Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez speaks to a crowd of 800 in Woodburn

Woodburn, Ore. -- On Monday evening, Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez spoke to an energetic crowd of over 800 people during a town hall at Woodburn High School. Gutierrez was in Oregon as part of his national tour to spotlight the toll that almost 400,000 deportations annually are taking on American children and families. Since March, the Campaign for American Children & Families tour has taken the Congressman to 24 cities around the U.S..

Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois’ 4th District, has been a strong advocate for immigrant families and has worked tirelessly for passage of comprehensive immigration reform, legalization and The DREAM Act. This is the first time in Oregon history that a national leader on immigration reform has visited the state.

During the evening, Gutierrez listened to testimony and stories from Oregonians whose lives have been turned upside down by deportation. The testimony evoked much emotion both from the Congressman and from others in attendance.

As the Illinois Representative addressed the crowd, he pointed out that more immigrants are being deported by President Obama than under George W. Bush or any President since Eisenhower. In recent weeks, the Obama Administration has stepped up its attention to immigration reform by calling on Congress to pass legislation. Meanwhile, the Governors of Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts have moved to withdraw their states from the Obama Administration's signature deportation program, "Secure Communities," while Alabama and Georgia have joined Arizona in passing sweeping new state anti-immigrant measures.

New guidelines issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week go part of the way in addressing the concerns of immigrant communities, but more concrete and direct action by the President is needed. Specifically, under current law, the President can stop deporting DREAM Act students and the spouses and parents of U.S. citizens and can also adjust immigration policies so that spouses and children of U.S. citizen are not required to spend a decade or more in a foreign country waiting for permission to be reunited. Clarification for states and localities on the process to opt out of the "Secure Communities" program is still needed because the program jeopardizes public safety.

Gutierrez says that he is getting the message that Latino voters are looking ahead to 2012, and they're not happy with what they have seen so far from the White House. They're saying, “We want the President of the United States to keep his word. We're disillusioned, we're disgruntled, and we’re saddened.” But almost in the same breath, they say, “But we're ready to make up! We're ready to reconcile. We really want to be with him. We just hope he can be our champion."

Among those attending the Town Hall with Congressman Gutierrez included elected officials, several Oregon State government officials and leaders from Oregon’s business, faith, labor, healthcare advocacy, legal, education, LGBT, immigrant rights and civil rights community.

The gathering in Woodburn was sponsored by CAUSA Oregon, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Latinos Unidos Siempre, Mano a Mano Family Center, Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality, Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas, and Voz Hispana Causa Chavista.

Photos: Slideshow 1 | Slideshow 2

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Immigration Reform Champion Visits OR

June 27, 2011
Chris Thomas, Public News Service - OR
Audio: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/mp3.php?f=rss-20781-1.mp3

WOODBURN, Ore. - Advocates for immigrants' rights in Oregon have had some setbacks in this year's legislature, but a U.S. Congressman is advising them to look at the bigger, national picture. Rep. Luis Gutierrez is in Woodburn today for a community meeting with immigrant families. The Illinois Democrat has championed comprehensive immigration reform.

On a cross-country tour that began this spring, Gutierrez says he's getting the message that Latino voters are looking ahead to 2012, and they're not happy with what they have seen so far from the White House.

"They're saying, 'We want the President of the United States to keep his word. We're disillusioned, we're disgruntled, we're saddened.' But almost in the same breath, they say, 'But we're ready to make up! We're ready to reconcile.' We really want to be with him. We just hope he can be our champion."

Opponents of comprehensive immigration reform see it as a form of amnesty. Gutierrez also supports the DREAM Act to allow children of immigrants to attend college in the U.S. if they were raised here. A similar bill at the state level, allowing children of Oregon immigrants to pay in-state tuition, was held in committee.

Gutierrez believes Oregon's restrictive driver's license law and law enforcement crackdowns on immigrants in some communities are having a chilling effect on families and employers.

"It's important that America understands that it's about people's lives - Washington state and Oregon both depend on immigrant labor - and that the immigrant community is working and contributing to the economy, and they're vital to the economy. Their voices should be heard."

This month, Homeland Security officials issued new guidelines for the "Secure Communities" program, in which local law enforcement shares information with federal immigration agents. They say the changes will prevent deporting people who do not have criminal records. Still, Gutierrez says some states have decided not to participate.

"These are friends and allies in states that elected this president. Yet, all of these friends are saying, 'This isn't working, because it's turning our police departments into immigration agents, and thereby dividing the community from the very population they're there to serve and protect."

Eight counties in Oregon participate in Secure Communities, and four of them have joined since April.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight at Woodburn High School, 1785 N. Front St., Woodburn.

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F20781-1

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CAUSA to hold legislative briefing on 2011 Latino Agenda at Oregon State Capitol

MEDIA ADVISORY
February 5, 2011

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

CAUSA to hold legislative briefing on 2011 Latino Agenda at Oregon State Capitol

Salem, Ore.--On Tuesday, February 15th, members of CAUSA, Oregon's Latino Immigrant Rights Coalition, will present their 2011 Latino Legislative Agenda in a briefing at the Oregon State Capitol. Those attending the briefing will include members of the Oregon State Legislature, coalition partners and leaders from the community.

Legislative Briefing: Presentation of CAUSA Oregon Latino Agenda 2011
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Time: 11:30 a.m
Location:
Oregon State Capitol
900 Court Street NE, Room 50
Salem, Oregon

Issues to be discussed at the February 15th legislative briefing include affordable housing, education, public safety, health, and jobs and the economy.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Erik Sorensen at 503-488-0263 503-488-0263 or at erik@causaoregon.org

###
CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition 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

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PHOTOS: Dr. Goldberg honored for advocating prenatal care for Latinas and health services for Latino Children

Salem, Ore--Last night, 100 people including CAUSA, the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas, and residents of Colonia Libertad Farmworker Housing held a dinner and award ceremony in honor of Dr. Bruce Goldberg, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services and Director-Designee Oregon Health Authority.

Dr. Goldberg was honored for his leadership in supporting and advocating for prenatal care services for Latinas and health services for our Latino Children in Oregon. More than fifty percent of Latinos in Oregon are uninsured.

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MUSIC VIDEO: May Day 2010

On May 1st, in commemoration of International Workers' Day, over 600 students and their supporters made a 2.5 mile march from Downtown Salem to the Oregon State Fairgrounds. They chanted and carried signs calling for passage of the DREAM Act, Comprehensive Immigration Reform and for repeal of Arizona's new racial profiling law. It was estimated that 2000 people participated in the May Day March, Rally and Celebration in Salem.

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Op-Ed: Two Years and Four Thousand Arrests Later

Two Years and Four Thousand Arrests Later: Del Monte and the ICERaids, An Update

by Stephen Manning, Sarah Loose, Alice Perry

A few hours after dawn, several white unmarked vans departed from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in downtown Portland. Workers, most of who lived in North Portland, had left their homes earlier to arrive at the Fresh Del Monte food processing factory, donning their safety clothes and gear to begin another workday cutting and packaging fruit. By 10:30am, agents had spilled from the unmarked vans and surrounded the factory. It was June 12, 2007. The most ferocious immigration raid in Oregon and, at that time, in the United States was underway. By late afternoon, 168 individuals had been arrested.

Since then, ICE has arrested some 4,345 individuals in large scale raids. As the Portland community dealt with the raid and in communities across the country reacted, we learned many things about ICE, about immigration, about ourselves and, most importantly, about our communities.

First, we learned that the whole theory behind ICE’s large scale raid tactics was illegal. ICE’s mantra was that immigrants are criminals. A few months ago, in a case called Flores-Figueroa v. United States, the Supreme Court rejected that theory in a unanimous decision.

Second, we learned that raids like Del Monte have negative impacts beyond just the individuals detained. In Portland, teachers struggled to explain to children why their classmates had suddenly disappeared, even as many children including citizen children expressed fears that they too would be taken away. Massive amounts of energy and money went into dealing with raid’s aftermath. Two years later, the emotional and financial costs to the Portland area are still undetermined. Children are still separated from their parents. Faith communities struggle to provide support to detained immigrants who are still awaiting resolution of the immigration court cases. It became clear that when the due process rights of our legal system are ignored in the context of a raid, we all suffer.

For example, in Postville, Iowa, the scene of another massive raid a year ago, the entire town is at the point of going bankrupt. There is an eerie abandoned quality to the town from the schools to the shuttered businesses. The town shrank by half. "It's like you're in an oven and there's no place to go and there's no timer to get you out," said former Postville-Mayor Robert Penrod, who, overwhelmed, resigned earlier this year.

Third, we learned that enforcement only – deportation – will solve nothing and is a waste of time and money. In Postville, the initial price tag for the raid was more than $5.2 million in government costs. In Portland, we are still assessing the financial costs of the Del Monte raid. The economic impact locally has been substantial. Nationally, the number of people detained annually is triple what it was just ten years ago, with an annual cost of $1.7 billion, yet the problems with our immigration system have not been resolved. Ultimately, deporting people does nothing to address the root cause of migration and it underscores the need for a reasonable, rationale solution.

Fourth, we learned that there is no “line” for immigrants to stand in. Saying there is a line implies everyone has a chance to get in line; this is not true for most immigrants and was not true for most if not all of the Del Monte raid victims.

Oregonians are pragmatic people. We overwhelmingly reject the notion that we should (or even that we can) deport 12 million people. Americans know that immigrants contribute to our society and we want a long-term solution.

We learned that Oregonians are also sensible about reforming the immigration system – Oregonians on all sides of the political spectrum. People prefer “a comprehensive approach that secures the border, cracks down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and requires all illegal immigrants to register and meet certain requirements to become legal” over raids. They join Americans across the country 86% of who support comprehensive reform, with 58% strongly supporting it.

Most importantly, we learned that our community is strongest when we act together and work across divides to build relationships. Del Monte workers impacted in the raid and currently stuck in legal and financial limbo, have organized themselves and are partnering with local faith communities and organizations to educate about the need for just and humane immigration reform. Oregonians across the state have come forward to say that what happened at Del Monte was a tragedy and a waste and to assert that immigrants in Oregon are part of the fabric of our community.

--
Stephen Manning is an attorney in Portland, Oregon. Sarah Loose is an organizer with the Rural Organizing Project. Alice Perry is an organizer with the American Friends Service Committee of Portland.--

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May Day Unity March and Rally in Salem

In commemoration of May Day or International Workers' Day, thousands of Latinas and Latinos and our allies will march and rally at the Oregon State Capitol to call attention to our plight for a just immigration reform that will bring millions of immigrants out of the shadows.

We will call on our elected leaders to:

-Pass Comprehensive Immigration reform NOW!
-Stop ICE raids, end the detentions and stop separating families!
-Restore Drivers' License access to All Oregon Residents!
-Protect and Support Workers' Rights & Just Wages

May 1st May Day Unity March
Date: Friday, MAY 1st , 2009
Time: 11AM-3PM
Location:
Oregon State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Oregon 97309

For more information call: (503) 984-6816

To contribute $5 dollars to support our efforts for just comprehensive immigration reform, please link here or visit CAUSA's website at http://www.causaoregon.org/

Yes We Can! Si Se Puede!

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Photos: Lobby Day to Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon

Today, over 200 Oregonians were in Salem to lobby at the State Capitol re-affirming opposition to the war and calling for a halt to sending the Oregon National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among other issues discussed during the legislative meetings were Fair and Just Immigration Reform, restoration of driver license access to undocumented immigrants, Healthcare for ALL, stopping cuts to human needs, raising revenue through fair taxation, and advancing racial justice, civil rights and civil liberties.

The Lobby Day coincided with the Rural Organizing Project's annual Rural Caucus and attracted dozens of organizations from around the state. For more details on ROP's Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, please link here.

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Lobby Day to Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon

On Monday, CAUSA will join dozens of community organizations to lobby at the State Capitol in Salem re-affirming our opposition to the war and calling for a halt to sending the Oregon National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan.

In May, 3,500 Oregon National Guard soldiers are scheduled to go to Iraq--some of them for the fourth time! Those 3,500 represent more than 40% of the entire Oregon Guard. That's the highest percentage since World War II!

We need Oregon Guard members in Oregon serving our communities and to spend tax dollars on services for Oregonians instead of war.

The lobbying effort with a rally to follow is to draw attention to HB 2556 and HR 4, legislative proposals which call for the Oregon National Guard to stay in the U.S. and serve Oregon.

Lobby Day and Rally to Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon
Date: Monday, March 16, 2009
Time: 8 AM to Noon (Rally at 12 noon)
Location:
Oregon State Capitol
900 Court St NE
Salem‎, Oregon
map

For more information, contact Marlen Torres, mtorreskpcn@pcun.org

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Bill Introduced to Keep Oregon’s National Guard in Oregon

Last month, CAUSA joined with 52 other organizations, community leaders and concerned citizens on the steps of the Oregon State Capitol to call on Governor Kulongoski to keep Oregon’s National Guard in Oregon.

After the rally, organizers of the "Campaign to Keep Oregon's Guard in Oregon" delivered over 7000 signatures to state officials along with a demand that Oregon’s state militia not be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Oregon was one of several states that joined in the National "Bring the Guard Home! It's the Law" campaign. The campaign’s goal is to prevent the upcoming deployment of roughly 3000 Oregon Guard members to Iraq because the terms of the Congressional authorization have expired.

On Wednesday, a bill was introduced in effort to keep Oregon’s 3,500 National Guard from being deployed by the end of the year.

According to the Daily Emerald, House Bill 2556 would, “give the governor authority to withhold National Guard troops from federal deployment in situations where there is no legally valid authorization to use troops in a national conflict”.

For more on the story about HB 2556, please link to the Daily Emerald. Information about the campaign can be found at www.bringtheguardhome.org

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