Children's March and Rally for Immigration Reform this Saturday in Salem

MEDIA ADVISORY
October 6, 2010

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

Children's March and Rally for Immigration Reform this Saturday in Salem

Salem, Ore.--Over the last several months, immigration restrictionists and right-wing politicians in Congress have been calling for a change in the 14th Amendment eliminating citizenship to babies born on United States soil. Instead of promoting immigration reform that would overhaul a severely flawed and broken system, they see it politically opportune to deny citizenship and promote deportation of infants and children.

The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. That no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

This is just one of the latest stunts being promoted by extremists to avoid dealing with an important national issue that needs a federal response. Much like passage of Arizona's Racial Profiling Law SB1070, the build-up of troops on the U.S.-Mexico border and the variety of failed enforcement-only policies promoted by the far-right, these wrong headed and misguided schemes are just dividing families and delaying the benefit real reform would bring to our country.

Last week, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the United States Senate. The legislation, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 (S. 3932), is a tough, fair, and practical solution that will deal with our nation's broken immigration system. There is now immigration reform legislation is both houses of U.S. Congress.

This Saturday, we will gather for a Children's March & Rally for Immigration Reform at the Oregon State Capitol where children will call on Federal and State Legislators to:

· Respect the 14th Amendment. Do not take away our children's citizenship.

· Stop dividing families

· Keep racial profiling laws like SB1070 out of Oregon

· Stop local law enforcement from doing the job of ICE. Our State Police, County Sheriff and City Police belong to our communities, not the federal government.

· Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform NOW!

Children's March & Rally for Immigration Reform
October 9, 2010 12:00 noon
Oregon State Capitol Front Steps
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Oregon 97301

For more information and media inquiries, please contact Erik Sorensen, CAUSA's Communications Director at 503-488-0263 or at erik@causaoregon.org




###

CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, is a member of the Reform Immigration FOR America coalition and is the largest Latino and Latina civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit www.causaoregon.org

Posted in: 14th Amendment,Comprehensive Immigration Reform,Events,march,Media Advisory,rally