Community Organizations Energized by President Obama's Call for Immigration Reform this Year

For Immediate Release
April 9, 2009

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director, 503.984.6816
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director, 503.488.0263

Community Organizations Energized by President Obama's Call for Immigration Reform this Year
Statement by Francisco Lopez, Executive Director of CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition
Salem, Ore.-Today's news on the front page of the New York Times that President Obama will move on immigration reform this year has community organizations across the country ramping up to achieve a just and humane immigration solution. Story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html?ref=global-home

"We endorse President Obama's call for immigration reform and admire his courage to fight for something we all know must get done. This is the kind of bold and visionary action we expect from our political leaders. Climbing our way out of this economic crisis means forward thinking policies that include fixing a broken immigration system that has created a servant class in our midst. America's economy cannot recover if we allow 12 million immigrants to continue to live and work in the margins of our society.

Obstructionist will throw everything at this Administration's attempts to create a society which recognizes the inherent value and worth in us all. For too long we have shrunk in the face of key decisions that must be made to get our country back on track. We will not allow this to happen.

We've seen first hand the pain of immigrant families ripped apart by unjust raids. Our communities and our nation have suffered long enough."

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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.

CAUSA is a member of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a coalition of grassroots community organizations nationwide, including statewide immigrant rights coalitions, organizing networks, faith-based groups, and low-income and other networks organized around ethnicity or national origin, working on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform and immigrant rights. FIRM is convened by the Center for Community Change.

Posted in: Comprehensive Immigration Reform,Fair and Just Immigration Reform,Human Dignity,Human Rights,Obama Administration,President Barack Obama,Undocumented Immigrants