tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14619081147854364132024-03-05T02:54:18.633-07:00Coloradans For Immigrant RightsColoradans For Immigrant Rights’ primary goal is to create a welcoming climate for all people by building broad support for immigrant justice. We advocate for humane immigration policies and work to eliminate unjust immigration practices. We educate and organize citizens in support of human rights for all people in the belief that diverse voices grow and strengthen the movement for immigrant justice.scott-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03405336372560229662noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-21532955696331122202012-11-20T13:42:00.001-07:002012-11-20T13:42:15.009-07:00Take action: something might actually happen to fix our broken immigration policies. <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After years of failed attempts to develop new immigration legislation there is a post-election buzz: <b>something might actually happen to fix our broken immigration policies. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our voices are critical in shaping this moment, in broadening the space for a real conversation. Your experiences and beliefs about our communities need to be heard at the national level. The opportunity of this moment is historical, together we can put forward our vision. Share with our legislators and friends the idea that we are all one people, that we are better together, and insist immigrant are not the problem, our policies are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50601/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8909">Please email your congressional delegation today</a>! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>C</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">all on them to work for just and humane reform, and l</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">et them know you will no longer stand for policies and practices that tear apart families and communities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span>n the hope that we can truly bring fundamental and lasting change, the American Friends Service Committee’s immigrant constituents <a href="http://www.afsc.org/document/new-path"><b>puts forth seven principles that would recognize the dignity of all migrants and protect human rights</b></a>. </span><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An immigration policy that mirrors these principles would protect rights of all migrants and would be a model for immigration policies worldwide.</span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Create
justice with humane economic policies</b>.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">International economic policies, including trade agreements, need to be
consistent with human rights, trade justice, and sustainable approaches to the
environment and economic development.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Protect
the labor rights of all workers</span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. All
workers are entitled to humane policies that protect their labor and employment
rights.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Develop a
clear path to permanent residence</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Inclusive
measures must be enacted that lead to permanent residence for undocumented
immigrants, multi-status families, refugees, and asylees.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Respect
the civil and human rights of immigrants</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.
Immigrants, regardless of status, deserve the same civil and human
rights as all U.S. residents.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Demilitarize
the U.S.-Mexico border</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. The
U.S.-Mexico border region must be demilitarized and the quality of life of
border communities needs to be protected. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Make
family reunification a top priority</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.
Recognize the distinctly important and valuable role of family ties by
supporting the reunification of immigrant families in a way that equally
respects both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ensure
that immigrants and refugees have access to services</span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Public programs and services should not
exclude immigrants or refugees.</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The dangerous alternative:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
In the Senate, Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham are already bringing forward a misguided proposal. How does it measure up to our principles for a humane immigration policy? </span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Their
call to </span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">close the
border</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">”</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> would
perpetuate violence for border communities</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">. It comes at a time when
record numbers of migrants have died while crossing into arduous terrain. In
addition, U.S. Border Patrol has killed at least 18 unarmed border residents in
the last two years. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Their
call for non-forgeable employment documents would create a new system that
would be fraught with errors and erode everyone</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">’</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">s privacy. </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">Calls for a new system</span><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">ignore
the lessons being learned by E-Verify and other electronic employment enforcement
programs. Further, increased employer sanctions do more harm to workers than to
unscrupulous employers.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Their
call for more temporary guest worker visas for workers in technology,
engineering, sciences, and agricultural would be ineffective</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">. Guest
worker programs lower community labor standards, and the few protections
offered to workers are rarely enforced by agencies in charge of oversight.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Their
call for a </span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Go to
the Back of the Line</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">”</span></b><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> pathway
to citizenship is more of an obstacle course than a fair procedure</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">.
Requirements include paying </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">back</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"> taxes, having gainful
employment, learning English, paying an undetermined fine, and having no
criminal history.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -19.65pt;">These
requirements punish a marginalized and vulnerable community.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50601/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1231927">Email your congressional delegation today</a> — tell them to stand for humane reform to fix our broken immigration system!
</span>Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02962764873673803747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-88323832033856233472012-10-04T13:27:00.001-06:002012-10-04T13:27:13.053-06:00At the Presidential Debates, Community and Faith Groups Demonstrate <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At the Presidential Debates, Community and Faith
Groups Demonstrate</span></b></div>
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<b><i>Declaring
Migration is a Human Right, Profiting from Pain is Inhumane</i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="ES-MX">Contact</span></b><span lang="ES-MX">: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-MX">Judith
Marquez, 720-690-5172<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-MX">Jordan
Garcia, 303-919-8798, </span><a href="mailto:jgarcia@afsc.org"><span lang="ES-MX">jgarcia@afsc.org</span></a> <span lang="ES-MX"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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October 3, 2012 Denver, CO – Pressed against the fence
surrounding the debate festival observers asked “What are the puppets for?” Faith leaders, immigrants and community
leaders singing and chanting along University and Evans, but the image that
drew attention was that of dozens of people dressed in Monarch butterfly wings
and the family of 14 foot tall puppets they surrounded. </div>
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The Monarch butterfly migrates
hundreds of miles every year, crossing Mexico, the US and Canada. The
demonstrators insist that the pattern and timelessness of human migration is equally
beautiful, natural and significant. “Migration is a human right, people have
migrated for centuries. The militarization and policing of borders is out of
step with not only our history, but with our familial and economic realities.
These policies result in death, as we saw in Chula Vista this week with the
shooting death of US citizen mother, wife, sister and daughter <a href="http://www.kusi.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7783918#.UGm_KG6KPUw.facebook">Valeria
Munique Tachiquin</a>. We are here today to envision communities without this
type of violence<span style="color: #1f497d;">,</span>” stated Jordan Garcia,
Organizing Director at the American Friends Service Committee. </div>
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Clergy surrounding the puppet
family with their entourage of butterflies, offered silent witness, blessings
and prayer as the grandmother, mother and baby were separated from each other
by current immigration policy. Rev. Nancy Rosas explains the moral imperative
for change this way “This separation of families, not only detention but also
deportation, is morally reprehensible. Families experience unnecessary pain and
suffering, we want that to end.” </div>
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The group demonstrated the monetary and human costs of
deportation and for-profit detention centers like GEO, Inc, both of which have
doubled under President Obama’s Administration. They called on both candidates and the public
to oppose inhumane and unwarranted detention and deportation and to recognize
the human rights of migrants chanting “Profit from Pain is Inhumane!” as each
of the puppets were scattered to the edges of the demonstration. Immigrant
detention costs $5.4 million in taxpayer money per day. While detaining a
person costs $164 per day per person<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jgarcia/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/DIW3OK51/PressRelease.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>, several studies have
shown that alternatives to detention are just as effective at a cost of
anywhere from $4 to $12 per day. </div>
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Judith Marquez explained her
motivation for participating as she passed out fact sheets on the costs of
detention and flyers to protest the Aurora for-profit immigrant detention
center, GEO. “It has become more and more
obvious that the main reason people are detained is because corporations stand
to make money based on tearing apart families. This profiting from pain is
suspect.”</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">The
<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>three corporations with which ICE contracts, including
CCA and GEO, spent at least $45 million in the past decade on campaign
donations and lobbyists at the state and federal levels. <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jgarcia/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/DIW3OK51/PressRelease.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></span></div>
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People in butterfly wings surrounded each of the puppets,
bringing the family back together through community, transforming profit from
pain into a soaring love of family and justice. They left the presidential
debates singing “Gonna keep on walking forward, Keep on walking forward, Gonna
keep on loving boldly, Gonna reach across our borders, Never turning back”</div>
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<b>WHO:</b>
American Friends Service Committee, Clergy and members from the Unitarian
Universalist Association, the United Church of Christ, and the Mountain View
Friends Meeting, plus Coloradans for Immigrant Rights, Rights for All
People and Padres y Jovenes Unidos. </div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jgarcia/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/DIW3OK51/PressRelease.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
National Immigration Forum, “The Math of Immigration Detention”, August 2012</div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jgarcia/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/DIW3OK51/PressRelease.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">USA Today, “Immigrants Prove Big Business for
Prison Companies, (August 2012) available at,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-08-02/immigration-prison/56689394/1
</span> </div>
</div>
</div>
Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-23611361832749370332012-05-07T15:42:00.000-06:002012-05-07T15:42:26.153-06:00How Immigrant Repression and U.S. Incarceration Serve Global Capitalist Interests by Chandra RussoAs of August 18, 2011, the Obama Administration had deported over one million immigrants, more deportations than under any other president to date (Dinan, 2011; D’Almeida, 2011). Many of those deported spend at least some time being detained in an immigrant detention center, often a for-profit prison. In the face of such inhumane treatment and with families being torn apart, many of us are left asking: why is this happening? In this paper, prepared for Coloradans For Immigrant Rights (CFIR) and the American Friends Service Committee Denver Office, I will explore this question.
<br />
<br />
More specifically, I will examine who benefits from the deportation of immigrants and incarceration of both immigrants and citizens. CFIR has asked if immigration policy and practices can be related to mass incarceration in the United States? I suggest that yes, these two phenomena are linked, and that understanding the operations of neoliberal capitalist globalization helps us see how. The U.S. government’s failure to legalize the undocumented, the mass detention and deportation of immigrants, and the incarceration of certain segments of U.S. citizenry are parts of a common system.
<br />
<br />
We are thrilled that Chandra Russo has written this paper for CFIR/AFSC. To read the full paper please go to: <a href="http://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/GlobalizationPaper_Chandra%20Russo_fall%202011.pdf">http://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/GlobalizationPaper_Chandra%20Russo_fall%202011.pdf</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA24NQ9v9THIDELPN_LY0ukUwC4v2nJnnB-SVRcy02TKfU3q69fjd0m0GegMD6NsfhFPcCedz-skKnCQl-7exVTq9ysuOBbpolA9sucu_1Q7KPfz9kXO_o0EVn2nnuoXRxP1S2jsMOqef/s1600/Chandra%252520Russo%252C%252520CFIR%252520member.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA24NQ9v9THIDELPN_LY0ukUwC4v2nJnnB-SVRcy02TKfU3q69fjd0m0GegMD6NsfhFPcCedz-skKnCQl-7exVTq9ysuOBbpolA9sucu_1Q7KPfz9kXO_o0EVn2nnuoXRxP1S2jsMOqef/s320/Chandra%252520Russo%252C%252520CFIRR520member.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Chandra Russo is working on her PhD in Sociology at the University of California in
Santa Barbara. Having spent some of her formative years in Denver as a member of
CFIR (Coloradans for Immigrant Rights, AFSC’s ally project), she gives much credit to
both CFIR and the AFSC for much of her current analysis of social justice and
immigrant rights.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-75681597715274142672012-03-21T12:56:00.003-06:002012-03-21T13:24:01.333-06:00Mexicans in Solidarity with Central American Migrants in Vera Cruz<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQaTtuu3vJruiUw4QQJ42xBfoM4QEI7_bjHqQ8K7_70LHTW59Nf53jf-Kju4nBjX6Myk3xDLj5l-geJjYYaiOskl0fc7KoxwC0FBvGmqCl5n_a_yWMHVoFPS4CTtchS-yb4usw02bAW4/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQaTtuu3vJruiUw4QQJ42xBfoM4QEI7_bjHqQ8K7_70LHTW59Nf53jf-Kju4nBjX6Myk3xDLj5l-geJjYYaiOskl0fc7KoxwC0FBvGmqCl5n_a_yWMHVoFPS4CTtchS-yb4usw02bAW4/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722433095068789698" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMSKRBJESPTiE6ZSdSv8bIu8tg3aQHW0jhgUM_IgmMrqb_Z3tCCS5krNFISpmg7Iz52Nmcqunwqvn7rrzKW5QLO1X2SNFIbm0YZvC5EqwyI44m4k2ZfIc3zGRiYc90OzhdQa7h_Ag8gQ/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+056.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMSKRBJESPTiE6ZSdSv8bIu8tg3aQHW0jhgUM_IgmMrqb_Z3tCCS5krNFISpmg7Iz52Nmcqunwqvn7rrzKW5QLO1X2SNFIbm0YZvC5EqwyI44m4k2ZfIc3zGRiYc90OzhdQa7h_Ag8gQ/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+056.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722433080135537442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8MJGm6I28ytwTI4Fwvh6iPMzpPzVrX4Uehe-OyKwpf9XsMZP0A6Bk8w3lc8d18Ro2MOPamLLL4ODFn4mMB55TcbP82KU3J-mmU9xHQpBuA-jCEOLgGhCpHetywuebhWGi_V1z8f4rr8/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8MJGm6I28ytwTI4Fwvh6iPMzpPzVrX4Uehe-OyKwpf9XsMZP0A6Bk8w3lc8d18Ro2MOPamLLL4ODFn4mMB55TcbP82KU3J-mmU9xHQpBuA-jCEOLgGhCpHetywuebhWGi_V1z8f4rr8/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+054.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722433068259661762" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xy2VEI5CvwFEHZnST-rwBqi-ma_OrHUREen2IpE2Opnjm-_5Oiglf6KhhpSnhxPNEsEnd5wi_HKxMOrlGQvLoNVQoE_u5Q4EjDTNvotFoMmb2ZiiSzwzMRgXysOhPwy-f03AKh3evv8/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xy2VEI5CvwFEHZnST-rwBqi-ma_OrHUREen2IpE2Opnjm-_5Oiglf6KhhpSnhxPNEsEnd5wi_HKxMOrlGQvLoNVQoE_u5Q4EjDTNvotFoMmb2ZiiSzwzMRgXysOhPwy-f03AKh3evv8/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+051.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722433058441093330" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReBg_KJpIIvtbZJvdbKLQjbot5vOg4NxnGRIoYbx9cIQilMYW0LNlTP1OOFfEKluEcwN9AJcLkqrCzOrpwwlCnvIA6mQy1RBshaXJNdLpIUZZo9qxMi0NPwhZvX1AbdohwnqbohBwnGk/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReBg_KJpIIvtbZJvdbKLQjbot5vOg4NxnGRIoYbx9cIQilMYW0LNlTP1OOFfEKluEcwN9AJcLkqrCzOrpwwlCnvIA6mQy1RBshaXJNdLpIUZZo9qxMi0NPwhZvX1AbdohwnqbohBwnGk/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722430910998124594" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vVqLzWyagNtFjmJTmeviy5tlOQVAGVbRgyPXxvQkfX3zydXnzScsq9YRJ_vOisqtIgpI-tagJpG7Z42qoTIoQSE8Vg3Kmvor1rlk8YrZ0hto14KFDAXJZaISChT1YPXAQhXEoobcCwc/s1600/Mexico+Feb+2012+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vVqLzWyagNtFjmJTmeviy5tlOQVAGVbRgyPXxvQkfX3zydXnzScsq9YRJ_vOisqtIgpI-tagJpG7Z42qoTIoQSE8Vg3Kmvor1rlk8YrZ0hto14KFDAXJZaISChT1YPXAQhXEoobcCwc/s320/Mexico+Feb+2012+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722430546996324962" /></a><br />I hope all is well with everyone. I’m writing from Mexico City. Arrived here around noon on a bus from Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz, and tomorrow I fly to Denver. These ten days of travel in Mexico have been full of activity and sobering observations, as well as new people with their ideas and experiences from around the world.<br />I traveled much of the time with a friend from northern Colorado who was also presenting at the IAIE (International Association for International Education) conference in Xalapa. She was also interested in going with me to some of my regular stops along the route that Central American migrants travel in the state of Veracruz, Tierra Blanca and La Patrona. Little did she know what she was signing up for!<br />After leaving behind the snow in Colorado, it was delightful to land in warm, muggy Veracruz late on Friday night February 10, but still with plenty of time to hang out on the plaza buzzing with outdoor cafes, marimba music and general Friday night merry-making. Saturday we wandered a little and then took the bus to Tierra Blanca, a small town in the state of Veracruz where Central American migrants travel through. They usually get off one freight train and wait for another there. The numbers of migrants have been unusually high since mid-January. Fortunately, the levels of violence on the part of the drug cartels seem to have stayed down for the last couple of years. However, traveling by freight train through a country that exploits and rejects migrants continues to be extremely dangerous for them. (That country is Mexico. This all happens before they get to the U.S., the other country that both exploits and rejects migrants.) The numbers of women seemed higher, too, than the last time I was there. We hung out with a group of people I’ve come to know over the years who fix food for people right along the tracks, and they’ve had one hundred to three hundred people per day, with two or three trains leaving each day, for several weeks now. At the migrant shelter, run by Catholic nuns, they have 15 or 20 people sleep there each night, but serve a hundred or two hundred meals a day to other people who come just for meals. They’ve also seen an increase in the number of women.<br />Early Monday we left for La Patrona, a small community near the city of Cordoba. A group of women there have been fixing food, packing it in plastic bags, and tossing the bags of food and bottles of water to migrants passing through on trains for more than fifteen years. The trains that leave Tierra Blanca arrive in La Patrona a few hours later, so they’ve been getting the same numbers, several hundred people a day. When I was there last summer, they were still working out of an outdoor kitchen with a leaking roof and several other structural problems. An international organization helped them build a new roof and make several other improvements. At some point while we were there, I started to feel really angry and frustrated. I figured out that my anger came from the fact that no matter how many international aid organizations help build better kitchens and shelters, migrants are still risking their lives riding on the tops of freight trains so they can do the lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. and thus subsidize the economy here. And, they’re going to keep doing that until we take action to change laws and policies in this country. The kind of humanitarian help they get in Mexico keeps people alive through the horrific conditions they have to survive, but the real change needs to come from the U.S. The immediate need to feed people overwhelms people who are on the ground in places like Tierra Blanca and La Patrona, but the deeper picture needs to be fleshed out, too.<br />By Tuesday afternoon we were in lush, hilly Xalapa for the conference, a big change, but not completely disconnected from where we had been. The conference themes included intercultural education, social justice, indigenous education programs, migration and much more. Presenters came from Mexico and the U.S., but also from Spain, South America, Europe and the Philippines. Originally the conference language was to be English, but over the last few months it grew to be a much more bilingual conference with many workshops offered in Spanish. It was a good experience for me to attend sessions in Spanish and note the difference in my levels of engagement as I listened to people who simply read a paper in Spanish and contrasted that with people who had some kind of visuals. I did my presentation on Thursday afternoon and had a good response, including several conversations with people who talked with me later. As with most conferences, the richest moments were the conversations with other participants.<br />So, I’m heading home with plenty of good experiences, a few new books and motivation for what I want to do. See you all soon.<br />KathyJordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-79511094794925424272012-02-14T13:03:00.004-07:002012-02-21T15:50:24.856-07:00ICE Cold Hearts...Melted!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVcOSGxdEqXX2wb_NwqBL2rP_Q11QqV_BGPTkloMtP9W4bh93ZWL3DgZR0Jphw4is9FnYam4KlUGx9FuIcIoMCvT309eAhtSUOIJ7P5YGvLcsksahyog04qImpgWG5089pLUS7hVoS0c/s1600/2012_1_31_ValentinesMakingFroDetainees+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVcOSGxdEqXX2wb_NwqBL2rP_Q11QqV_BGPTkloMtP9W4bh93ZWL3DgZR0Jphw4is9FnYam4KlUGx9FuIcIoMCvT309eAhtSUOIJ7P5YGvLcsksahyog04qImpgWG5089pLUS7hVoS0c/s320/2012_1_31_ValentinesMakingFroDetainees+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709085323747149714" /></a><br />Yesterday, February 13th, 2012 at the Aurora Immigrant Detention Center, 525 handmade Valentines were delivered to 450 people unjustly interned by the state. Today, Valentine's Day, an additional 75 cards were gifted to day laborers in Denver and Aurora... Thanks to you!<br /><br />Yesterday, the waiting room was full of people waiting to visit thier loved ones and they each took a handmade valentine presented by Maureen and Sister Alicia. Today, each of the day laborers among sheepish grins and chuckles accepted a homemade Valentine of their own. Many people seperated from thier families accepted your loving valentines. <br /><br />The Valentines you made touched hearts and shared strength. We are all made more whole knowing these stories of fierce love and unforgettable power.<br /><br />Many people have told us that this Valentine project provided them with an opportunity to not only be creative, but also to be self reflective. To set aside feelings of frustration about political posturing and to put what LOVE they could into a simple beautiful card. To take just an hour or so to think about the experiences of immigrants in this country and to focus on the reasons we struggle for immigrant justice day in and day out.<br /><br />A special thank you to all of the Valentine Artists, including but not limited to Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, Regis University Social Justice Students, Harriet Mullaney’s English classes at Bruce Randolph Community Learning Center, Wendy Kaas & Sarah Levin, Betty & Anne, Boulder Unitarian Universalists, Stephen Von Merz's DU Class, the Bridge Project, St. Mary's Academy, Fort Collins Holy Family Church Adult Reflection Group and Sister Mary Garcia, Julie Gonzales, Maureen, Rainbow Alley Youth Drop In Center, Wayne's friends, Malcolm & Mariah, Nadine Swahburg, Maggie Gomez, Shannon Masden, Aunnastasia Pacheco, Kenia Morales, Jenny Santos, Ire & Yvette Sauceda-Lindsey, Karla, EJ Becker, Judith Marquez, Greg Ferrari, Che Rise Tren, Nadya Waziri, Lisa Knoblach, Connor McFarland, Melissa Nix, Tom Kowal, Robert McGoey and many others! <br /><br />On February 6th, 2012, over 200 people gathered at the Aurora Detention Center to make their voices heard. The February monthly vigil was planned by Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, a project of AFSC and Regis University Students. <br />We invited Stephanie Tanny, a spoken word artist, and Alejandro Jimenez to share their challenging and inspiring poems. We sang some love songs and chanted to the people interned inside. And we decorated the wall that separated us from the center with a huge streamer heart and balloons. We carried signs with our message including a large broken heart symbolizing how our broken immigration system keeps the United States apart from the rest of the world and the broken hearts of those families separated by borders and walls.<br /><br />Some of the Valentine’s read like this: <br /><br />Dear Valentine, You are not alone. I hold you in my heart, thoughts and prayers. Love knows no borders or walls and together we can share each other’s strength and courage. I am with you in spirit on this Valentine’s Day. No estas sol@. Est@s presente en mi corazón, mis pensamientos y mis oraciones. El amor no reconoce fronteras ni muros. Juntos podemos compartir nuestr@ fuerza y valor. Mi espíritu está contigo en este Día de San.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F52950359%40N06%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F52950359%40N06%2F&user_id=52950359@N06&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F52950359%40N06%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F52950359%40N06%2F&user_id=52950359@N06&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-83704505274968243822012-02-02T11:59:00.011-07:002012-02-02T12:53:39.125-07:00Immigrants and Immigrant Allies: Making Justice Visible<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: The below blog post was written by Lucy Duncan, but with contributions and editorial support by Gabriela Flora, Jenn Piper, and M'Annette Ruddell.</span></em><br /><blockquote><em><span style="font-family:arial;">“That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality.”</span></em> – Ralph Ellison </blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Jordan Garcia with </em></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Day of the Dead Altar </em></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>at Monthly Vigil</em></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoryHkysMDqIDEQwGucOZn_eFKee_QfbMWG2N7ZS17dGuww707yNhR_5bE2l_LIFjyT3e15yP00Iy3dJd4OF5lMNQc4Cm9t0PvH4U57QE2qIJqzU4DURnMLQLnJl8_qTwyhL99t8NACmr-/s1600/Jordan%252520with%252520the%252520altar_1.jpg"><em><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 172px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704617133291202898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoryHkysMDqIDEQwGucOZn_eFKee_QfbMWG2N7ZS17dGuww707yNhR_5bE2l_LIFjyT3e15yP00Iy3dJd4OF5lMNQc4Cm9t0PvH4U57QE2qIJqzU4DURnMLQLnJl8_qTwyhL99t8NACmr-/s320/Jordan%252520with%252520the%252520altar_1.jpg" /></em></a><p>Refusing to be invisible when people are conditioned not to see is a revolutionary act. Seeing and recognizing those whom we are not supposed to acknowledge is also a powerful act of resistance. Both small and large acts of such courage are being taken by immigrants and immigrant allies every day. I had the privilege of seeing such powerful witness when I visited AFSC’s Denver office in November.</p><p>Jenn Piper, AFSC’s Colorado Interfaith Organizing Director, invited me to go with her to a deportation hearing. Piper organizes an interfaith clergy witness network, the members of which serve as immigrant allies, and one service they offer is being prayerful presences at deportation hearings, offering spiritual support to the immigrants in the courtroom and afterwards.</p><br /><p><strong>COURT: </strong>The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) courtroom in Denver is in the Bank of the West building, which seemed both strange and fitting to me. We waited in the marble lobby for Alma,* the young woman whom we were there to support, along with Kelly, a Unitarian minister. Alma, a slight woman with round brown eyes, arrived with her cousins. She had left her daughter, who is sixteen-months-old and a citizen, at home with family. Not to be able to converse without interpretation with Alma felt uncomfortable to me, I felt my being monolingual as a disability that day.</p><p>An elevator took us to the courtroom level where we cleared the metal detectors before meeting with Alma’s lawyer in a small room off to the side. He didn’t know Spanish, so Liz and Piper translated. The lawyer said that, despite the fact that she had no criminal record, Alma’s legal options had been exhausted, and he recommended that she agree to voluntary departure. Alma asked questions about what this would mean and learned that she would have until March to report to the US embassy in Mexico. If she did not prove that she had left the United States, she would be subject to detention and immediate removal.</p><p>With exasperation, the lawyer said, “In August, President Obama announced that he would be prioritizing those with criminal records in deportation proceedings, but that hasn’t happened. There has been no executive order, and the deportation of those with no record have continued or speeded up.” It was hard not to feel that there must be something more we could do. But really, there is no legal pathway to permanent resident status for the vast majority of people who are undocumented.</p><p>Alma looked scared and shaken as we went into the courtroom which was smaller than I expected. Hearings were scheduled for a number of people, not just Alma, and we watched as one man got a year extension to his visa. When Alma was called to the front, she put on headphones so that she could hear the court translator. </p><p>There wasn’t much ceremony. The lawyer said that Alma was willing to accept voluntary departure, the ICE prosecutor agreed, and the judge affirmed the decision. The Department of Justice insignia behind the judge struck me as ironic. Piper told me later that one judge presiding over deportation hearings of men in shackles acknowledged that what he was doing wasn’t justice; he was merely applying the law.</p><p>The whole process took just a few minutes. I wanted someone to yell, “No,” to reflect on what happened. How many families does that judge rend apart each day? How many does the prosecutor? It all seemed so perfunctory, so banal, while hearts were breaking.</p><p>We left the courtroom while Alma quietly wept. She’s young, maybe twenty. She’s been in the country for eight years, hasn’t been back to Mexico. Her partner is a citizen of Ecuador. If she leaves, will they ever be reunited? The choices all seemed untenable – to stay here and risk detention, then forced deportation, to go to a place without her partner that is no longer her home, to leave her child here with family and go to Mexico on her own. </p><p>Back in the lobby, we gathered in a little circle as Kelly offered a prayer about hardship and trusting in Jesus. Liz and Piper translated. We each hugged Alma, encircling her with our concern and compassion. What else could we do?</p><p>After Alma left, we drank tea together and talked about what we had witnessed, how helpless it made us feel, how senseless it seemed. Who would it hurt for Alma to be allowed to stay? Who is being protected? We talked about collusion and how each time we buy raspberries or strawberries or tomatoes we are participating in the exploitation of migrant labor.</p><p><strong>VIGIL: </strong>That night, I joined AFSC staff and about sixty others for the monthly vigil held at the Aurora Detention Center, a for-profit detention center owned by the Geo Corporation (“one of the world’s largest corrections and detention organizations,” which is traded on the NYSE). It was early November and really cold. The detention center detains undocumented people indefinitely, without due process. </p><p>We gathered on the wide road nearby with candles, signs, noisemakers, and then proceeded to the detention center entrance for a ceremony. The group was mixed – immigrant allies and people without documents. The people without papers were brave to be there, to come out of the shadows and insist on being visible. To commemorate the day of the dead, culturally important to many of those gathered, they had brought pictures of their loved ones who had died, but whose graves they could not travel to visit. Jordan Garcia, AFSC’s Immigrant Ally Organizing Director, set out scarves and candles on the ground, and one by one those who had photos placed them on the improvised shrine. A thin man talked about being without papers for fifteen years and how he felt invisible as part of an underground and vulnerable work force. His assertion was that labeling him as “illegal” was intentional so that his wages would never be fair.</p><p>We shouted and banged on things, hoping those inside could hear us. Jordan told me the old detention center had windows and during vigils, those inside could hold signs against the glass to thank the protesters for being there. In addition to the monthly vigil, those detained are remembered by a huge pile of handmade cards Jordan delivers on Valentine's Day. These signs of support from outside may seem slight, but they matter. Any indication that we see and haven’t forgotten them makes some difference.</p><p>Earlier the day of the vigil, a reporter had called Gabriela Flora, AFSC Regional Project Voice Organizer, and asked about the status of comprehensive federal immigration reform. She replied that, with the current Congress, there isn’t much likelihood of reform any time soon. With the help of “Secure Communities,”** the administration will have deported more people in Obama’s first term than Bush did in the eight years of his presidency. Accompanying Alma and others to deportation hearings and holding these monthly vigils are acts of faith, the impacts of which are felt deep within the communities most affected. People without papers feel less alone, less invisible. Piper and AFSC’s work with citizen allies is critical to help people understand the depth of the trauma current immigration policies cause. What does it mean to live in the shadows of the US economy, cleaning houses, harvesting food, making do? Or working professionally with a secret fear? Now every time I even think of buying raspberries or tomatoes, I think of Alma.</p><p>I think of Alma and take heart that immigrants are organizing in Colorado and across the country. People are refusing to be invisible, coming forward with courage and determination, like those at the vigil. They bravely share their stories and how the for-profit system of detention dehumanizes them and tears their families apart. Allies are listening to their stories and using their privilege to work for change, side by side with immigrants. </p></p>For true change to happen, it must be defined by those directly affected. The policy changes necessary to undo the damage done over the last 25 years (really the last 500) will not happen quickly. Real change takes time and takes commitment by everyday people like you and me. In bearing witness to the reality that people like Alma face, by standing with them and understanding how we are a part of the system that renders them invisible, we are working to create a just society where illegal will no longer be a noun, and law is based on respecting the humanity of all those in our society.</p><p>By accompanying immigrants in this resistance, we have the opportunity to see with our hearts. Immigrants refusing to be invisible, as well as allies willing to really see and accompany those affected by these policies, can help us to make manifest the invisible, the unseen but palpable, world which recognizes the innate worth and brilliance of every person.</p><p>You can read more of Lucy's relfections at her blog "<a href="http://www.afsc.org/friends">Acting in Faith</a>".<br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />*<em>Alma is not this woman’s real name, I changed it to protect her.<br /></em>** <em>Secure Communities involves local and state authorities in immigration and customs enforcement. The program has encouraged racial profiling, divided families, and eroded basic community trust in law enforcement where implemented.</em></p>Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02962764873673803747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-64139893653909801812012-02-02T11:18:00.003-07:002012-02-02T12:10:55.620-07:00Immigrants and Immigrant Allies: Making Justice VisibleA contribution from Lucy Duncan, from her amazing blog: <a href="http://www.afsc.org/friends/immigrants-and-immigrant-allies-making-justice-visible">Acting in Faith</a>, Connecting Friends to the work of AFSC<br />Note: The below blog post was written by Lucy Duncan, but with contributions and editorial support by Gabriela Flora, Jen Piper, and M'Annette Ruddell.<br /><br />“That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality.” – Ralph Ellison<br /><br />Refusing to be invisible when people are conditioned not to see is a revolutionary act. Seeing and recognizing those whom we are not supposed to acknowledge is also a powerful act of resistance. Both small and large acts of such courage are being taken by immigrants and immigrant allies every day. I had the privilege of seeing such powerful witness when I visited AFSC’s Denver office in November.<br /><br />Jen Piper, AFSC’s Colorado Interfaith Organizing Director, invited me to go with her to a deportation hearing. Piper organizes an interfaith clergy witness network, the members of which serve as immigrant allies, and one service they offer is being prayerful presences at deportation hearings, offering spiritual support to the immigrants in the courtroom and afterwards.<br /><br />The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) courtroom in Denver is in the Bank of the West building, which seemed both strange and fitting to me. We waited in the marble lobby for Alma,* the young woman whom we were there to support, along with Kelly, a Unitarian minister. Alma, a slight woman with round brown eyes, arrived with her cousins. She had left her daughter, who is sixteen-months-old and a citizen, at home with family. Not to be able to converse without interpretation with Alma felt uncomfortable to me, I felt my being monolingual as a disability that day.<br /><br />An elevator took us to the courtroom level where we cleared the metal detectors before meeting with Alma’s lawyer in a small room off to the side. He didn’t know Spanish, so Liz and Piper translated. The lawyer said that, despite the fact that she had no criminal record, Alma’s legal options had been exhausted, and he recommended that she agree to voluntary departure. Alma asked questions about what this would mean and learned that she would have until March to report to the US embassy in Mexico. If she did not prove that she had left the United States, she would be subject to detention and immediate removal.<br /><br />With exasperation, the lawyer said, “In August, President Obama announced that he would be prioritizing those with criminal records in deportation proceedings, but that hasn’t happened. There has been no executive order, and the deportation of those with no record have continued or speeded up.” It was hard not to feel that there must be something more we could do. But really, there is no legal pathway to permanent resident status for the vast majority of people who are undocumented.<br /><br />Alma looked scared and shaken as we went into the courtroom which was smaller than I expected. Hearings were scheduled for a number of people, not just Alma, and we watched as one man got a year extension to his visa. When Alma was called to the front, she put on headphones so that she could hear the court translator. <br /><br />There wasn’t much ceremony. The lawyer said that Alma was willing to accept voluntary departure, the ICE prosecutor agreed, and the judge affirmed the decision. The Department of Justice insignia behind the judge struck me as ironic. Piper told me later that one judge presiding over deportation hearings of men in shackles acknowledged that what he was doing wasn’t justice; he was merely applying the law.<br /><br />The whole process took just a few minutes. I wanted someone to yell, “No,” to reflect on what happened. How many families does that judge rend apart each day? How many does the prosecutor? It all seemed so perfunctory, so banal, while hearts were breaking.<br /><br />We left the courtroom while Alma quietly wept. She’s young, maybe twenty. She’s been in the country for eight years, hasn’t been back to Mexico. Her partner is a citizen of Ecuador. If she leaves, will they ever be reunited? The choices all seemed untenable – to stay here and risk detention, then forced deportation, to go to a place without her partner that is no longer her home, to leave her child here with family and go to Mexico on her own. <br /><br />Back in the lobby, we gathered in a little circle as Kelly offered a prayer about hardship and trusting in Jesus. Liz and Piper translated. We each hugged Alma, encircling her with our concern and compassion. What else could we do?<br /><br />After Alma left, we drank tea together and talked about what we had witnessed, how helpless it made us feel, how senseless it seemed. Who would it hurt for Alma to be allowed to stay? Who is being protected? We talked about collusion and how each time we buy raspberries or strawberries or tomatoes we are participating in the exploitation of migrant labor. <br /><br />That night, I joined AFSC staff and about sixty others for the monthly vigil held at the Aurora Detention Center, a for-profit detention center owned by the Geo Corporation (“one of the world’s largest corrections and detention organizations,” which is traded on the NYSE). It was early November and really cold. The detention center detains undocumented people indefinitely, without due process. <br /><br />We gathered on the wide road nearby with candles, signs, noisemakers, and then proceeded to the detention center entrance for a ceremony. The group was mixed – immigrant allies and people without documents. The people without papers were brave to be there, to come out of the shadows and insist on being visible. To commemorate the day of the dead, culturally important to many of those gathered, they had brought pictures of their loved ones who had died, but whose graves they could not travel to visit. Jordan Garcia, AFSC’s Immigrant Ally Organizing Director, set out scarves and candles on the ground, and one by one those who had photos placed them on the improvised shrine. A thin man talked about being without papers for fifteen years and how he felt invisible as part of an underground and vulnerable work force. His assertion was that labeling him as “illegal” was intentional so that his wages would never be fair. <br /><br />We shouted and banged on things, hoping those inside could hear us. Jordan told me the old detention center had windows and during vigils, those inside could hold signs against the glass to thank the protesters for being there. In addition to the monthly vigil, those detained are remembered by a huge pile of handmade cards Jordan delivers on Valentine's Day. These signs of support from outside may seem slight, but they matter. Any indication that we see and haven’t forgotten them makes some difference.<br /><br />Earlier the day of the vigil, a reporter had called Gabriela Flora, AFSC Regional Project Voice Organizer, and asked about the status of comprehensive federal immigration reform. She replied that, with the current Congress, there isn’t much likelihood of reform any time soon. With the help of “Secure Communities,”** the administration will have deported more people in Obama’s first term than Bush did in the eight years of his presidency. Accompanying Alma and others to deportation hearings and holding these monthly vigils are acts of faith, the impacts of which are felt deep within the communities most affected. People without papers feel less alone, less invisible. Piper and AFSC’s work with citizen allies is critical to help people understand the depth of the trauma current immigration policies cause. What does it mean to live in the shadows of the US economy, cleaning houses, harvesting food, making do? Or working professionally with a secret fear? Now every time I even think of buying raspberries or tomatoes, I think of Alma.<br /><br />I think of Alma and take heart that immigrants are organizing in Colorado and across the country. People are refusing to be invisible, coming forward with courage and determination, like those at the vigil. They bravely share their stories and how the for-profit system of detention dehumanizes them and tears their families apart. Allies are listening to their stories and using their privilege to work for change, side by side with immigrants. <br /><br />For true change to happen, it must be defined by those directly affected. The policy changes necessary to undo the damage done over the last 25 years (really the last 500) will not happen quickly. Real change takes time and takes commitment by everyday people like you and me. In bearing witness to the reality that people like Alma face, by standing with them and understanding how we are a part of the system that renders them invisible, we are working to create a just society where illegal will no longer be a noun, and law is based on respecting the humanity of all those in our society.<br /><br />By accompanying immigrants in this resistance, we have the opportunity to see with our hearts. Immigrants refusing to be invisible, as well as allies willing to really see and accompany those affected by these policies, can help us to make manifest the invisible, the unseen but palpable, world which recognizes the innate worth and brilliance of every person.<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />*Alma is not this woman’s real name, I changed it to protect her.<br /><br />** Secure Communities involves local and state authorities in immigration and customs enforcement. The program has encouraged racial profiling, divided families, and eroded basic community trust in law enforcement where implemented.Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-50301759651372633642012-01-31T09:45:00.000-07:002012-01-31T09:46:13.854-07:00This American Life: Reap What You SowAlabama's new immigration law aims to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will "self-deport." And in a way it's working. Immigrants are fleeing Alabama...but not just the undocumented ones. This and other stories of people living with the unintended consequences of their decisions.<br /><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/456/reap-what-you-sow">http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/456/reap-what-you-sow</a>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-67786333486402736862011-12-27T11:51:00.001-07:002011-12-27T11:54:02.268-07:00Migration in Mexico: Roots, Realities, and ResistanceA Joint Witness for Peace/AFSC New Hampshire Delegation<br />February 25 to March 4, 2012<br />The southern Mexican state of Oaxaca is home to 16 different ethnic groups, making it one of the most diverse and culturally rich states in Mexico. But due to extreme inequality and misguided development policies, a large number of Oaxaqueños and Oaxaqueñas have migrated to other parts of Mexico and the US looking for economic survival. The effects on the families left behind, on migrants themselves, and on community life in Mexico and the U.S. raise many questions that we will address while in Oaxaca. The knowledgeable Witness for Peace Mexico Team has extensive connections to people, organizations, and communities who will tell us the real story of migration in Mexico.<br />What to Expect:<br /> Learn about the root causes of migration,<br />including US foreign policy in Latin America<br /> Hear stories of Central Americans migrating<br />through Oaxaca on their journey northward<br /> Learn about the connections between migration<br />and the drug trade<br /> See rural and urban projects that provide<br />alternatives to migration<br /> Learn about the history and resistance of<br />indigenous communities in Oaxaca<br /> Stay in the homes of families directly impacted by<br />migration<br /> Connect delegation experience to the realities of trade and immigration in the US<br /> Develop strategies to act in solidarity with the Mexican people and immigrants in the US<br />Details:<br />$910 + airfare (includes the cost of food, lodging, in---country transportation, guides, and language interpretation. Scholarships and fundraising opportunities are available. ) For more information or to apply contact: Arnie Alpert, aalpert@afsc.org, (603) 224-2407<br />Witness for Peace (WFP – www.witnessforpeace.org) is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. WFP’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and practices which contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean. This trip is co--sponsored by the New Hampshire Program of the American Friends Service Committee.<br /><a href="http://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/AFSC-WFP%20Oaxaca%20Delegation%202012.pdf"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-5145793064247670892011-12-20T12:25:00.009-07:002011-12-21T09:29:57.710-07:00Reflections on the Intersections of Flawed Drug and Immigration Policies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Wa1Wjnfvr_yowPTH2k85OpiXwy-Y0NIR0eS8Vw3yi5uApI2-GGEjLpbQyqovy09r3aqfsI-DONyAt_a1c-o6fi9EQpWefmgmUz311fpSjU294gK_AjBem8zrQWX5wdsvOl814_uWmp17/s1600/drug+policy+alliance.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 94px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Wa1Wjnfvr_yowPTH2k85OpiXwy-Y0NIR0eS8Vw3yi5uApI2-GGEjLpbQyqovy09r3aqfsI-DONyAt_a1c-o6fi9EQpWefmgmUz311fpSjU294gK_AjBem8zrQWX5wdsvOl814_uWmp17/s320/drug+policy+alliance.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688386785540550338" /></a> The criminalization of immigrants continues to reach new heights and enforcement programs expand and justify themselves in the mainstream by saying they are going after “criminals”. In CFIR we have been having some intense discussion on challenging this view that it is ok to target and deport people labeled as “criminals”. The discussion has been challenging at times because there is often pressure both within and outside the movement to highlight the worthiness of “good immigrants”. This perspective ignores that more and more basic activities (like working and driving) have been criminalized, that all groups of people have members who engage in a range of activities and that people should not be labeled and targeted their whole lives for a misstep.<br /><br />To help us explore this issue of criminalization and how to counter it, last week we brought in Art Way from the Drug Policy Alliance to discuss the intersection between flawed drug and immigration policies. We explored how<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgka18rnWS1AmTd6wUHjMbalEDO6Rngbf1IarjOcczaKG_KeczI-2u1UnlzZ2ZoE0rfrfBZW_PLUF5gvUyGuBC-jKci3iRJ_fSgKeoEP4UO5VZIQSi2ZjyOn4NwmteVobYrZ2rspkbJ30S/s1600/Way_190x190.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 190px; height: 190px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688296968542594706" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgka18rnWS1AmTd6wUHjMbalEDO6Rngbf1IarjOcczaKG_KeczI-2u1UnlzZ2ZoE0rfrfBZW_PLUF5gvUyGuBC-jKci3iRJ_fSgKeoEP4UO5VZIQSi2ZjyOn4NwmteVobYrZ2rspkbJ30S/s320/Way_190x190.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />labels have been used to dehumanize both immigrants and people who use drugs (words like: “Illegal” and “addict”). We explored how militarization of the drug war is deeply connected to militarization of the border. The eighteen participants in the skill share found it powerful to learn about how historically drug laws have mirrored immigration law to maintain power and are not actually about the substance or “public safety”. Drug laws were targeted against different immigrant and ethnic groups (e.g. anti-opium den laws targeted Chinese immigrants and anti-marijuana laws targeted Mexican workers). Both immigration and drug laws throughout the US’s history have criminalized everyday behavior, but are selectively enforced and target only certain populations for doing these things. The fact that people of color comprise 13% of drug use, but are 78% of drug convictions deeply highlights this point. Tens of thousands of legal residents and other noncitizens are deported every year on drug-related grounds. In 2010, 25% of all deportations of people with criminal records were for drug charges of which the vast majorities were due to minor possession of marijuana. Deportees often are held in for profit detention centers miles away from family members without adequate due process for a drug conviction that may have occurred years ago. The disproportionate emphasis placed on targeting illicit drug use and distribution in communities of color and urban environments where noncitizens are concentrated increases the likelihood of interaction with law enforcement authorities. The imposition of drug sweeps and zero tolerance policies in schools, drug-free zo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d6arQnQaXFwnFPNsPEdhxEhWGK5Wkd3my5n_fSIUaWSGnIPnXfJieEE35HtHDlVPNEvcfS8V6RaNxXQNEEi2Pz6ATG04epWJiY6rKFi__W7qHCz25PkN4SAm_mJ2ZdBuEteQZ859jDws/s1600/art+way.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688296974110390850" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d6arQnQaXFwnFPNsPEdhxEhWGK5Wkd3my5n_fSIUaWSGnIPnXfJieEE35HtHDlVPNEvcfS8V6RaNxXQNEEi2Pz6ATG04epWJiY6rKFi__W7qHCz25PkN4SAm_mJ2ZdBuEteQZ859jDws/s320/art+way.jpg" border="0" /></a>nes and the high prevalence of public drug selling invite a heightened law enforcement presence in communities of color, where noncitizens reside in great numbers. Once a noncitizen enters the criminal justice system, there is a substantial risk that the outcome of prosecutorial proceedings will have immigration consequences. <br /><br />We ended the discussion with what we can do to make change. This discussion included looking internally and addressing the shame and stigma around drug use; to support drug policy based on science compassion, human rights and health; educating ourselves and others on the consequences of guilty pleas for deportation and push for pre-plea judicial programs and paying a fine for drug use rather than criminal conviction; raise awareness around drug propaganda; work to end the war on drugs and militarization of the border.<br /><br />-Gabriela Flora, American Friends Service Committee<br />To learn about our future skill shares and other activities, please visit us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/AFSC-Coloradans-for-Immigrant-Rights/113045722068217Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-52407902305185939792011-08-17T13:24:00.002-06:002011-08-17T13:28:37.327-06:00In a Broken Immigration System, DOMA Adds Another Layer of Injustice Bi-national lesbian couple waits for answer; DOMA holds their future hostage (SegFor Immediate Release: August 15th, 2011
<br />Contact: Julie Gonzales, CIRC, Julie@coloradoimmigrant.org, 720-891-2712 | Jessica Cook Woodrum, One Colorado, 720-412-3772, jessicaw@one-colorado.org
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<br />Denver, CO - Abandoned as a child, abused, and mistreated, a young lesbian woman made her way from Mexico to the United States and built a life alongside the woman she loves. However, Mrs. Hernandez's future (who asks that her full name not be used) now hinges on a decision from an immigration judge. But new prosecutorial discretion guidelines for bi-national same-sex couples from John Morton, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could prove to be crucial for her future, as they address the way immigration judges should apply and interpret the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
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<br />"It is absurd that someone like Mrs. Hernandez is facing deportation from her partner and the life they have built together, due to a traffic stop. This happens to thousands of families across the country as a result of increased local law enforcement collaboration with ICE. Unfortunately, DOMA makes our already broken immigration system even worse," said Julien Ross, Executive Director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, "DOMA denies committed same-sex couples any rights in sponsoring their spouse, and often leaves their families with few options for changing their situation."
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<br />Ross continued: "The real solution would be to recognize Mrs. Hernandez's marriage, and allow them the same rights as any other married couple under immigration law. But at the very least, ICE should follow their own guidelines on discretion and stop her deportation immediately."
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<br />Mrs. Hernandez met her partner, a US citizen born and raised in Denver, and fell in love in 2006. They were married in Iowa in 2010. However, as a result of DOMA, their marriage is not recognized for immigration purposes and her partner is barred from sponsoring Mrs. Hernandez for legal status.
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<br />When Mrs. Hernandez was pulled over for a minor traffic violation in 2008, she was detained and spent nearly 3 months at an immigration detention center. Since that time, the couple has spent more than $20,000 on the legal battle to fight her deportation case and to have their marriage recognized and respected by immigration courts.
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<br />"No loving, committed couple should be torn apart by the laws of our country," said Brad Clark, Executive Director of One Colorado. " Mrs. Hernandez and her partner have made a lifelong promise to take care of each other, and their marriage should provide them with security to build a life together. But because of these unjust, discriminatory laws, their family hangs in the balance. That's just plain wrong."
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<br />A decision on Mrs. Hernandez's case is expected on August 19th at the Denver Immigration Court. In the coming days, community organizations will be working to mobilize support. Please contact Julie Gonzales, Director of Organizing for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition at Julie@coloradoimmigrant.org, or Shannon Masden, Field Manager for One Colorado at Shannonm@one-colorado.org to get involved.
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<br />The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) is a statewide, membership-based coalition of immigrant, faith, labor, youth, community, business and ally organizations founded in 2002 to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state. CIRC achieves this mission through non-partisan civic engagement, public education, and advocating for workable, fair and humane immigration policies.
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<br />One Colorado is a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring equality and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Coloradans and their families. With offices in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction, One Colorado effectively improves the lives of LGBT Coloradans by lobbying the General Assembly, executive branch, and local governments on issues like safe schools, relationship recognition, and LGBT health and human services. Learn more about www.one-colorado.org.
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<br />Para Distribuicón Inmediata: Lunes, 15 de agosto del 2011
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<br />Contactos: Julie Gonzales, CIRC, Julie@coloradoimmigrant.org, 720-891-2712 (bilingüe) | Jessica Cook Woodrum, One Colorado, 720-412-3772, jessicaw@one-colorado.org (inglés)
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<br />Bajo un sistema roto de inmigración, DOMA agrega otra capa de injusticia
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<br />Pareja bi-nacional lesbiana espera una respuesta; DOMA tiene su futuro rehenes
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<br />Denver, CO - Abandonada como niña, abusada y maltratada, una jóven lesbiana salió de México, llegó a los Estados Unidos, y construyó una vida al lado de la mujer que ama. Sin embargo, su futuro ahora depende de una decisión departe de un juez de inmigración. Pero John Morton, el Director del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) acaba de mandar nuevas directrices de discreción prosecutorial para parejas bi-nacionales del mismo sexo, y pueden ser decisivos para el futuro de Sra. Hernandez (quien pide que su nombre completo no sea usado) porque tratan de la manera que los jueces de inmigración deben interpretar y aplicar la Ley de Defensa del Matrimonio (DOMA, por sus siglas en inglés).
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<br />"Es absurdo que alguien como la Sra. Hernandez está enfrentando una deportación de su pareja y la vida que han construida juntas, por causa de una parada rutinario de tráfico. Esto pasa a miles de familias al nivel nacional por la mayor colaboración entre la policía local y ICE. Desafortunadamente, DOMA empeora el sistema de inmigración ya roto," dijo Julien Ross, Director Ejecutivo de la Coalición para los Derechos de Inmigrantes de Colorado (CIRC, por sus siglas en inglés), "DOMA niega las parejas comprometidas del mismo sexo cualquier derecho a patrocinar a su esposo o esposa, y por la mayoría de los casos, deja las familias sin la oportunidad de cambiar su situación."
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<br />Ross continuó: "La solución verdadera sería reconocer el matrimonio entre la Sra. Hernandez y su pareja, y darles los mismos derechos que reciben todas las otras parejas casadas bajo la ley de inmigración. Por lo menos, ICE debe seguir sus propios directrices de discreción y cancelar su deportación inmediatamente."
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<br />La Sra. Hernandez y su pareja, una ciudadana nacida en Denver, se conocieron y se enamoraron en el 2006. Se casaron en Iowa en el 2010. Sin embargo, bajo DOMA, su matrimonio no es reconocido bajo la ley de inmigración y la pareja no puede patrocinar a Sra. Hernandez por un estatus legal.
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<br />Cuando Sra. Hernandez fue parada por una infracción de transito en el 2008, fue detenida y pasó casi 3 meses en la cárcel de inmigración. Desde entonces, la pareja ha pagado más de $20.000 para batallar legalmente en contra del caso de deportación y para que las cortes de inmigración reconozcan y respetan a su matrimonio.
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<br />"Ninguna pareja comprometida y cariñosa debe ser separada por las leyes de nuestro país," dijo Brad Clark, Director Ejecutivo de One Colorado. "Sra. Hernandez y su pareja han hecho una promesa de por vida de cuidar la una a la otra, y su matrimonio debería de proveerlas con la seguridad de construir una vida juntas. Pero por estas leyes injustas y discriminatorias, su familia está en duda. Es una gran equivocación."
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<br />Esperan una decisión en el caso de Sra. Hernandez el 19 de agosto en la Corte de Inmigración de Denver. En los siguientes días, movilizarán varias organizaciones de base en apoyo. Favor de contactar a Julie Gonzales, Directora de Organizar con CIRC, julie@coloradoimmigrant.org, o a Shannon Masden, Manager de Campo con One Colorado, shannonm@one-colorado.org para involucrarse.
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<br />La Coalición para los Derechos de Inmigrantes de Colorado (CIRC, por sus siglas en inglés) es una coalición estatal de organizaciones de inmigrantes, fé, sindicatos, comunitarias, negociantes, y aliadas fundada en el 2002 para mejorar las vidas de inmigrantes y refugiados a través de asegurar que Colorado esté más acogedor y pro-inmigrante. CIRC alcanza nuestra misión por involucramiento cívico no-partidista, educación pública, y abogacía para una reforma migratoria justa.
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<br />One Colorado es una organización estatal de abogacía dedicada a asegurar la igualdad y oportunidad por Coloradenses lesbianas, gay, bisexuales, y transgéneros (LGBT) y sus familias. Con oficinas en Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, y Grand Junction, One Colorado mejora las vidas de Coloradenses LGBT a través de abogacía en la Asamblea General, el poder ejecutivo, y en gobiernos locales en temas como escuelas seguras, reconocimiento de relaciones, y salud y servicios humanos para la comunidad LGBT. Aprende más en one-colorado.org.
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<br />http://www.coloradoimmigrant.org/article.php?id=1135Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-57746348907684725662011-08-17T13:18:00.006-06:002011-08-25T14:15:23.258-06:00Globalization and Migration workshop<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jqdFPvyo0sI9PVAArQZzZcIgtKDLUKV8meXZd-rbLMZtGRSFtEEtP6Vrdf1ksKpqFQU0RisuNJpLwznbTHs2mPiEG_EYWfxAxCKrOEEALNdMGbodK5RUInDWoxMcDSTE4v9jdCeRMVE/s1600/2011_08_13+globalization+and+migration+workshop_Jordan+Garcia+%25284%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jqdFPvyo0sI9PVAArQZzZcIgtKDLUKV8meXZd-rbLMZtGRSFtEEtP6Vrdf1ksKpqFQU0RisuNJpLwznbTHs2mPiEG_EYWfxAxCKrOEEALNdMGbodK5RUInDWoxMcDSTE4v9jdCeRMVE/s200/2011_08_13+globalization+and+migration+workshop_Jordan+Garcia+%25284%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641945322573965778" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMVd71G9jARBAAkAmZe__YdbglmnG7fBvirPtC8D1cDKuDHWUBEITgs2ASTOpiYZWUi4785hX8g0LqAh6pivvF52OEsIbagct0onUDqI1JcmLPCiL7izS4iVwvYkaY-YpdkJP_L_ajaM/s1600/2011_08_13+globalization+and+migration+workshop_Jordan+Garcia+%25288%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMVd71G9jARBAAkAmZe__YdbglmnG7fBvirPtC8D1cDKuDHWUBEITgs2ASTOpiYZWUi4785hX8g0LqAh6pivvF52OEsIbagct0onUDqI1JcmLPCiL7izS4iVwvYkaY-YpdkJP_L_ajaM/s200/2011_08_13+globalization+and+migration+workshop_Jordan+Garcia+%25288%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641944814398042786" border="0" /></a>
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<br />This past Saturday at the AFSC headquarters, we had our amazing workshop on Globalization and Migration. The workshop was designed to dissect the immense topics that are Globazation and Migration while taking into account the economic components as well. As epic and overwhelming as these topics sound, we were able to design a workshop that attempted to tackle the monster of a topic. There were about 35 people in the audience and they were all fully engaged. The activities were enlightening and were well received by the audience.
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<br />Globalization Y Migration Head, Heart and Feet from participants:
<br />I learned…
<br />That we can teach each other a lot of things.
<br />The difference between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
<br />About Nigeria standing up for its people against Neoliberalism.
<br />About the key players and the important terms to know when talking about neoliberalism.
<br />That activities make it easier to show what’s going on
<br />That popular education actually works
<br />That it’s really important to come together and pull some of these things apart, and THEN act
<br />We need to work together as nations and fight at a global level
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<br />I felt…
<br />Happy about how this workshop turned out
<br />Overwhelmed
<br />Excited about being with like minded people
<br />That truth wins out in the end
<br />Hopeful
<br />Refreshed
<br />More equipped
<br />More connected to the suffering caused by the system and my role in it
<br />Inspired by everyone’s contributions
<br />Like I thought really hard today
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<br />I will…
<br />Educate myself about resistance in other countries, like Nigeria
<br />Take what I learned to the streets
<br />Do a workshop at CIRC
<br />Talk about the root causes of migration more
<br />No longer buy name brands
<br />Look for more opportunities for action and education around globalization
<br />Bring it to build on our work at RAP
<br />Bring it to my Social Justice faith leaders group, and other faith communities
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<br />*written by Fadima Gologos
<br />Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-26565365796678265422011-07-06T11:58:00.006-06:002011-07-15T10:43:20.834-06:004th of July<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJtYrgjAp0WKxF0i2ifRc2mHqKrLb3Jqrv2aIyIeFu7B9tYp6RG6iP_GE4bFriJq91_Z5wI14CSV4KBCRuGSVPvQkgunsAvZQhcq7p7FgF0nB9mOSaFXc8vDfYBUohiZ_2SwR6NDidoRg/s1600/2011_7_4_Vigil_TimPaynter_+%25285%2529.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJtYrgjAp0WKxF0i2ifRc2mHqKrLb3Jqrv2aIyIeFu7B9tYp6RG6iP_GE4bFriJq91_Z5wI14CSV4KBCRuGSVPvQkgunsAvZQhcq7p7FgF0nB9mOSaFXc8vDfYBUohiZ_2SwR6NDidoRg/s400/2011_7_4_Vigil_TimPaynter_+%25285%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626635488927417250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo credit Tim Paynter<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />On the 4th of July 2011 I attended my first Solidarity Vigil, it was held this past Monday in front of the Detention center in Aurora. The Vigil was sponsored by Denver Fair Food, and it was an act of solidarity "...with all who are imprisoned, exploited or enslaved!" This vigil, which took place on the date of the independence of the United States, was symbolic beyond measure. The participants were of a diverse crowd with people from all ages, socio-economic classes and life paths. As we were making our way down the road there was this atmosphere that was charged with the intensity of the present, melancholic memories of the past and bittersweet hopes for the future.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The wind transported our loud, passionate and eager voices in all directions as we chanted "What do we want? JUSTICE, how do we get it? MELT the ICE". We were a sight to behold, because there was a lot of depth and symbolism accompanying the date we chose to go on that vigil. It was evident that we had acknowledged the progressive strides that have been taken in the America, but we also emitted a profound yearning for the amelioration of the conditions of those who have been and are still imprisoned, exploited or enslaved.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4YjMSt-ks4G5ORkHas3Q0jIHdeD10ZCNV9lr9cPlZnLP-S49z90iLoLws5uHUYGNAJp-M_Dzkrr-7k23dEi5U97VA6WSEJsVVuHZbBImIbP9QUPw5xh3wWVji5dFbMPb2ESHI4pzl1gw/s1600/2011_7_4_Vigil_TimPaynter_+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4YjMSt-ks4G5ORkHas3Q0jIHdeD10ZCNV9lr9cPlZnLP-S49z90iLoLws5uHUYGNAJp-M_Dzkrr-7k23dEi5U97VA6WSEJsVVuHZbBImIbP9QUPw5xh3wWVji5dFbMPb2ESHI4pzl1gw/s320/2011_7_4_Vigil_TimPaynter_+%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626636035088098082" border="0" /></a>The vigil was also a very educational one; Denver Fair Food enacted a short skit that retraced the exploitative and enslaving roots upon which the American system was built, this skit provided us with enough knowledge to understand the gravity of the situation and prompt us to action. We were faced with the realities of America with all its flaws magnified.<br /><br />The most moving parts of the day included the testimonies of the people, and the beautiful silence that was a silent cry of prayer. The people in the immigrant community who were bold enough to testify included a father, a mother of six who is forced to support her large family by herself, and another mother who has been deprived of her child. The only crimes that these victims can be accused of are the fact that they were born in another country and wanting to provide a better life for their children. Despite all these injustices, I strongly believe that these testimonies demonstrate fearlessness and bravery beyond measure and I wish I had half the courage and internal strength that these heroes have.<br /><br />The first person who stepped up to speak was the Mexican father of two (a son and daughter) who had been detained in Montana and subsequently released. He tried to relay to us that he is not a criminal and that we need to keep on fighting; all he ever wanted is give a better life to his children and provide them with opportunities he never had. He mentioned how he can take them to the movies and those were things that he was not able to do while he was growing up. He explained the despicable conditions in these detention centers: in one room there were 70 detainees and they had to share five rolls of toilet paper, and they were reprimanded for pointing out that the toilet paper was not sufficient.<br /><br />This inhumane treatment struck a chord in a Leticia, mother who has seen her son, Sharif only once in eight months, it caused her to wail in anguish and that was one of the hardest things I had to watch in helplessness. Her son was taken at 5:00 am in the Morning shortly after thanksgiving and he was taken to the GEO detention center. Last month he was transferred to Colorado Springs and has been detained there ever since. The third testimony was from a mother of six, two of which are sick and her husband has been detained in the Aurora detention center since March and she is struggling with taking care of her six children. She mentioned how she has been struggling to find a job and how it is hard to find day care.<br /><br />My first vigil was nothing short of eye-opening and emotionally charged. I would have to say that my favorite part of the whole evening was when we were asked to get close to our neighbors and touch them, close our eyes and just take deep breaths. There was a cool breeze, the sun was setting and the beautiful silence that ensued felt like a silent victory and a promise that the best is yet to come.<br /></div><br />- Written by: Fadima Gologo<br /><br /><br /><strong>The next Vigil: United Communities, Living in Freedom.<br /> Monday, August 1st, 2011.<br /> We will meet at 30th Ave & Peoria Street, Aurora, CO.<br /> 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm</strong>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-68292636258286981122011-06-22T12:02:00.002-06:002011-06-22T12:05:29.352-06:00Obama Administration’s Announced Tweaks to Secure Communities Fail to Address Ongoing Human and Civil Rights AbusesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br />Contact: Jennifer Piper <br />jpiper@afsc.org<br /><br />Denver, CO -- (June 20, 2011) The Colorado office of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) rejects the Department of Homeland Security’s recently announced fruitless adjustments to address the overall failure of the Secure Communities Initiative and it’s continued civil and human rights abuses. <br /><br />“Creating an advisory commission does not addresses grave concerns brought by civil, human and immigrant rights groups. This program has been foisted on local governments and communities under false pretenses,” said Gabriela Flora, Project Voice Regional Organizer of the AFSC. “We restate our demand that the Obama administration suspend Secure Communities.”<br /><br />In recent weeks Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts have either pulled out of or refused participation in the program. Numerous cities across the country continue to seek a way out of this deportation dragnet that stretches local law enforcement’s resources and entangles them in immigration laws. As a result, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Progressive Caucus have both called for a moratorium on the program pending an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General called for by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren slated to begin next month. <br /><br />Jennifer Piper, Interfaith Immigration Organizing Director of the AFSC, declared “We call on Governor Hickenlooper to follow Illinois, New York and Massachusetts and retract Colorado’s participation in this flawed program. Although ICE claims the program secures our communities, we are all aware of the fact that it has the reverse effect.” <br /><br />United Church of Christ Pastor Anne Dunlap explained her opposition to the program saying “My faith calls me to support policies that unify our communities and to challenge divisive and unjust policies. ‘Secure Communities’ is a fundamentally flawed program, and cannot be fixed by even well-intentioned minor tweaks. This program perpetuates racial profiling, creates tensions between police and immigrant communities, and pulls people into the broken deportation system, tearing apart families and communities in the process”.<br /><br />In light of the failure of Secure Communities, the American Friends Service Committee calls on the Obama Administration to:<br />• Publicly oppose and terminate all programs that create partnerships between state and local law enforcement and ICE.<br />• Halt the development of the vast data-gathering infrastructure that houses Secure Communities and inform the public of the current scope and purpose of its data collection and dissemination activities. <br />• Ensure any immigration enforcement programs have rigorous safeguards against racial profiling and human rights violations.<br />###<br />The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths<br />who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief<br />in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-41650956148066839352011-05-02T11:39:00.001-06:002011-05-02T11:54:13.628-06:00Happy International Workers Day!...from a generous friend! <br />Sisters & Brothers, Happy International Workers Day! <br /><br />...in celebration of this day I wanted to share <a href="http://gallery.behindthelens.net/Research/CompanyWebsite/16125342_A6GBw">Part 1 in a series of online slideshows</a> on how to research corporations for economic and social justice. I would like as many workers and community folks to learn how to research this type of information so please feel free to forward this email, post the link on Facebook, etc. <br /><br />I'll be uploading the remaining parts during the next two weeks and will have all the parts available online for full viewing from Mid-May until June 1st. After June 1st I will start working on a book which will contain much of the same content and introduce you to my labor/political cartoon. : ) I'm taking $10 bucks off the price of the book if you shoot me an email saying you'd like to pre-order a copy. I'll also have the books available in bulk for larger organizations. <br /><br />This is the only email I'll be sending about the slideshows so if you'd like to stay current just <a href="http://gallery.behindthelens.net/Research/">click here to see if a new gallery has opened.</a> <br /><br />I'll also be posting all the parts of this presentation on Facebook so if you would like to be friends on there, just <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Ric-Urrutia/1042318221">click here to find me</a>.<br /><br />hope you're all well, happy International Workers Day! <br />In solidarity,<br />Ric Urrutia<br /><br />-- <br />Ric Urrutia<br />Photographer<br />720-207-8313<br />http://www.behindthelens.netJordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-79031330370795217452011-04-25T13:24:00.001-06:002011-04-25T13:42:32.351-06:00In honor of Earth Day, See the Borderlands...Photojournalist <a href="http://web.mac.com/kschlyer/Wayfarer/Welcome.html">Krista Schlyer</a> has shot some of the most dynamic and astounding scenes of wildlife and walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. If you're familiar with <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/borderlands/">Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign</a>, then you've seen her work. <br />For Earth Day, she has put together a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0zHg6Wfu5g">4-minute film clip</a> capturing a very ominous and timely threat. She exposes an extreme proposal to hogtie more than 30 important environmental protection laws, not just along the southwest land border, but also along the Canadian border, the Gulf Coast, the East Coast, the West Coast, even the Hawaiian and Alaskan boundaries! 2 out of 3 Americans live within the areas to be affected, and depend on the protection these laws provide for clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment. <br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W0zHg6Wfu5g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />View the film by clicking on the link below, or copy-pasting it into your browser: <br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0zHg6Wfu5g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0zHg6Wfu5g</a><br /> Sincerely, Dan MillsJordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-53688195380881466762011-03-03T19:42:00.005-07:002011-03-03T20:16:29.572-07:00Parents, Clergy and Educators take note! "Listen to the Children" is the perfect intro book for you.I heard great things about the book "Listen to the Children: Conversations with Immigrant Families" and so decided it was time to read it for myself.<br /><br />First of all, the book is bilingual; one half in Spanish, the other in English! This is a great bonus making it possible to have discussion and share the resource bi-culturally. It's simply and directly written and is a great tool for adults who want to help kids prepare for:<br /><ul><li>a parent's absence</li><li>moving to a new country</li><li>a new school<br /></li></ul>The author, Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, provides illuminating examples of conversations and situations families might face. I felt guided through how to shift these conversations in ways that empower children and families to love and respect one another. She sees the whole community (faith communities, teachers, extended family, and friends) as key to children's health. I also really appreciated her tips on talking with kids in an age appropriate way.<br /><br />While the book was written to highlight children's issues, it also helped me keep in mind all of the challenges, strengths, hopes and dream immigrant parents carry with them. "Listen to the Children" provides tips for parents on how to get what they need from schools and faith communities as well. It encourages them to reach out to the larger community for advice, and to share their experiences with other immigrant families.<br /><br />Conde-Frazier demonstrates how biblical stories can be a source of strength for children whose family's status is precarious. She touches on the capacity of the faith community to support families in the wake of enforcement actions and the importance of a safe and open place for families and children. Most of all I appreciated her treatment of the issues that impact immigrant families regardless of status; identity, education, justice, dignity.<br /><br />I look forward to more from Conde-Frazier and hope that she can give us a more in-depth treatment of each of the areas she covered in this intro book, providing us with more culturally sensitive bilingual tools on parenting, integration and respect.<br /><br />The book is in our library of resources now at AFSC, so please stop by to check it out!Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02962764873673803747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-15142032550769652712011-02-15T15:33:00.015-07:002011-02-22T14:15:55.911-07:00ICE Cold Hearts...Melted!by Jordan T Garcia<br /><br />On Monday, February 14th, 2011 at the Aurora Immigrant Detention Center, 475 handmade Valentines were delivered to 450 people unjustly interned by the state. An additional 50 cards were handed out to day laborers in Aurora. Thanks to you!<br /><br />I spoke with a woman named Patricia in the detention center waiting area, as she waited to be allowed to see her husband and the father of her 3 year old before he signed his voluntary departure for his deportation. Her fierce strength gripped me in the moments she shared her struggle to explain to her daughter Alicia that she didn’t do anything wrong to keep her father away on Valentine’s day. <br /><br />Later yesterday morning, Pedro, a carpenter and Day Laborer from Aurora, tucked a Valentine made by a 7 year old Bella inside his pocket. Among sheepish grins and somewhat deriding chuckles from fellow day laborers, though none were too shy to take a homemade Valentine of thier own, he explained. His son, in Oaxaca, was about the same age when Pedro left to come to the US four years ago to send money home to his parents, now raising his kids.<br /><br />The Valentines you made touched hearts and shared strength. We are all made more whole knowing these stories of fierce love and unforgettable power.<br /><br />At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. We must strive every day so that this love of living humanity will be transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples, as a moving force.<br /><br />~ Che Guevara<br /><br />Many people have told us that this Valentine project provided them with an opportunity to not only be creative, but also to be self reflective. To set aside feelings of frustration about political posturing and to put what LOVE they could into a simple beautiful card. To take just an hour or so to think about the experiences of immigrants in this country and to focus on the reasons we struggle for immigrant justice day in and day out.<br />A special thank you to all of the Valentine Artists, including but not limited to Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, Metro Organization for People, Melissa Nix, Nicki Gonzales & Tania Valenzulea and the Regis University Social Justice Students, Maria and the students at the Iliff School of Theology, Sister Alicia and St. Mary's Academy and Escuela de Guadelupe students, Harriet Mullaney’s English classes at Bruce Randolph School, and the attendants of Yolotzin (1st!) & Yvonne Sandoval’s birthday party. And another special thank you to Seth Donovan for making the arrangements with the Detention Center Staff.<br /><br />On February 7th, 2011, over 150 hundred people gathered at the Aurora Detention Center to make their voices heard. The February monthly vigil was planned by Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, a project of AFSC and the Denver Justice and Peace Committee.<br />We invited Suzi Q Smith, a spoken word artist and slam poet whose poem is copied below, along with other poets such as Homero Ocon who shared their beautiful pieces. DJPC shared broken hearts concerning the roots of migration and participants shared the ways they will mend hearts in their own lives. We sang some love songs and chanted to the people interned inside.<br /><br />We carried signs with our message including a large broken heart symbolizing how our broken immigration system keeps the United States apart from the rest of the world and the broken hearts of those families separated by borders and walls.<br /><br />Some of the Valentine’s read like this: Dear Valentine, You are not alone. I hold you in my heart, thoughts and prayers. Love knows no borders or walls and together we can share each other’s strength and courage. I am with you in spirit on this Valentine’s Day. No estas sol@. Est@s presente en mi corazón, mis pensamientos y mis oraciones. El amor no reconoce fronteras ni muros. Juntos podemos compartir nuestr@ fuerza y valor. 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8N3rLN21PdhxoBJ6JVk3zXaA9Q2O921nptc8EyWXYym_0Ig0-oJsL8ilZo1yHixEG9db-cXWcEmOkSJ8qjV1pOLez_g6brdttABOGYUzewQPWFlZkdPOgAJ-TVQ8BWmAo5VW7rsxtU-Q/s400/jordan+at+DC+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574050231084954402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlgDcgCIJbdFIR-ebkxyDz9MzDpRkDNKlzhaZg6lomp2Cvfp6FNVyGoa_SJI1q4G0VjdgT4X6HJaWzd3efggBJpaB-cNeGfVhKrhCD55J3Tm1ORpBxWtzSwK6MmPpgI3vhJE1aE1xeuQ/s1600/Day+Laborer+with+Valentine.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlgDcgCIJbdFIR-ebkxyDz9MzDpRkDNKlzhaZg6lomp2Cvfp6FNVyGoa_SJI1q4G0VjdgT4X6HJaWzd3efggBJpaB-cNeGfVhKrhCD55J3Tm1ORpBxWtzSwK6MmPpgI3vhJE1aE1xeuQ/s400/Day+Laborer+with+Valentine.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574050034017463522" /></a>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-25828039555581224982011-02-15T12:02:00.000-07:002011-02-15T12:10:35.695-07:00Arizona vigilante found guilty of murdering Latino man, daughterBy the CNN Wire Staff<br />February 15, 2011 2:04 a.m. EST<br />(CNN) -- An Arizona jury on Monday convicted anti-illegal immigration activist Shawna Forde of murder in the killing of a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter during a 2009 vigilante raid she led on their home.<br />The Pima County jury convicted Forde on eight counts, including two counts of murder for the shooting deaths of Raul Flores and his daughter, Brisenia, and the attempted murder of the child's mother, Gina Gonzales, at the family's rural Arivaca home on May 30, 2009.<br />The child and her father were American-born U.S. citizens.<br />The jury also convicted Forde on two counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of burglary, armed robbery and aggravated robbery.<br />The jury is scheduled to return Tuesday for the penalty phase of the trial.<br />Forde's alleged accomplices, Albert Robert Gaxiola and Jason Eugene Bush, are scheduled to go on trial later this year.<br />During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Forde as the ringleader of the hit squad, and said she had planned the raid and the murders to steal weapons, money and drugs to finance a new anti-illegal immigration outfit.<br />The trio picked the Flores home, prosecutors said, because of a claim made by Gaxiola they would find drugs there.<br />While Flores had a history of drug-related offenses, none were found in the house.<br />Posing as border patrol and law enforcement officers, Forde, Gaxiola and Bush, whom prosecutors identified as the gunman, showed up at the Flores home after midnight, several hours after the family had returned from a shopping trip in Tucson to buy shoes for their daughter for summer camp.<br />Brisenia Flores was sleeping on the couch with her puppy when the killers demanded to be let into the home. They accused Flores of harboring illegal aliens and said the house was surrounded by agents.<br />Once inside, the gunman shot Flores in the chest and Gonzales in the leg. Later Brisenia was shot as she pleaded for her life.<br />Jewelry taken from the Flores home was later found in Forde's possession. Text messages discovered on her phone also implicated her in the crime.<br />Forde once belonged to the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps before she was removed for what former fellow members described as unstable behavior, according to news reports.<br />Forde then formed a splinter group, Minutemen aAmerican Defense. She led protests against illegal immigration and patrolled the Arizona-Mexico border armed with weapons.<br />Bush was the group's national director of operations, according to reports.<br /><br /><a href="http://us.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/02/14/arizona.double.killing.verdict/index.html?hpt=T2">http://us.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/02/14/arizona.double.killing.verdict/index.html?hpt=T2</a>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-1747856698218024212011-01-10T17:26:00.001-07:002011-01-10T17:31:12.655-07:00AFSC Responds to Violence against Those in Public LifeThe American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker organization committed to overcoming violence in communities throughout the U.S. and around the world, is deeply saddened by the violence of January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, when an attempt to kill U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords brought death and injury to so many.<br /><br />Our thoughts and prayers are with all victims of the shooting, as well as their families and friends who are now mourning the deceased and anxiously awaiting the recovery of the injured. As Friends say, we are holding them in the Light.<br /><br />In our work for peace, we have seen how each act of violence hurts not only the immediate victims, but tears at the fabric of entire communities. In the wake of such a senseless violation, everyone in Tucson will struggle to feel secure, to regain trust for each other, and to work together to move forward. Our hearts<br />go out to all in Tucson today.<br /><br />Today’s strident political atmosphere escalates tension and helps to set the stage for incidents like this one. Our world is increasingly swept up in a tide of intolerance. We are all too accepting when political and spiritual leaders use rhetoric that demonizes those with different beliefs; when those who should call us to higher purpose, instead, contribute to an atmosphere that provokes the most vulnerable, disturbed among us to acts of vandalism, violence, and assassination. We all must take responsibility for correcting a political climate that has become so polarized and vitriolic.<br /><br />It is not an accident that this tragic shooting took place in Arizona, where punitive laws and anti-immigrant scapegoating have only resulted in misunderstanding and divisiveness in our borderlands. These laws have brought us no closer to creating humane, workable policies that respect the rights and needs of those living on either side of the border. This is but one example of how our nation’s divisive rhetoric works against developing effective solutions to society’s pressing needs.<br /><br />What would help us move forward?<br /><br />The American Friends Service Committee urges our elected officials, spiritual leaders and community leaders to commit now to act with civility and common purpose to heal our society. Real healing goes beyond civil words and tamped-down rhetoric and looks to the root causes of violence in our society, the conditions of inequality and injustice. A political culture devoted to honestly and reasonably addressing those conditions would be a healthier one for all of us.<br /><br />We call on national, state, and local leaders to respond with compassion to the needs and aspirations of those who have been disenfranchised by the political system and excluded from the economic recovery. This is a time to fulfill the promise of “justice for all.” This is a time for leadership towards “a more perfect<br />union.”<br /> January 10, 2011Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-80392097796343347682011-01-03T13:21:00.002-07:002011-01-03T13:26:04.292-07:00The DREAM shall never die<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> 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Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Reflections on Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the DREAM Act</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By CFIR memberMark O'Brien</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Proponents of the DREAM Act failed to gain the 60 votes needed for a cloture vote in the U.S. Senate in order to end a filibuster on the Bill. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This of course was a major disappointment for millions of individuals who were hoping that the DREAM Act would pass in the Congress. The prevailing view was that the DREAM Act had a low chance of successfully passing in the Senate despite a courageous victory in the House.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It may seem like this is the end for the DREAM Act at least until the 2012 elections. However, this is just the beginning. While the Legislation failed to gain the necessary votes in the Senate, the DREAM is still alive! As Senator Edward Kennedy stated at the Democratic National Convention in 2008: </span><span style="color: navy;"></span></p><em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"></span></em><blockquote><em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">The work goes on, the </span></em><strong><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">cause endures</span></i></strong><em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">, the hope still lives, and the </span></em><strong><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">DREAM </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">shall never die…</span></em></blockquote><em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"></span></em><span style="color: navy;"></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: navy;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">December 20th marked the 5th anniversary of H.R. 4437, otherwise known as the Sensenbrenner Bill that passed in the House. This highly punitive legislation would have made it, among other things, a felony to be in the United States undocumented. The Sensenbrenner Bill was a wake-up call for people of all races, colors and creeds to come together and unite against the hard-hearted nature of such legislation. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Almost immediately, individuals and organizations started to mobilize and an awakening began that brought together communities across the nation. People mobilized and engaged in organizing, outreach and service. Folks from all walks of life rose up to say NO to the Sensenbrenner Bill and the hostile tone that was taking shape in the United States towards immigrants.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The energy and enthusiasm was palpable as communities came together through the bond of peace. There was a tremendous amount of organizing, meeting with legislators and their staff, working on messaging, framing and advocacy. We took sharp, decisive action and did not rest or let up during the Christmas holiday break, and by the time Congress returned, the momentum took them off guard. The Sensenbrenner Bill died in the Senate. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The momentum culminated in March 2006 with rallies across the country that drew 50,000 to 150,000 people. In Denver, a March 25, 2006</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">rally at Civic Center Park</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">drew an estimated 75,000 people. This was extraordinary given that organizers had met 3 days before and thought that there might be 5,000 people in attendance. But the word went out and then <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">suddenly</span></em>, when all the forces came together in a singular moment, there was an outpouring that came forth like a river. As I drove into town, streams of individuals, families and groups came from all directions towards Civic Center Park. There were people coming from everywhere and I recall telling a friend on the cell phone, who had asked how I thought the rally would go, "hold on...something is happening-something is breaking lose". This was confirmed when I got close to downtown, parked and joined the procession of people heading to the Park. The presence, power and energy of this gathering was effervescent, there was a joyfulness among the crowd. The morning gave way to a celebration of community and an inspiring presentation. No one there that day will forget, nor should forget, the beauty of the experience.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Over the past 5 years a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy has gone into Comprehensive Immigration Reform. From</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">the</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">McCain-Kennedy</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bill</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">to the DREAM Act, there has been an enormous amount of debate, argument, demonstration and lobbying regarding this issue. There has been many promises from politicians who have been, at best, ineffectual in providing genuine leadership on immigration reform. The economic cris</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">i</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">s has certainly not helped this situation.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Along with other Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation, the DREAM Act was a parallel effort to provide an opportunity for children, teenagers and young adults, brought to the U.S. with their parents, an opportunity to come from the shadows and be able to work, attend school, join the military and have a path towards legal residency, and the potential to become a permanent resident and/or U.S. Citizen.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fact that the DREAM Act failed to pass in the Congress is a great disappointment to many</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">and will impose difficult hardships on folks who are undocumented, but it cannot be overstated that this is just the beginning of what will be a very challenging road ahead and we will need to press on toward the goal by working together and staying united in one vision, mission and purpose. We will need to work hard and sacrificially with deliberate intent on CIR and a new DREAM Act.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We need to hearken back to those who came before us and have provided an example to follow. I think of Martin Luther King and how many years he and millions labored, and still labor, for Human Rights. I think of Gandhi and the peace movement in India and how it influenced Dr. King and peace movements around the world. I think of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers movement and his efforts that began in the 1950s. I think of Dorothy Day and the many that advocated for immigrants rights in the late 19th and early 20th century. I think of my own father who worked tirelessly for immigrant rights beginning with Dorothy Day in the 1940s and with Cesar Chavez in the 1950s before the United Farm Workers existed. I think about 'the long journey' fighting against the abuse and exploitation of the Bracero Program and picketing in California during the 'Don't Eat the Grapes' strikes. These were long, hard battles that lasted many years and required extraordinary sacrifice. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The main thing is this : The experience over the past 5 years has shown how a communities can come together with a shared vision to advocate for the cause of justice and Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We will not waiver in our commitment and we will stand together in unity willing to sacrifice time and time again until we achieve our common goal. But even when we do achieve this goal we must remember the words of Senator Edward Kennedy when he said... </span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;"></span><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">One of the great lessons I have learned from a life in politics is that no reform is ever truly complete. We must constantly keep moving forward, seeking ways to create that more perfect union..</span></em></blockquote><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"></span></em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: blue;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We must continue and intensify our work to manifest what Martin Luther King, Jr. named "The beloved community." </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In addition, I am reminded of a quote that I hears a few years back which was: <i style="">"the difference between peacemaking and activism is that peacemaking is <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">transformational</span></em></i>". So, as we go forth, let us also be <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">peacemakers </span></em>in the pursuit of just immigration policy, because in addition to our activism; it is peacemaking<em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></em>that is <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">transformational</span></em> and ultimately what brings about true and lasting change.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Let us love and serve one another, encouraging each other as long as today is called today, remembering that </span><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"></span></em></p><blockquote><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">The work goes on, the </span></em><strong><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">cause endures</span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">, the hope still lives, and the </span></em><strong><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">DREAM </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">shall never die…</span></em></blockquote><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"></span></em><span style="color: navy;"></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: navy;"></span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Peace and Love,</span></em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mark</span></em><span style="color: navy;"></span></p>Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02962764873673803747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-82820093876553208562010-12-28T15:53:00.000-07:002010-12-28T16:03:22.636-07:00A Joint Statement about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the DREAM ActVOICE, LYFE and Out Boulder – A Joint Statement about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the DREAM Act – LGBT and Immigrant Communities Continue to Stand Together<br />Many people in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) and Allied community have worked tirelessly to help repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” On Saturday, the U.S. Senate approved a stand-alone bill to repeal the military’s 17-year-old ban on lesbians, gays and bisexuals serving openly in the military. The vote was 65-31.<br />DADT is an important and hard-earned victory and provides us reason to celebrate; however, on the same day the U.S. Senate’s failed cloture vote blocked consideration of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act). The DREAM Act, which passed the U.S. House last week, seeks to provide undocumented young people “conditional permanent residency” if they arrived in this country before they were 16 and attend college or serve in the military. Upon graduation or completion of their enlistment, they would receive permanent legal residency with an opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship.<br />We are grateful for the leadership of Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and and Mark Udall who voted for the DREAM Act and the repeal of DADT. <br />We also thank Rep. Jared Polis, who represents Colorado’s Second District (which includes Boulder County) for his unwavering and strong leadership in support of both the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and passage of the DREAM Act. Polis co-sponsored the DREAM Act and said in his remarks, “The DREAM Act is not only a human rights issue, it's an economic issue and it's a competitiveness issue. These young people are some of our very best Americans…I call upon the House and the Senate to immediately move to pass the DREAM Act and help make these young people proper Americans.” In his remarks about DADT, Polis said, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is the only law in the country that requires people to be dishonest or be fired if they choose to be honest.”<br />VOICE (Voices of Immigrant Children for Education and Equality), LYFE (Longmont Youth for Equality) and Out Boulder (Boulder County’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center) ask LGBT people to speak out in favor of immigrant rights. We ask immigrants to speak out on behalf of LGBT rights. We ask you to continue to see the connections between the treatment of LGBTs and immigrants in federal, state, and local policies. For over 17 years the LGBT community and our allies have fought for the repeal of DADT. This change provides hope to the immigrant justice community that progress does happen and that we will see comprehensive immigration reform soon.<br />We ask you to recognize that some people are both immigrant and LGBT and that community-building must focus on all facets of the community. In the spirit of solidarity and social justice, it is important to acknowledge that DADT only applies to service members who are gay, lesbian or bisexual—not to transgender service members. We continue to stand with the transgender community, as well.<br />In a letter from the Birmingham Jail in 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr wrote,<br />“We are bound by an inescapable garment of mutuality, whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."<br />The results of December 18, 2010 further the need to acknowledge that our issues cannot be faced in isolation. It remains true that those who hate us come from similar and often intertwined ideological foundations. We will celebrate Don't Ask and Don't Tell being repealed while also considering what we can do next to work with the Dreamers. Our opponents may try to use ‘divide and conquer’ tactics to carry out their agenda, but we will not be divided. Now more than ever, we must stand together in solidarity - an injustice to one is an injustice to all.Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-23696463972746194842010-12-28T09:10:00.002-07:002010-12-28T09:13:44.436-07:00We continue to stand with all immigrant youthThe American Friends Service Committee is saddened that the United States Senate did not improve and pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM Act.)<br /><br />AFSC believes that creating a humane immigration system is an important human rights issue facing the United States, and will continue to advocate for overhaul of the existing system to guarantee dignity and respect for all immigrant families.<br /><br />Although the DREAM Act had the support of 55 Senators in the final vote, this was not sufficient to overcome the lack of political will displayed by some of our nation’s leaders.<br /><br />If you want to know how your Senators voted click <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00278#state">here</a>.<br /><br />The final bill in the Senate prioritized military service over access to education and community service. In the months and days leading up to this vote, AFSC joined with immigrant youth in urging our senators to offer undocumented youth equal access to education and multiple paths to citizenship that would have best served the needs of U.S. society.<br /><br />This vote took place in a time of increased deportations and escalation of the failed border policies, including the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. Reversing the current immigration policies that separate families, criminalize workers and jeopardizes the quality of life of communities continues to be an urgent human rights issue.<br /><br />For over a decade, immigrant youth have been tirelessly advocating for passage of the DREAM Act, and they will not stop now. AFSC sees the DREAM act as a means to allow millions of undocumented youth the ability to continue to contribute to our society without the fear of deportation. AFSC will continue to work with local immigrants’ rights groups, nationwide immigrants’ rights organizations and legislators to include important improvements in any future legislation:<br /><br />Enrollment in vocational programs in addition to formal college education,<br />Access to scholarships and other funding sources for financing their education,<br />A community service alternative, and<br />A conscientious objection clause for those who chose the military enrollment option.<br />The American Friends Service Committee encourages our supporters to strengthen the movement to guarantee the protection of human rights and to keep families together.<br /><br />originally posted here: <a href="http://afsc.org/story/after-defeat-dream-act">http://afsc.org/story/after-defeat-dream-act</a>Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-1932244572249777852010-12-27T12:45:00.002-07:002010-12-27T12:46:50.329-07:00DREAM Act fails, but we have not been defeated. La lucha sigue!by our friends at <a href="http://padresunidos.org/padres-jovenes-unidos-dream-action-center">Padres y Jovenes Unidos</a><br />On Saturday, December 18th, the U.S. Senate failed to pass cloture on the DREAM Act, effectively killing it, despite the already historical passage in the U.S. House of Representatives. We are saddened by the Senate’s conscious decision to put their careers before the lives of thousands of students and their families. We are outraged to see Senators who failed to rise above political games, turning down talented individuals ready to contribute and help save our nation’s economy. And while we are particularly disgusted with the five Democratic Senators who blocked the DREAM Act, we cannot forget the gaggle of 41 Senators who voted to kill it. You are following in the footsteps of previous legislators who would see fit to deny a certain group of people their civil and human rights for your own political gain. You truly do represent the worst of American politics and NOT what Americans value. <br />For nearly a decade now, Padres & Jovenes Unidos and students nationwide have been organizing to pass the DREAM Act. Our youth have held many local actions and events throughout the years and we’ve seen thousands more across the country, all calling on Congress to step up and take action. This year, we were honored to witness historical events that mirrored the Civil Rights era – hunger strikes, sit-ins, and other acts of civil disobedience. We were inspired by the courageous Dreamers who risked deportation and even put their lives on the line under the banner, “Undocumented and Unafraid!” <br />We thank all the parents, community members, elected officials, religious leaders and ally media outlets, artists and celebrities who stood in solidarity with the Dreamers and helped our movement get this far. We thank all the Representatives and Senators who did the right thing and voted in support of the DREAM Act, especially our Colorado U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators for their leadership. <br />But most of all, we thank the youth for leading this fight. Your heart, energy and creative tactics allowed us to see a glimpse of where we must take our current movement for equality, because this fight is not just for the DREAM Act; we are fighting for dignity, respect, acknowledgement and justice. <br />Our message to the youth and all our allies in this fight is: We will not give up. Saturday we suffered a setback, but remember that we have been here before. And, just like then, we must get up and continue to fight back. We must be proud of what we accomplished and take advantage of how close we got this year. <br />Our message to the elected officials who chose to put the dreams of thousands of immigrant students on hold is the following: Next time, don’t forget that the majority of Americans support the DREAM Act and that you were elected to serve your constituents. You should know that we see right through your irrational and racist excuses, your cowardice and your hypocrisy. We know that for you this is NOT about upholding the values of one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. For you, it is the politics of fear and you wrap yourselves in the banner of false patriotism to justify your vote. Loud and proud we tell you that this is not the end. On the contrary, the fight for DREAM is stronger than ever before. That while the Dreamers are no longer afraid, you should be, because we will prevail. <br />To all our compañeros in the movement: let’s take a small break, spend the holidays with our loved ones, re-energize, reflect and renew our commitment to the struggle. 2011 will be no easier. This must be a year in which we hold many elected officials accountable for the promises they have yet to fulfill and the wrong choices they made that are hurting our communities. We must return refreshed and ready to build alliances with other working class and suffering sectors of our society who are our brothers and sisters in the movement for equality and justice for all!<br />¡LA LUCHA SIGUE…HASTA LA VICTORIA!Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461908114785436413.post-49901066024502135472010-11-30T15:16:00.001-07:002010-11-30T15:16:50.339-07:00Kyle Michael Huelsman's Speech from the DREAM Act Press Conference Monday, November 29th, 2010Today, thousands of allies across the country came together to make their voices heard. In their presence resonates a call for change, and like them, I see in our faces a demand for justice. No longer shall we sit idly by while our friends, family, and community members are pushed to the margins of society. Right now, on these steps, we ask of our nation to move forward in the direction of respect and equality. <br /><br />This morning in Boulder, a group of activist dropped a banner off an overpass that read: Dream act now. Together, undocumented and documented people stood in solidarity of a promise nearly a decade in the making. Hand in hand, we symbolized progress not just for the issue of immigrant rights, but also for that of human dignity. I stand here before you as a white, documented, university student that fights on the grounds of civil rights, because when one of us is in chains none of us are free. With my immense privilege comes a responsibility to speak with those people who are so often silenced. Right now, I can speak only to my opportunity. <br /><br />Throughout high school, one message never left my side; hard work and perseverance leads to success. Like many others, this is the narrative holds true to our vision of America. Equal opportunity prefaces the freedom that we all hold so true to our hearts. It is the story upon which America began and the story that leads us forward today. In the year 2010, this vision falls on deaf ears as 65,000 high school seniors are denied a chance of a better future. The brilliant, vibrant youth that this nations so desperately needs in our university system, are pushed out of the College tract and. What was for me the American Dream is for many undocumented students the American Nightmare.Jordan Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425291594040640362noreply@blogger.com1