumented immigrants from being deported, President Barack Obama announced that he will sign an executive order tomorrow in Las Vegas, NV that will allow individuals who meet requirements based on longevity in the United States and family ties to remain in the country. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), which has been dedicated to a just immigration system since its creation 70 years ago, supports the result of the President’s actions and reaffirms its call on Congress to pass permanent and comprehensive immigration reforms. Earlier in this Congress, the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) to fix the broken immigration system was passed by the Senate with a vote of 68-32.

“Today, millions of our neighbors and community members have the security and certainty that they will be able to stay with their families – at least temporarily– without the fear of deportation,” said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow, “but no Presidential action can fix our broken immigration system. We reaffirm our commitment to a comprehensive, legislative solution. Congress has the ultimate power and must act. In Leviticus 19:34, we are commanded ‘You must love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ We must remember our tradition, teachings, and history as we work towards making the future brighter for all those who wish to build a home in the United States.”

“As a child of an immigrant, I have always known immigrants are members of our communities, our friends, our children’s schoolmates,” said JCPA Chair Susan W. Turnbull. “There is no question that our immigration system is broken, rips apart families and undermines national security and economic growth. Migration has been a central element of the Jewish experience, here in the United States and across the world. We have experienced the desperation of the refugee, the pain of discrimination, and the power of a pluralistic and welcoming community. We urge Congress to act so that generations of immigrants to come to the United States may have the same opportunity to grow and prosper that we, our parents and grandparents have had.”

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JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 16 national and 125 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.

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Contact: Luz Peña, UFW communications coordinator, 661.332.1074, media@ufw.org

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014

UFW commends President for taking first step –

and calls on Congress to finish the job

President acted within the law, Congress needs to improve the law

United Farm Worker President Arturo Rodriguez issued the following statement from Washington D.C. where he viewed Obama’s announcement that the administration is taking steps to ensure that five million undocumented immigrants can come out from the shadows and live without fear in a country they’ve grown to love while securing our borders. This relief will include at least 250,000 farm workers, including 125, 000 of them from California. This announcement comes a day after Rodriguez met with Obama.

“T‎he United Farm Workers commends President Obama for his leadership by acting on immigration policy.

The President’s action will allow at least 250,000 of America’s current professional farm workers, who feed

our nation to apply for temporary legal status and work permits. Farm workers, who have lived in the United

States for five years and have children, who are US citizens or Legal Permanent Residents, who pass a criminal

background check, pay all of their taxes, and pay a fee will be able to work and live in the United States
without fear of deportation. We encourage everyone who believes they or someone they know is eligible to

contact the UFW Foundation at (877-) 881-8281 or text at 877877, and to go to Sisepuede.org.” ‎

The United Farm Workers has worked for 14 years on a bipartisan basis to get Congress to act on immigration policy. The AgJOBS bill, negotiated by the UFW with the nation’s agricultural industry, passed the U.S. Senate multiple times, including during the current session. This proposal has enjoyed majority support in the House of Representatives, Yet Congress has failed to act. Today, President Obama took the steps within the executive branch’s authority to begin to fix our broken immigration system. Today the UFW celebrates. Tomorrow, we continue the work to get Congress to pass immigration legislation.

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For Immediate Release: November 20, 2014

Contact: Emma Stieglitz, emmaS@berlinrosen.com, (646) 200-5307

On President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration

Statement of Christine Owens, Executive Director, National Employment Law Project

“Five million immigrants who live and work as members of our society will no longer have to live in the shadows and work in fear, thanks to President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

“The president’s actions keep families together and strengthen the economy. Undocumented parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents will no longer have to worry about being torn from their children. Workers previously consigned to an underground life of exploitation, wage theft, workplace injuries, and retaliation will no longer be threatened with deportation for speaking up against abuse. And with immigration status comes opportunities for better jobs and higher wages, not just for those granted protection but for all workers, as low-road employers will no longer be able to use illegal tools to drive down standards in the labor market.

“We are also pleased that the U.S. Labor Department will be expanding and strengthening the U visa program, which affords legal status and protections to victims of crime (including work-related crimes) who cooperate in government investigations. And we are heartened by the administration’s demonstrated commitment to ensuring, through the work of an interagency working group, that workers can exercise their labor and employment rights without fear of retaliation.

“Immigration is a key driver of a growing U.S. economy. Immigrants’ importance to our economy will only increase as the U.S. population ages and birth rates stay low. We believe these executive actions on immigration will boost local economies across the nation.

“Congress had an opportunity to act on immigration last year, after the Senate passed by a wide margin a comprehensive reform bill in June, but the House not only failed to pass the Senate bill, it failed to even put anything on the House floor dealing with even one aspect of common-sense immigration reform. The American people and those who live in the shadows deserve better than Congressional leaders who dangle the potential for comprehensive immigration reform without any desire or ability to make anything happen. Thus, it has fallen to President Obama to exercise his lawful authority to work with his cabinet agencies to exercise the well-established executive power to set immigration enforcement priorities, and see his homeland security and labor secretaries execute them.

“As important and beneficial as the president’s actions are, however, they constitute a partial and temporary fix. We still need Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.

“Our nation’s immigrant history is one of our greatest strengths. We commend President Obama for honoring that tradition by taking this important step to help families who’ve suffered because of our broken immigration system.”

The National Employment Law Project is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts research and advocates on issues affecting low-wage and unemployed workers. For more about NELP, visit www.nelp.org.

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For Immediate Release

Thursday, November 20th, 2014

Press Contact:
Thanu Yakupitiyage; New York Immigration Coalition
tyaku@thenyic.org; Office: 212-627-2227 x235; Cell: 413-687-5160

*Press Statement*
Coalition Responds to President’s Historic Announcement of Executive Action That Will Change Millions of Lives
(New York, NY) Tonight at 8pm EST, President Obama announced from the [White House] that he will finally take steps to fix the nation’s broken immigration system, following Congressional inaction. Tonight’s announcement comes after years of unrelenting advocacy from immigrant families, grassroots organizations, the faith and labor community, and countless other advocates and allies in a strong and united immigrant rights movement. In the last year, after Congress made clear that they were unwilling to relieve our communities from the terror of an unjust deportation system, our movement called on the President to “go big” and provide administrative relief.

It is estimated that President Obama’s executive action granting administrative relief can benefit up to five million immigrants across the country, and a quarter of a million New Yorkers. Among the changes that the President is granting through his executive authority are the extension of deferred action to parents of U.S citizens (USCs) and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), the removal of the top age limit from the current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and the discontinuation of the “Secure Communities” enforcement program, which gave local law enforcement the authority to act as de facto federal immigration agents. Those who are eligible and receive deferred action will be protected from deportation, and receive work authorization.

It’s important to note that the President’s announced is only a temporary solution. This program of protection from deportation and work authorization will be valid for only a period of 3 years – at which point it would need to be renewed. The program also will leave many of the country’s immigrants uncovered – nearly 500,000 will still remain without any protection, underlining the need for comprehensive reform to find a true, lasting solution.

The following is a statement from Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition:

“We thank the President for having the courage to use his executive authority to take a historic step for immigrant rights and civil rights, and send a message to Congress that no one benefits from the separation of immigrant families. The President’s action will provide a significant measure of justice for millions of undocumented immigrants living in fear of deportation, and allow nearly a quarter of a million New Yorkers to begin to step out of the darkness, and through a door of opportunity to work legally and remain united with their families.

“As historic as this announcement is, we cannot forget the millions of immigrants who remain without protection despite this executive action. We will continue to seek justice for millions of immigrants across the country, and the 500,000 additional immigrants in New York State who need Congress to stop creating needless roadblocks and pass solution-oriented legislation to permanently address our nation’s broken immigration system.”

“In the coming days, the New York Immigration Coalition will provide in-depth analysis of the President’s “Immigrant Accountability Executive Actions.” And in the next few months, we will launch an all-out effort to work with our partners across the State to ensure that as many people who are eligible benefit from these new opportunities, while continuing to call on Congress to finally pass broad comprehensive immigration reform.”
# # #

The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.

The New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform campaign is a statewide campaign coordinated by the New York Immigration Coalition and endorsed by 170 labor, business, faith, grassroots and immigrant organizations from across the state. The coalition is calling for an overhaul of the immigration system to meet the needs of the economy and keep families together.
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Statement on Presidential Announcement of Executive Action on Immigration

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice Celebrates Partial Victory, Commits to Continue Fighting for All Immigrants.

Mobilization & Press Conference at 4:00pm Friday in Birmingham at Kelly Ingram Park
We’ve had an important victory today when President Obama acted within his legal authority to improve the lives of up to 5 million immigrants across the nation – thousands of whom live in Alabama. From Huntsville to Mobile, many immigrant families may no longer have to live in fear of losing a loved one to deportation. This is a hard-fought victory that began when immigrants in Alabama rallied to defend their communities after the 2011 passage of HB 56. Since then, local grassroots immigrant leaders, people of faith, and members of the African American community have joined together to combat the voices of hatred in our state and have shown the nation that even Alabama can be a welcoming place for immigrants. Today’s announcement by the President is a result of that work.

While this announcement is indeed a substantial win for many immigrants in Alabama, it is only the beginning. There are 11 million individuals living in the United States without documentation. This temporary protection from deportation issued by the President will only apply to a small percentage of those people. Many millions of individuals will be left out. The action is primarily family-based, leaving out valued members of our community – day laborers, farm workers, and LGBTQ folks.

“I’m anxious to learn if I will qualify” says Jorge Servin, an immigrant father of two US citizen children in Russellville, Alabama. “We’re really excited about the President’s announcement. I think due to my situation it may be difficult for me to qualify for this relief, I’m nervous, but a part of me is hopeful. It’s bittersweet, because we’ve been fighting for this for a long time.”

We emphasize that this is not a permanent solution, and is a direct result of Congress’ failure to act on a sensible comprehensive immigration reform bill. In the coming days and months, we’re determined to defend this victory against attacks by anti-immigrants who want to derail and hold back immigrant families from achieving the American Dream. We’re not going to stop fighting until all immigrants are given the full rights of citizenship.

Judith Zambrano, an immigrant mom from Tuscaloosa, Alabama says, “We will stay in the struggle until we achieve a victory for everyone, until not one more family suffers separation through deportation.”

More details of what the President’s announcement means will be posted in the coming days at www.adminrelief.org

______________________________ ____________________________

Declaración acerca del anuncio presidencial sobre la acción ejecutiva en inmigración:

La Coalición de Alabama por la Justicia de los Inmigrantes celebra la victoria parcial y se compromete a seguir luchando por todos los inmigrantes.

Acción y conferencia de prensa el viernes a las 4 pm en el parque Kelly Ingram de Birmingham

Hoy hemos tenido una victoria histórica luego de que el presidente Barack Obama actuó dentro de su autoridad legal para mejorar la vida de miles de familias inmigrantes en todo Alabama. Desde Huntsville hasta Mobile, miles de familias inmigrantes ya no vivirán con el temor de que alguno de sus seres amados sea deportado. Esta ha sido una victoria luego de una lucha muy difícil que comenzó cuando los inmigrantes de Alabama salieron a las calles para defender a sus comunidades, luego de la aprobación de la ley HB56. Desde ese momento, líderes inmigrantes comunitarios, líderes religiosos, y miembros de la comunidad afroamericana se han unido para combatir las voces de odio en nuestro estado y han demostrado que incluso Alabama puede ser un lugar que le da la bienvenida a los inmigrantes. El anuncio del presidente es resultado de ese trabajo.

Aunque este anuncio es de hecho una victoria sustancial para muchos inmigrantes de Alabama, es sólo el comienzo. Hay 11 millones de individuos viviendo en los Estados Unidos sin documentos. Esta protección temporal de la deportación emitida por el presidente aplicará sólo para un pequeño porcentaje de esas personas. Millones de personas quedarán fuera.

“Estoy ansiosos de saber si voy a calificar”, dijo Jorge Servin, inmigrante y padre de dos niños ciudadanos americanos en Russellville, Alabama. “Estamos muy entusiasmados sobre el anuncio del presidente. Creo que por mi situación sería difícil para mí calificar para este alivio, estoy nervioso, pero mantengo la esperanza. Es una sensación agridulce porque hemos estado luchando por esto por mucho tiempo”.

La acción está principalmente basada en relaciones familiares, dejando fuera a miembros valiosos de nuestra comunidad como obreros, trabajadores de campo y miembros de la comunidad LGBTQ.

Como movimiento continuaremos presionando para una solución permanente para que todos puedan vivir sin miedo de ser deportados y no nos detendremos ahora. No es una ley ni una solución permanente, y es el resultado directo de la falta de acción del Congreso para actuar en una reforma migratoria comprensiva.

Durante los próximos días y meses, estamos determinados a defender esta victoria en contra de anti-inmigrantes quienes pretenden desviar y detener a las familias inmigrantes de alcanzar el sueño americano. No vamos a dejar de luchar hasta que a todos los inmigrantes se les dé el derecho a la ciudadanía.
______________________________ ____________________________
-=-=-

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice · 2304 12th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35234, United States
This email was sent to hhrivas@earthlink.net. To stop receiving emails, click here.
You can also keep up with Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice on Twitter or Facebook.

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Contact:
Michael Heenan
Cell: 202-577-3941
mheenan@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Weingarten: Obama’s Action Reunites Families, Brings Workers Out of the Shadows

WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on President Obama’s executive order that expands protections to millions of undocumented immigrants:

“As a union, we’ve always been committed to opening the doors of opportunity for all children, and immigration is an issue that touches every community we serve. After the House of Representatives refused to act on comprehensive immigration reform, although the Senate had passed bipartisan legislation, President Obama—as he did with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and as many of his predecessors have done—is using his legal authority to secure our nation’s borders, to help keep families together and to expand our economy.

“A great and diverse nation, founded by immigrants seeking a safer, more prosperous life, continues to deliver the promise of the American dream. Yet our broken immigration system has hurt millions of students and families. We continue to hear heartbreaking stories of kids who don’t know if their parents are coming home or have been deported. We hear from teachers whose students stop showing up for school after their parents are sent to a country these children have never called home. Our nation’s children are counting on us. We must unite, not divide, families. The president’s plan will give many of these families the security of knowing they can stay together, and it will bring many workers out of the shadow economy, ensuring higher wages for all. We remain eager for Congress—especially the Republican-controlled House—to take legislative action and show unity on an issue so personal to American families.”

Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten

The AFT represents 1.6 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

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NAFSA: Association of International Educators

For release: November 20, 2014

Contact: Rebecca Morgan, 202.495.2553, rebeccam@nafsa.org
Katie O’Connell, 202.495.2559, katieo@nafsa.org

President Obama Keeps His Promise to the American People and Takes Action on Immigration

Statement by Marlene M. Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA

Read more about NAFSA’s priorities for immigration reform.

—

Sample Tweet: .@NAFSA applauds President’s #ImmigrationAction. #IntlStudents create jobs: http://bit.ly/1uYbp3U

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For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 20, 2014

UAW statement

The members of the UAW commend President Obama for taking an important step to address our broken immigration system. Across America millions of families are torn apart and many workers will benefit from President Obama’s actions by being able to provide for their loved ones without fear. The President’s executive order is limited in scope and is not a substitute for comprehensive reform. The members of the UAW believe that Congress must pass immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans, promotes family unification and improves worker protections. Our current system destroys families, rewards unscrupulous employers, and hurts our economy.

I also encourage leaders of all parties not to play politics with this issue and instead focus on solving the nation’s problems. President Obama had a moral obligation to act and is well within his authority. In fact, Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush took similar actions to stop deportations for over a million and half undocumented immigrants.

Since last summer, House leaders have refused to allow a vote on a Senate passed bi-partisan comprehensive bill. Their refusal to allow a vote and address our broken immigration system has left millions of families divided and living in fear. It is long past time the Congressional leadership allows an up or down vote on comprehensive immigration reform.

Since the time of Walter Reuther, the UAW has been a leader in the struggle to secure economic and social justice for all people. Our commitment to civil rights and improving the lives of working men and women extends beyond our borders. Providing a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers and keeping families together is critical for the future of our economy and democracy. Comprehensive immigration reform supports the rights of all workers to have a voice on the job and a better opportunity to provide a decent standard of living for their families. We must lift the fear of deportation for hard working immigrants and their families.

Josh Nassar

The UAW

Legislative Director

Cell-202 674-5740

Office- 202 828-1613

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Nov 21, 2014

CONTACT: Dawn Le, 202-549-6798

Alliance for Citizenship Response to Speaker John Boehner’s Brief Remarks on the President’s Executive Order on Immigration

Below is a statement by Sue Chinn, the National Campaign Director of the Alliance for Citizenship:

“Anyone opposed to the President’s Executive Order only wants the status quo, a broken immigration system. Today, Speaker Boehner did the same song and dance he’s been doing for the last 19 months saying the House of Representatives “will act”—and we know where that’s gotten us.

“Five million immigrants can now exhale and without fear, know they can live, work, and stay with their families here in America. It is a monumental first step by the President toward a permanent solution to fix the broken system, but regrettably it will not cover all the families living day-to-day, still in the shadows. The immigrant rights movement rejoices for the millions of families whose lives will be changed and recommit ourselves to the fight for a permanent legislative solution to ensure the moms, dads, workers, and youth immigrants that are left out from this historic victory have a path to citizenship soon.

“Our fight continues for all 11 million. As President Obama said to Congress, our movement resoundingly agrees: ‘Pass a bill.’”

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Sierra Club Statement on President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration Reform

Washington, D.C. — Last night, President Obama announced executive action to provide temporary immigration relief to millions of undocumented immigrants.

Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive director, issued the following statement in response:

“This is what leadership looks like. In the wake of Republican obstruction on immigration reform, President Obama has taken an important and necessary first step toward offering temporary relief for undocumented families who are living in our society’s shadows.

“Today, the president has done what he can to advance immigration reform, but the job must be finished by Congress.

“The Sierra Club supports a path to citizenship that will empower those in our nation who are among the most vulnerable to toxic pollution and the effects of climate disruption to fully participate in our democracy, fight back against polluters, and demand clean energy solutions. We believe it is possible to meet this goal without jeopardizing wildlife or communities in our borderlands through destructive border enforcement provisions.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACTS:

Thursday, November 20, 2014 George Tzamaras or Belle Woods

202-507-7649 202-507-7675

gtzamaras@aila.org bwoods@aila.org

aila: PRESIDENT OBAMA’s USE oF HIS LEGAL AUTHORITY can fix broken elements of the immigration system

This is an important first step, but it’s up to Congress to take further action

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) welcomed the President’s announcement tonight offering his planned administrative action to ameliorate some of the damage done by our broken immigration system in the absence of Congressional action.

AILA President Leslie Holman commented, “Are we happy that the President finally acted after months of delays? Absolutely. The actions he has taken will indeed offer relief that takes into account the need to boost businesses, keep families together, and alleviate some of the daily tragedies our broken system engenders.

“I am proud that our President stepped up to make these fixes. I’m proud that he turned away from the naysayers, from the critics, and made good on his promise. Our immigration system is a broken mess. I know this because I deal with it every single day. My clients deal with it every single day. Congress should be ashamed that instead of doing its job, and passing comprehensive reform, they have done nothing to help the situation. So today, instead of working with the President and passing important legislation, they are stuck repeating the same meaningless talking points and desperately trying to throw up obstacles to his leadership. How sad.

“Of course critics will say he is going beyond his authority, but as an immigration lawyer of 15 years, I see no basis for that. And there’s precedent: Presidents from both parties going back decades have taken similar steps, including President Bush, Sr. who gave blanket deferral of enforcement in 1990 to 40% of the undocumented population at the time.

“This a stopgap measure. It’s not comprehensive, and it’s not permanent. Yes, this will help a lot of families, but it also leaves a lot of families out in the cold. It aids some businesses, but leaves many still reeling from irrational adjudications that don’t follow previous policy. It does nothing to end family detention which goes against our own laws and international obligations.

“The devil is in the details though and there are a lot of details left unknown at the moment,” concluded Ms. Holman.

The President’s plan as described today includes:

Deferred Action for the parents of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident children who fit the eligibility requirements.
Expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to remove the age cap and move the continuous presence date up to January 1, 2010. DACA will now be granted for 3 years (including those with pending renewal applications).
Replacement of the controversial Secure Communities program with a “Priority Enforcement Program” program the details of which are still unclear.
Ensuring that job-creating entrepreneurs have legal means to enter and operate in the U.S.
Increasing access for university affiliated businesses to key talent.
Allowing spouses and children of lawful permanent residents to apply for unlawful presence waivers from within the U.S. and ensuring appropriate standards for adjudicating those waivers.
Enabling families of individuals trying to enlist in the armed forces to utilize parole in place to ensure legal status.
Changing the procedures for adjustment of status to allow legal immigrants caught in the immigration quota backlogs to register their applications and thus begin the final step of the process.
Directing agencies to look at modernizing the visa system, with a view to making optimal use of the numbers of visa available under law.
Announcement of a new border security campaign and plan.

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

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For Immediate Release

President Provides Immediate Relief, Creates Architecture for Reform

November 20, 2014

Washington D.C. – After decades of congressional neglect, tonight President Obama took a crucial and courageous step toward reforming our immigration system. He announced that he will provide immediate relief for many of those impacted by of our broken system, and he is offering Congress an architecture for the permanent reforms that our country desperately needs.

Under the new policies announced, the Obama Administration will build on the successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by providing temporary relief for the parents of U.S. Citizens and lawful permanent residents. The new program, to be called Deferred Action for Parents (DAP), will ensure that millions of U.S. Citizen and lawful permanent resident children will remain unified with their parents. The President also announced new enforcement policies and steps to improve the adjudication of business and family visas.

Mindful that the full impact of the President’s announcement will reveal itself in the months ahead, the American Immigration Council will keep a close watch over how the agencies administer these new policies. We will work to ensure that they are implemented in a way that respects fundamental principles of fairness and due process.
Since at least 1956, every U.S. President has granted temporary immigration relief to one or more groups in need of assistance. Like his predecessors, President Obama did not provide a permanent legal status to anyone – only Congress can do that.

The American Immigration Council applauds this long-fought reform for immigrant families, but we keep in mind the millions left untouched by the announcement today. Rather than look for ways to block reform, Congress should do its job to fix our broken immigration system and provide undocumented immigrants in this nation a full and meaningful shot at citizenship.

Please visit www.AmericanImmigrationCouncil.org in the coming days for additional details on the announcement.
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For more information, contact Wendy Feliz at wfeliz@immcouncil.org or 202-812-2499.

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COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS OF LOS ANGELES

PRESS STATEMENT

For immediate release: November 20, 2014

Contact: Jorge-Mario Cabrera, jmcabrera@chirla.org, 562-243-5559

An Act of Courage and a Step Forward to Fix for a Broken Immigration System

President Obama to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. Congress can still offer permanent solutions.

Los Angeles – The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) applauded President Obama’s announcement Thursday that he intends to protect millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States from deportation through an Administrative Relief package.

The following are statements from Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director:

“With the stroke of one pen, millions of undocumented families who have lived in the shadows although they contribute positively to our nation’s strength, may soon be able to look up from the darkness and find they are recognized as full humans, not criminals, full contributors to our society, not unwanted, feared or despised.

The President’s announcement comes at the right time but also after 2.5 million of our loved ones who have been deported during the past six years. The price we have paid for the inaction in Congress has been far too high. With pressure, however, and thanks to the American people the President Obama has listened to our petition for justice and fairness, especially after this do-nothing Congress failed once again to fix our broken immigration system in 2014. President Obama deserves our community’s gratitude for this courageous act of love and compassion.

It is the best of times for millions of our loved ones while it remains the darkest of times for many more who continue to fight for the opportunity to realize their American Dream. We have often stated a deferred action program, while important to relieve the suffering of millions, is a temporary solution. Legislation with a path to citizen is the permanent solution and we will continue to hold Congress accountable for failing to pass sensible and humane immigration reform.

We await to learn the details of the President’s plan and we look forward to working with our community to educate them, prepare them, and urge them to take advantage of this key opportunity. The dreams of millions tonight may not be so unreal after all. That’s the American way.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

View as Web Page

Contact: Todd Gutnick (212) 885-7755

adlmedia@adl.org

ADL WELCOMES PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION

New York, NY, November 20, 2014 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed President Obama’s executive action on immigration, calling it “an important step toward fixing our nation’s broken immigration system.”

Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:

America’s failed immigration system has left immigrant families broken and put whole communities in crisis, plagued by uncertainty and fear.

While the country watches and waits for Congress to reform our dated immigration system, we welcome President Obama’s move to keep families together and to allow relief for some immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes.

By focusing enforcement efforts on those who threaten national security and public safety, and by bringing more undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and under the rule of law, this move is also a boost to both security and accountability.

This executive action not only serves our common humanity, it is a step forward toward the more just and orderly immigration system we hope Congress will craft and pass. We hope the president and Congress will work together in a bipartisan spirit to enact reform that will fix the broader system.

The president’s executive action follows a 2012 measure to provide relief from deportation for immigrants brought to the United States as children, which ADL supported. The League has long advocated for fair and humane immigration policies and has helped expose the anti-immigrant bigotry and hatred that has been an undercurrent of the immigration debate in the past few years.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_News

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2014
Stephen Peters | stephen.peters@hrc.org | 202-423-2860

HRC Praises President Obama for Executive Action Stopping Deportation of Millions of Undocumented Immigrants

President’s action provides temporary relief to thousands of LGBT immigrants, Congress must provide overall permanent solution

WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised the long awaited decision by President Obama to sign an executive order providing administrative relief from deportation to millions of undocumented immigrants, including many of the estimated 267,000 undocumented LGBT immigrants.

“Millions of undocumented immigrants who have been waiting in perpetual fear for far too long will finally have relief thanks to the strong leadership of President Obama,” said Chad Griffin, President of HRC. “Administrative relief from deportation for thousands of LGBT people who want nothing more than pursuing happiness and living openly, honestly and without fear of deportation is an important interim step. It’s now up to Congress to do its job and pass comprehensive, lasting immigration reforms.”

HRC has long called on the president to provide administrative relief for undocumented LGBT immigrants. In addition to the challenges that LGBT undocumented immigrants share with all undocumented immigrants, many also face additional dangers if deported. Many LGBT immigrants come from countries where LGBT people live in the shadows of society, fearing for the safety of themselves and their families. In fact, in nearly 80 countries around the world, it is a crime to be LGBT. Deporting people to those countries is placing them in danger of harassment, violence, arrest, or even death.

HRC will continue to work with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the needs of undocumented LGBT immigrants are addressed. This includes:

DHS implementation guidelines that take affirmative steps to ensure that any definition of family is broadly construed to take into account the legal barriers that complicate LGBT familial relationships.
Steps to prevent deportation to countries and communities where lives are endangered.
Protecting LGBT detainees from sexual assault, violence, and solitary confinement.

While the president’s action is undoubtedly a step forward, he only has the power to create a temporary stopgap that does not provide permanent legalization. Ultimately, our broken immigration system is a problem that must be fixed by Congress. HRC will continue to work with our allies on Capitol Hill to pass a comprehensive, permanent solution that protects the health, safety, and well-being of LGBT immigrants.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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http://www.hrc.org/press-releases/entry/hrc-praises-president-obama-for-executive-action-stopping-deportation-of-un

888.54GALEO

Broad support for Pres. Obama’s #ImmigrationAction

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