Campaign Launched to promote Permanent Residency for Temporary Protected Status Beneficiaries



Permanent Residency Campaign Team
feeting in Houston

Houston, TX --This week, Causa’s Executive Director, Francisco Lopez is in Houston for the launch of the campaign to promote Permanent Residency for individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Central America.



While comprehensive immigration reform is not foreseeable in the near future and the current administration has adopted a step by step approach in tackling the unfair and confusing immigration practices, community organizations from all throughout the country have formed a coalition to advocate for legislative action that will allow TPS Beneficiaries to stay in the US as permanent residents.

Francisco Lopez at the Press
Conference

On Monday, the coalition held a press conference announcing the official launch of campaign and invited members of the TPS community, legislators, community organizations and activists, congregations, unions, and all those who support a fair and viable solution for immigrant families in the U.S. to come together.

The campaign is a joint effort of the following organizations: The SHARE Foundation (Berkley, CA); Oregon’s Latino Immigrant Rights Coalition, Causa (Salem, OR); CARECEN-DC, CRECEN-Houston; CARECEN-LA; Centro Romero (Chicago, IL); Sunflower Community Action (Wichita, KS); East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (Berkley, CA); CEUS (Union City, NJ); Centro Hispano Cuzcatlan (Jamaica, NY); America paraTodos (Houston, TX); Voluntarios por El Salvador (Houston, TX); Comite Amigos en Accion (Houston, TX); Comites de beneficiaries del TPS (Houston, TX); Centro CivicoSalvadoreño (Dallas, TX); Wind of the Spirit, NJ; Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (Chicago, IL); North Carolina Latin American Coalition (Charlotte, NC); and SALEF (Los Angeles, CA)

Here is coverage from Monday's press conference:

Inmigrantes y activistas piden una residencia permanente para amparados bajo el programa del TPS. (Telemundo Houston)

http://www.facebook.com/causaoregon#!/photo.php?v=222073774551327
 
Lanzan campaña para dar la residencia a los beneficiarios del TPS (Houston Chronicle) http://blog.chron.com/pulsolatino/2012/01/lanzan-campana-para-dar-la-residencia-a-los-beneficiarios-del-tps/

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Texas City Being Sued Over Immigration Ordinance

Opponents of an immigration ordinance are suing Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb. The ordinance bans apartment and home rentals to tenants who can't prove they are U.S. Citizens.

According to the Dallas Associated Press, the lawsuit was filed in federal court and seeks to prevent Farmers Branch from requiring renters from obtaining a license from the city. The license is used by city officials to verify a tenant's citizenship status through the federal government.

In the report, the lawsuit, which was brought by a "group of apartment complex operators and a former Farmers Branch council member" stipulates that,

"the city is trying to regulate immigration despite it being the domain of the federal government. They also claim the ordinance fails to include clear, detailed procedures and safeguards and places a burden and liability on landlords."

Those bringing the lawsuit also say "the city is violating federal housing laws by trying to deny a dwelling to a person based on ethnicity and national origin". And that the ordinance "is part of a bigger attempt by Farmers Branch officials to push out Hispanic residents."

Read the full article: Opponents sue to stop Texas city's immigration law

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