NDLON Reacts to President’s Comments on Immigration Reform to Law Enforcement

NDLON Reacts to President’s Comments on Immigration Reform to Law Enforcement

Today, President Obama met with representatives from several major national law enforcement agencies, commenting on the possibility of Congressional action on immigration reform and blaming House Republicans for lack of action. His full remarks are available below. In response, NDLON Executive Director Pablo Alvarado issued the following statement:

“The President’s remarks on immigration today are more of an indictment of his own policies than of Congress’s failure to allow a vote. President Obama’s policies, not Republicans in Congress, have led to the Arizonification of the country. It borders on becoming a political crime for President Obama to decry the very status quo he created. While there is unity among immigrant rights advocates on the need for Speaker Boehner to allow a vote, there is equal consensus that the President should end his failed experiment to use police and sheriffs as so-called ‘force multipliers’ for immigration enforcement. That policy has been a catastrophe. Particularly if statutory immigration reform were to be signed into law this year, there would be heightened need for President Obama to end Se Communities and programs like it in order to ensure immigrants have safe passage on the metaphorical road to citizenship contemplated in the Senate proposal. In related news, Santa Cruz, California is the latest local jurisdiction to rebel against President Obama’s signature deportation program.”

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS CALL ON CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO ADVANCE IMMIGRATION REFORM AND POVERTY ISSUES

MALDEF

 

 

 

Immigration reform can and should aim to reduce poverty and boost nation’s economic strength.

LOS ANGELES – Civil and immigrant rights leaders from the Latino and African-American communities today urged Congress and the Administration to remain focused on the passage of immigration reform and anti-poverty measures. They emphasized that while Congress continues to focus on important foreign policy and its work to avert a government shutdown, lawmakers must not use that as an excuse to push comprehensive immigration reform and anti-poverty measures off the agenda.

Despite other issues on the Congressional agenda, today’s press conference attendees stressed that Congress must understand that an overhaul in immigration policy is critical for our national and economic security. Currently, it is estimated that 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States. 
 

With Immigration Bill Headed to House, President Can Take Clear Steps to Advance Reform and Relieve Suffering for Immigrants: Suspend Deportations

 
 
 
Los Angeles – In response to the Senate vote on immigration reform, Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network released the following statement:
 
“We are deeply disappointed with the unnecessary concessions made by Senate Democrats that have bent to the fears of xenophobes and weakened the reform that so many have struggled for. If undocumented day laborers can stand up to a Sheriff like Arpaio, the leaders in the beltway should be able to find at least a fraction of that same courage.

NDLON Calls for Improvements to Senate Bill

In response to the cloture vote on the Corker-Hoeven amendment, Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, issued the following statement:
 
“The equality of eventual citizens is not something to be bought and sold in exchange for Republican votes, and that’s exactly what Senate Democrats have done with the Corker amendment.   At this early stage, lawmakers should be focused on getting the best bill possible from the perspective of those who got them elected, not by sweetening the deal for our nativist opponents.   We only need 60 votes in the Senate to move this process forward and to galvanize our community.  

Feinstein Amendment Makes CIR Bill Worse, Puts Both Rights and Safety in Jeopardy

Additional Funding for SCAAP Program Incentivizes Dangerous Police/ICE Collaboration 05.09.2013 – Washington, DCIn response to Senate Judiciary Committee passage of the Feinstein 1 amendment, Chris Newman, Legal Director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement: Senator Feinstein made the immigration bill worse today, putting both rights and safety in jeopardy.   The Feinstein 1 amendment…

Distance Between Beltway and Reality Evident On First Day of Immigration Reform Mark-Up

Progress to Deliver On Mandate for Equality Will Be Measured by Actions, Not Words 05.09.2013 – Washington, DC Responding to the Senate Judiciary Committee first hearing to mark-up amendments for the “Gang of 8” immigration reform proposal, Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement: “There is an…

Bring End to Us vs Them by Suspending Deportations, Ensuring Inclusion of All 11 Million in Reform

  ***Media Availability in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, DC & Other Media Markets Upon Request     NDLON Reacts to President Obama’s Speech on Immigration Reform   01.29.2013 – Las Vegas, NV In response to the President’s Speech on Immigration Reform, Pablo Alvarado, Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement:…

President Must Begin Immigration Reform Debate with Suspension of Deportations

In anticipation of the President’s speech on immigration reform today, Pablo Alvarado, Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, issued the following statement:   “While we hope the President makes the case for political equality today, promises and mere words are no longer satisfactory.  To ensure a productive debate in Congress, deportations must be…