Coalition To Attend National Immigration Summit

PRESS RELEASE
February 7, 2008

Contact:
Erik Sorensen, Communications, CAUSA (503) 488-0263
Aeryca Steinbauer, Coordinator, CAUSA (503) 984-6816

Oregon Immigrant Rights Coalition To Attend National Immigration Summit to Reshape the Debate

Immigration summit will strengthen relationships among allies and coordinate pro-immigrant campaign strategy for 2008 and beyond.

At the height of this critical election season, CAUSA and its allies are traveling to Washington, D.C. February 10-12, 2008 to take part in the second Fair Immigration Reform Movement Summit to launch of the “Building America Together” campaign that will revive the legislative momentum to fix America’s broken immigration system.

Nearly 100 immigrant rights organizations from 30 states, many from key presidential battleground states, are expected to participate in the first major gathering of the immigrant rights movement this year.

At the summit, participants will coordinate a pro-immigrant campaign strategy for the next two years that merges immigration reform with the national Campaign for Community Values that attempts to replace the “on your own” mentality with policies that promote the common good. A major component of this effort will be a massive national pledge campaign and petition drive that will demonstrate the continued support for immigration reform and challenge policymakers to refrain from pursuing policies that divide our communities.

“We are not backing down after the setback of 2007, and this time we are bringing our friends to build a bigger, broader coalition of allies to join our fight,” said Aeryca Steinbauer, Coordinator with CAUSA. “We want humane and just immigration reform this year – justice should not be put on hold for presidential politics. Too many immigrants who are a vital part of our American community are suffering and struggling right now because of Congress’ lack of action. We, as Americans who believe in social justice, need to keep the pressure on our elected officials to pass humane and just immigration reform now!”

The “Building America Together” campaign involves garnering broad political support as immigrant rights leaders meet with more than 50 leading progressive leaders while in Washington. Similar meetings will occur on the local and state level. Additionally, the campaign will challenge policy makers to refrain from scapegoating immigrants and find ways to solve our nation’s shared problems by generating hundreds of thousands of petition signatures.

CAUSA is Oregon’s statewide, grassroots immigrant rights coalition. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies.

Posted in: Comprehensive Immigration Reform,Immigration,Immigration Summit,pro-immigration