CAUSA Applauds Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill introduced in U.S. Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2010

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

CAUSA Applauds Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill introduced in U.S. Senate

Oregon Senators Should Work To Improve, Pass Reform Legislation

Salem, Ore. -- Last night, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the United States Senate.

CAUSA commends Senators Menendez and Leahy for their strong leadership and we look forward to working with them and others to pass this legislation. The proposal contains many common sense solutions to our nation's broken immigration system including the DREAM Act and AgJOBS--two provisions critical to true comprehensive reform.

Senators Menendez's and Leahy's legislation, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 (S. 3932), is a tough, fair, and practical solution that will:

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Hispanic Affairs Commission calls for end to Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE

Hispanic Affairs Commission calls for end to Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE

Portland, Ore. -- The Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (OCHA) has sent a letter to Chair Jeff Cogan of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners expressing concerns over the Multnomah Co. Sheriff's Office’s participation in the "Secure Communities" Program. This voluntary collaboration, they say, “has diminished trust in law enforcement and other County services”, and has “degraded public safety”.

The “Secure Communities” program allows state and local police to check the fingerprints of an individual they are booking into a jail against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration databases. If there is a “hit” in an immigration database, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified, even if the person has not been convicted of any criminal act.

The critical problem with this program is that immigrant communities that know or believe police are involved with ICE are less likely to go to police for assistance. Crimes go unreported and victims go unprotected when entire communities fear the police. Even legal immigrants fear cooperating with or seeking help from law enforcement if they fear they could somehow be placed into removal proceedings, or if they have family members who are undocumented.

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Healthcare Advocates Commit to Helping Oregon's Uninsured Latino Families

Healthcare Advocates Commit to Helping Oregon's Uninsured Latino Families

Portland, Ore.-- Last night, CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, and the Oregon Latino Health Coalition (OLHC) hosted a Latino Health Policy Assembly at the First Unitarian Church in Downtown Portland. The purpose of the assembly was to bring together policy makers, healthcare advocates and legislators to discuss strategies to deal with uninsured Latino Families in Oregon. Over 100 people attended.
Included in the issues discussed was potential legislation and administrative remedies that would:

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Latino Health Policy Assembly to be held in Portland Tonight

MEDIA ADVISORY
September 23, 2010

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

Latino Health Policy Assembly to be held in Portland Tonight

Portland, Ore.--Tonight, CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, and the Oregon Latino Health Coalition (OLHC) will host a Latino Health Policy Assembly in Downtown Portland.

The purpose of this assembly is to bring together policy makers, healthcare advocates and legislators to discuss and raise awareness for legislation and/or administrative remedies that would:

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Obstructionists halt progress for America's Immigrant Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2010

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

Obstructionists halt progress for America's Immigrant Youth

Bill containing DREAM Act Amendment stalls in the U.S. Senate

Salem, Ore.--Today, a vote was taken in the U.S. Senate on the "Motion to Proceed" with debate on the Defense Authorization Bill. The bill includes an amendment (DREAM Act)  that would ensure undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. as children have the chance to apply for legal status, provided they graduate from high school or obtain a GED and complete two years of college or military service. The "Motion to Proceed" failed to make the required 60 votes. (56 voted in favor and 43 voted opposed.)

Today's vote exposes the cynical, united partisan nature of the Republican Party -- willing to block progress on a bill not only vital to our national security, but provides a vehicle for other important measures like the DREAM Act. There is no doubt where Republicans stand on the future of promising immigrant youth and immigration reform. Their messages of "need not apply" and "you're not welcome" to Latinos and other immigrants was loud and clear.

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Take action for the DREAM Act Today

Today, the Senate will hold the first vote on the DREAM Act  (S. 729) . This vote will decide whether the legislation will move forward as an attachment on the Department of Defense reauthorization bill.  The vote is expected today at 2:00pm EST.

Our movement has been hard at work putting calls into Senate offices.  We need to continue our work to ensure that undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. as children have the chance to apply for legal status, provided they graduate from high school or obtain a GED and complete two years of college or military service.

Please call Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and ask them to Vote "YES" on the DREAM Act  (S. 729) when it come up as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill.  You can reach their offices by calling 202-224-5244 (Wyden) and 202-224-3753 (Merkley).

If you are in another state, please call 866-996-5161 (Spanish 866-961-4293) to be connected with your Senator.

                  Youth activists Miami Beach, Florida got creative with their activism.
                                Originally posted at Reform Immigration for America

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CAUSA to join with UNIVISION Portland to help in the effort to end breast cancer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2010

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

CAUSA to join with UNIVISION Portland to help in the effort to end breast cancer

Portland, Ore.—CAUSA, Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Coalition, has formed a team and will join with KUNP-TV UNIVISION Portland to take part in the 2010 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday in Portland.

The Komen Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

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Senator Menendez, Congresswoman Velasquez discuss the DREAM Act

This video was taken yesterday at the Relief, Reform, Respect for our Families: An Immigration Forum at the Luthern Church of the Reformation. A delegation from CAUSA joined with 700 faith, civil rights and immigrant leaders from 25 states across the nation to discuss a moving forward on immigration reform.

This is a video of Senator Menendez and Congresswoman Velasquez discussing the DREAM Act during the event.


(ht to the Reform Immigration for America campaign for letting us know about it and Andrea Nill at ThinkProgress who took the video)

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CAUSA to join with Faith, Civil Rights and Immigrant Leaders to Introduce Way Forward for Immigration Reform

MEDIA ADVISORY
September 14, 2010

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

CAUSA to join with Faith, Civil Rights and Immigrant Leaders to Introduce Way Forward for Immigration Reform

Salem, Ore.—Tomorrow, a delegation from Oregon will be in Washington D.C. to participate in the Relief, Reform, Respect for our Families: An Immigration Forum. They will join with more than 500 faith, civil rights and immigrant leaders from 23 states across the nation to discuss a moving forward on immigration reform. Following the forum, participants will visit the offices of legislators.

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VIDEO: Do I Look Illegal?

This PSA was produced in response the Arizona's SB 1070, which makes Latinos suspect in their own communities and potential victims of racial profiling. Produced by EKG Films in association with Afro Taino Productions. To join NCLR's Boycott Intolerance campaign against SB 1070, text BOYCOTT to 62571.


Me veo ilegal?

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Children's March & Rally at the Oregon State Capitol to Highlight Need for Immigration Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2010

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

Children's March & Rally at the Oregon State Capitol to highlight Need for Immigration Reform

Salem, Ore.-- Over the last couple 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."

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Reports Show Immigrants Boost the Economy

Originally posted at the Reform Immigration For America

Driving home our point: Immigrants boost the economy

We’ve been saying for months that immigration is an overall net-positive for our recovering economy. With unemployment at a scary high and our economy still limping slowly towards recovery, many have repeated history by scapegoating immigrants as “taking our jobs” and have pointed fingers at the undocumented immigrant population as somehow responsible for the current economic climate.

These same finger-pointers are those yelling ‘amnesty’ loudly at the top of their lungs and arguing against comprehensive immigration reform.

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