Has Border Patrol ever stopped you on the street to "ask for your
papers"?
Are you tired of feeling afraid in your own community?
Has ICE abused your family?
The Alliance for Immigrants Rights (AIR) and the St. Gabriel Hispanic
Social Justice and Immigrants Rights Committee are working together to
help stop these abuses and make sure that law enforcement treats our
community with dignity and respect. Please join us for a press
conference to announce the beginning of the "Freedom From Fear in our
Neighborhood" campaign. Speakers will include community members
organizing to stop racial profiling and abuse by law enforcement, and
Father Jaime Hinojos. Please join the rally to show your support for
immigrants rights.
Too often, it feels like decisions that affect our lives are being made far away, by people we don't even know.
No one is listening to our side of the story.
Let's fix that.
The legislature needs to hear loud and clear from the immigrants rights community about what WE care about.
On April 13th, immigrants rights supporters from all across Michigan will descend on the Capitol. We'll meet with as many of our legislators as we can. We'll make sure the Governor listens to us.
There's too much at stake to be silent.
If you're interested in going, please mark your calendar and sign up.
If you can, please put in to take time off from work or school.
Details about transportation, times and locations, and what materials will be available for advocacy are still being worked out, so stay tuned!
____________________________________________
Saturday, Feb 5th:
Immigrants Know-Your-Rights Meeting
Conozca-Sus-Derechos para Inmigrantes
DATE:
Saturday, February 5th,
FECHA:
Sábado, 5 de Febrero,
TIME/HORA:
12:30 PM
PLACE:
1st Latin American Baptist Church
6205 West Fort Street, Detroit
LUGAR:
1ra Iglesia Bautista Latinoamericana
6205 West Fort Street, Detroit
English/Spanish Interpretation and Resources Provided
Biblioteca Pública Campbell
8733 W. Highway Vernor
Suroeste de Detroit
Five Democrats voted against DREAM—
Call them and say, "I'm an immigrants rights' VOTER- a part of growing electoral base. And we WILL always remember that YOUvoted NO for DREAM, Senator."
Three Republicans crossed party lines to vote for DREAM:
Call them and say, "Thank YOU for voting the right way for the DREAM Act. Thank you!"
Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, 202-224-4814
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665
Utah Sen. Bob Bennett 202-224-5444
DREAM Act Watch Party!
Come watch the Senate DREAM cloture vote with us at Cafe Con Lech
Saturday, December 18
9 AM
4200 W Vernor Highway
Detroit
JOIN A PHONEBANK FOR THE DREAM ACT THIS WEEK: CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND ONE OF THE PHONEBANKS BELOW:
ANN ARBOR IROC
Wed Dec 15th
9 -11 a.m.
Michigan Union Opera Lounge, 1st Floor
University of Michigan
Mary: 503-803-7280
GRAND RAPIDS Michigan Organizing Project and Bethany Christian Services
Wed Dec 15th
12 - 1 p.m.
Conference Center
901 Eastern Ave, Grand Rapids
Jordan: 616-454-8122, jordan.bruxvoort@gmail.com
SOUTHFIELD
Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote:
Wednesday, December 15
5 - 8 p.m.
Philippine American Community Center of Michigan
17356 Northland Park Court, Southfield
We'll be calling supporters represented by senators that could make the critical difference, urging them to take action!
DEARBORN Alliance for Immigrants Rights - MI (AIR)
Wed-Fri, Dec 17th
9-6pm
2651 Saulino Court, Dearborn MI
Can't attend a physical phonebank? We can email you a call list you can do from home.
Email ryan@
michiganimmigrationreform.org if you need lists.
DEARBORN ACCESS Acts Youth
Thursday, Dec 16th
3:30 - 6:30 PM National Outreach Department
2651 Saulino Court, Dearborn MI
Rachid: relabed@accesscommunity.org
Can you pass out DREAM "Call Your Senator NOW" fliers out at your house of worship or event?
If you can, email info@michiganimmigrationreform.org
Economic Benefits of DREAM, Economic Pitfall of SB 1070:"
Nov 23, 2010 Press briefing with One Michigan DREAMers, the American-Arab Chamber of Commerce MI, MSU Julian Samora Research Center; and the authors of two recently released reports (links below): UCLA Professor Raul Hinojosa and Marshall Fitz with the Center for American Progress.
RECENTLY RELEASED REPORTS:
The Economic Benefit of DREAM and the Economic Disaster of SB 1070:
There are Twitter & Facebook petitions up targeting swing votes; Facebook petitions have generated over 1,400 wall posts so far. Many of these Reps don’t have offices anymore and can’t take calls.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed to our Get Out The Vote efforts, and reflect on what happened in Michigan and across the country in Election Day.
First, to our volunteers-- thank you. On Election Day, more than 60 volunteers from across Michigan stepped forward to knock on doors, make phone calls, and monitor for civil rights violations at the polls. Volunteers were working in Detroit, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Macomb County, and Grand Rapids.
Students, auto workers, professors, people of faith, public officials, immigrants, native-born Americans, Latinos, Arab-Americans, Asians, African-Americans all stood up together to show our community's power at the polls, to demand real immigration reform at the ballot box.
I was inspired by the stories of a few of our volunteers-- one student was making phone calls because she needed leaders who would support the DREAM Act. Another volunteer came because her husband had been deported, and she wanted to make sure no other family had to go through what her family had faced.
Many volunteers could not themselves vote, and needed the citizens in the community to raise their voices on their behalf.
On Election Day alone, we made thousands of phone calls, and knocked on more than 500 doors.
Our election protection staff made sure that voters who spoke Spanish or Arabic or were able to cast their ballots, and that voters were allowed to cast ballots even if they didn't have photo ID.
I'm very proud of all the work we've done together, and how it will allow us to advocate more forcefully for the justice our communities deserve.
We find ourselves in a very different political landscape. Notorious anti-immigrants representatives Steve King and Lamar Smith will be the chairs of the House immigration and judiciary committees. Be prepared for race-baiting "investigations" and attacks on immigrants from the House.
In the Senate, pro-immigrant candidates fared better. Supporters of CIR, Harry Reid in Nevada, Barbara Boxer in California, and Michael Bennet in Colorado all pulled out wins against strident anti-immigrant candidates.
Make no mistake: this election was mostly about the economy. However, in races where immigration was a major issue, the pro-immigrant candidate prevailed. This demonstrates the rising power of the immigrant vote, and the importance of the work we've all done together.
Here in Michigan, we face an uncertain future for the next two years. Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and the Governorship. Though the chairmanships in the House have yet to be decided, and Governor-elect Snyder's priorities have yet to be set, it's safe to say that we will be facing a much more hostile state legislature.
We must turn our attention to Lansing, and be ready for anti-immigrant bills that could easily make it through the legislature. We no longer have a friendly Speaker of the House to deny these bills floor-time, a progressive chair of judiciary, nor a friendly Governor who could be counted on to veto the most egregious bills. It is more important that ever that we become engaged in Michigan politics, and make it clear that attempts to scapegoat immigrants for Michigan's economic problems will simply not pass muster.
But it won't be easy. It will be very, very hard. It will require us to redouble the incredible efforts we've made so far.
So take a little time to rest, and get ready for what's next.
Voters Information Center:
See a sample ballot, apply for an absentee ballot or find your polling location
ICE Out of Control:
Immigration Agents Surround Local School, Trap
Parents
On
Thursday, March 31st, parents were followed from their homes to the
Hope of Detroit Academy and trapped with a toddler inside while half a dozen
ICE vehicles surrounded the building. At least two parents were arrested following
random, warrantless stops outside the school.
ICE’s
own policies explicitly prohibit these type of intimidation tactics near
schools and places of worship, except in extreme circumstances and with prior
authorization from headquarters.
Radical legislators all across the country are attacking a cornerstone of our Constitution and Civil Rights law-- the 14th Amendment.
They're trying to overturn this critical Constitutional protection to deny children born to immigrant parents, particularly the undocumented, the right to US Citizenship.
This is a broad attack against immigrant communities and their children.
Most alarming, as they advance their hateful campaign against immigrants, these politicians are targeting *kids*.
We know that our Constitution should protect diversity and work for inclusion, not divide us against each other.
But here in Michigan, a group of legislators has introduced a resolution -encouraging- Congress to join the attack against our Constitution and immigrant children.
We know this resolution doesn't represent our state-- take action today and let the legislature know that Michigan believes in civil rights for all.
In his first major speech to the state of Michigan, Governor Snyder announced that he wants to encourage immigrants to come to Michigan, especially the highly-educated. He thinks it will help the economy and create jobs. We're excited to see Governor Snyder acknowledge the positive impact of immigrants in Michigan. We also know that Michigan's immigrants are contributing to our state whether they are "highly educated" or not.
But the big question is: what will the Governor do?
What do you think he should do?
We know that the politicians in Lansing don't have all the answers, so we want to make sure that they hear from *you*.Fill out the form here, and let us know what you would like to see the Governor do to make Michigan a "pro-immigrant" state.
The Alliance for Immigrants Rights will deliver all your answers to the Governor at a rally in Lansing.
Together, we can make sure Michigan treats all our immigrant communities justly and fairly.
_______________
_________________________________________________
UPDATE: Sulejman Sefa's mother, Ahmedijie, and his brother, Sherif, have been granted visas by US Citizenship and Immigration thanks to your action. Great work!
Michigan immigrant Sulejman Sefa is from Albania. During his twenty years in the United States, he earned his citizenship, paid his taxes, and started a family. Working as a handyman at an apartment complex, he built a life in West Bloomfield with his wife Aferditia, and their children Eduardo and Suela.
Tragically, Sulejman recently developed terminal brain cancer. His doctors give him only a few weeks or months to live. He spends his days in Beaumont Hospital, barely able to sit up.
Sulejman's wife Aferdita has been fighting with immigration for two months to grant his last request: a visit from his mother and two of his brothers now in Albania.
They've been given excuse after excuse while fighting insulting bureaucrats and senseless regulations.
They have letters from their doctors, Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Gary Peters-- still this isn't enough for immigration.
With time running short, the Sefa family needs your help.
This morning, the Senate failed by 5 votes to reach the 60 needed for passage of the DREAM Act.
This failure of the Senate today elevates the politics of fear and hatred above the honest dreams of our nation's youth.
But we aren't going to stop marching. We aren't going to stop voting. We aren't going to stop organizing our friends and neighbors.
We aren't going to stop fighting until our communities have the justice they deserve.
In Detroit, a few dozen Dreamers and supporters watched the vote together. Afterward, everyone shared what they were proud of, and what they were feeling.
Most people said that they were proud of each other.
It is this enduring spirit of love and solidarity that will move us forward and will grow our movement.
In the end, it is why we will win.
That's why I'm coming to the next AIR meeting. I hope you'll be there too.
-Ryan, Sally, Jonathan, and the AIR Team
PS: Please click here to send an email thanking Senator Stabenow for voting yes. We needed her support, and she was there for us.
VOTE WILL BE THIS SATURDAY MORNING! WE NEED CALLS, CALLS AND MORE CALLS TO THESE SENATORS!
Call this rotating target list of Senators:
English: 866-587-6101
Spanish: 866-956-3902
"I'm calling to urge the Senator to vote YES for the DREAM Act. Thank you."
Thank Michigan House Representatives who stood with us and voted YES for the DREAM Act.
CALL SCRIPT:
"Representative _____, thank you for voting for DREAM. You did the right thing for Michigan; we hope we can count on you to vote YES again for immigration reform in the future."
YES HOUSE VOTES
Gary Peters
Troy: 248-273-4227
DC: 202-225-580
Vern Ehlers: Grand Rapids:(616) 451-8383
John Dingell:
Detroit: (313) 278-2936
D.C. (202) 225-4071
Congress is coming back to Washington D.C. this Tuesday evening and may vote on the DREAM Act this week. DREAM supporters are holding a national day of action on Tuesday, demanding passage of the DREAM Act. Organized by One Michigan and Alliance for Immigrants' Rights -MI.
EN: Western International High School & Clark Park
El Congreso regresa a Washington D.C otra vez el Martes y puede votar por el DREAM ACT esta semana. Los que quiere apoyar el DREAM ACT están participando en un dÃa de acción
en todo el paÃs el martes, exigente para el DREAM ACT para pasar.
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