Call, Walk In For DREAMS

We all have DREAMS and ambitions that we strive for. Millions of teens in the United States are denied the opportunity and the right to pursue theirs.

They are Americans. All that they lack is one piece of paper to be recognized as such.

A paper that would allow them to pursue citizenship and a future here through going to college or serving in the military, the DREAM Act. Many of us do not agree with the military recruitment going on. Let your senator know you prefer a community service path

Tomorrow the Senate will vote on the DREAM ACT.
Call your senators over and over and tell them that you support a citizenship path for youth that includes college and community service options. Tell them you oppose the military service "option".

Tomorrow, Denver Public Schools has a day off. Students from all over the district will walk in to Auraria Campus to make a statement about how much they want the opportunity for an education and to contribute to our State and our Country.
Walk In with them.

Senators
# Call Senator Salazar: (202) 224-5852
# Call Senator Allard: (202) 224-5941
Email your Senators

WALK-IN: Make the DREAM Act a REALITY Now!
Wednesday, October 24 at 10am
Auraria Flagpole, Denver (Colfax and Speer)
Let's walk IN to the college campus and show others that we have the right to an education. We will then march to SENATOR KEN SALAZAR's office to demand that he be a cosponsor of the DREAM Act and make the DREAM Act a reality now!

DREAM Act and AgJobs CALL TODAY!

The Senate will vote TODAY on two amendments!
OPPOSE
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will offer the Border Security First Act of 2007 as an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 2638). This enforcement-only amendment would do nothing but add to the dysfunction of our system and the suffering of hard working immigrants. It must be OPPOSED!

SUPPORT
In response, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will offer a side-by-side amendment to the Graham amendment. This positive amendment would provide limited, targeted relief to deserving immigrant populations. However, we do not agree with increased militarization of the border as provided for in this amendment and must let our senators know so. SUPPORT!

Please CONTACT both as soon as possible
WAYNE ALLARD
(303) 220-7414
(202) 224-5941
allard.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

KEN SALAZAR
(866) 455-9866
(202) 224-5852
salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Please call ... the vote could happen soon.

YOU COULD SAY:
My name is_______. I live in ________. I OPPOSE the Graham amendment that would:

1. Take away localities freedom to choose to be a "sanctuary city" and remove our right to ban law enforcement from collecting immigration status by penalizing our cities
2. Increased detention beds
3. Expedite removal
4. Indefinite detention
5. Expand "criminal aliens" definitions: Subjecting visa overstayers to mandatory detention, raising serious cost and constitutional concerns;
6. More money to flood the border with patrol agents and more National Guard on the border
7. Increased penalties for minor visa overstays

I SUPPORT the Reid side-by-side amendment that would:

1. Include the DREAM Act.I your support the option for college as a path to citizenship and support adding a community service path. Leaving military service as the only other option furthers the poverty draft.
2. Include AgJOBS , ensuring legal status for workers and stable labor for farmers.
3. BUT OPPOSE any further militarization of the border as provided for in the amendment.

Call your Senators and then call your friends and tell them about this Urgent Action Alert! Encourage them to take action on these important amendments!

The Senate continues debate

The senate will vote on Friday for cloture, to close the debate and then vote on the bill. If you haven't called your senators yet, now would be a good time to do so. Wayne Allard has been voting against any humanitarian amendments and for every detention provision. Salazar has been doing the opposite. There are 12 million people in our communities who will either be negated or affirmed in the next few days. Let's affirm them by calling our senators and asking them to support these core principles.

• Provide a Path to Permanent Resident Status and Citizenship for All Members of Our Communities.
• Reunite Families and Reduce Immigration Backlogs.
• Create a Worker Program that Protects the Rights and Dignity of Workers.
• Ensure that All Law Enforcement Entities Respect Human Rights and Civil Liberties.
• Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Provide Clear Steps to Integrating Immigrants into All Facets of Community Life.
• Restore Fundamental Civil Rights.
• Protect the Rights of Refugees and Asylees.

Senate Stalls on Immigration

Yesterday the Senate process stalled. On Wednesday and Thursday I watched our nation's leaders dissolve into partisanship and hurt egos. Many senators complained about their amendment not yet being heard when there were still 14 amendments ahead of them. It's like whining that you can't get a drink and you're not being given a turn when there are 14 people in line ahead of you at the drinking fountain.

I appreciated Senate Majority Leader Harry Ried trying to rein it all in on both sides. His goal was to get both sides to discuss which amendments they felt were most important and narrow the over 300 amendments to 5 on each side. Then the Senate could have voted on those amendments and moved to a vote on the bill.

Many senators on the floor seemed to have lost a sense of urgency about the bill. They appeared to think more about elections and how to spin their votes on amendments and cloture than about the 67% of Americans (75% of whom are Republicans p2) who agree with the need for comprehensive reform which includes a path to legalization for the undocumented. Nor were they considering business' need for labor, laborers' need for a level playing field, and the immigrants themselves.

Both parties appear to be confused and divided on the issue of immigration because the issue requires examination of racism and the history of oppression in this country, market forces, labor rights, family values, religious beliefs about the humanity of all persons, national security issues linked with fear and democracy.

The compromise bill attempted to address all these issues. Compromise doesn't make anyone fully satisfied. There were parts of this bill which I believed to be terrible, but I harbored hope. However, the spectacle of Thursday revealed that even some of the negotiators decided ideology trumps reality, constituents and country. Narrow ideologies will not give birth to a solution for those here without documentation and for our communities.

One day we'll have whole communities and families. One day we'll all work with the same rights and ability to bargain with our employers. One day all will be able to express individual culture without fear. One day everyone will be valued equally while being recognized fully for who they are and all parts of their identity.

That day was not today. So the work continues to speak out at every opportunity and to listen and to learn more and to march and to write and to offer sanctuary and friendship and receive those back.

That day was not today. But we are not where we were years ago. The movement is stronger and so is each member. We can support each other and the wisdom and growth of the movement will carry us all forward.

That day was not today. So as allies, we must come together and be ready. Ready for new tasks and new forms of support. We can work to connect and make new alliances and continue to grow and make our own work better and more accountable to those we are standing with.