News
Fundraising for DC trip
Thursday, March 11th, 2010| Mar |
| 14 |
| 12:00 pm |
Vamos a Washington, D.C.! La Reforma No Puede Esperar!
Please join us to support the Texas Caravan going to Washington, DC, to demand a just immigration reform.
Presenting: Frontera Bugalu (Cumbia/Mambo); Stanton Street Collective (Poetry/Jazz); La Familia (Dance); Crissy Gurrola (Acoustics)
Enjoy: Antojitos; Aguas Frescas; Justice
When: Noon, Sunday March 14
Where: BNHR office, 2115 N. Piedras, El Paso, Texas 79930
El Pasoans travel to DC for immigration Reform, March 21
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010The Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA) will travel to Washington, DC, as the Texas Caravan for America with 4 buses, over 200 people, to participate in the March for America on Sunday, March 21, 2010.
We will march on Washington, DC to demand immigration reform and economic justice for all Americans. Our vision of reform includes immigrants and native-born U.S. citizens working shoulder to shoulder to achieve better wages, working conditions, and labor protections, and of an American that’s back to work, with a fair balance between Main Street and Wall Street.
We will come together as one voice on the National Mall for a strong America – for families, for workers, for businesses, and for security.
Join the Texas Caravan for America and thousands from across the country in the March For America in DC on March 21st, and demand Congress act NOW to pass immigration reform!
To join the Texas Caravan, please contact:
Austin/Houston: Caroline Keating-Guerra « Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition«
caroline@austinirc.org « 512-476-2472
El Paso: Martina Morales «Border Network for Human Rights « mmorales@bnhr.org «915-577-0724
Dallas: Rev. Owen Ross « La Fundación de Cristo « pastor@christsfoundry.org « 214-497-9552
Lori Stafford « Welcoming Immigrants Network « lstaf@sbcglobal.net « 214-649-2233
Ft. Worth: Douglas Interiano « Coalition for Immigration Reform of DFW & North Texas « douglas.interiano@proyectoinmigrante.org «817-922-0280
Statewide: Adriana Cadena « RITA « acadena@bnhr.org « 915-253-2262
Texas Caravan for America Itinerary
Friday March 19
El Paso Bus Departs to travel over 650 miles to Dallas to join Texas Caravan
Austin/Houston Bus Departs to travel over 200 miles to Dallas to join Texas Caravan
Ft. Worth Bus Departs to travel 50 miles to Dallas to join Texas Caravan
9:00 PM Texas Caravan for America Press Conference
Lovers Lane United Methodist Church
9200 Inwood Road (corner NW Hwy and Inwood Rd)
Dallas, TX 75220
10:00 PM Texas Caravan for America Departs to Washington, DC!
Saturday, March 20
PM Texas Caravan arrives in Washington, DC
Sunday, March 21
AM Texas Caravan Members Tour the Nation’s Capitol
1:00 PM Texas Caravan Members join the March for American Events
Evening Texas Caravan Returns to Texas
Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA) Participating Organizations
« Austin Immigration Reform Coalition (AIRC), Austin
« University Leadership Initiative, Austin
« Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), El Paso
« Jóvenes Fronterizos por un Mismo Sueno, El Paso
« Catholic Charities of Dallas Justice for Immigrants, DFW
« Christ’s Foundry United Methodist Church, DFW
« Coalition for Immigration Reform of Dallas / Ft. Worth & North Texas (CIR DFW), DFW
« Dallas Peace Center, DFW
« Justice for Our Neighbors – United Methodist Church (JFON), DFW
« Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, DFW
« North Texas Conference United Methodist Church, DFW
« Proyecto Inmigrante, Inc., DFW
« Welcoming Immigrants Network (WIN), DFW
« American Dream Community Agency, Houston
« La Unión del Pueblo Entero, Rio Grande Valley
« Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos, Rio Grande Valley
« Texas Dream Act Alliance (TDAA)
Sponsors:
« Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC)
« Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR)
« Church World Service (CWS)
« General Board of Church & Society UMC (GBC&S)
« Global Board of Church & Society UMC (GBC&S)
« Jóvenes Fronterizos por un Mismo Sueno, El Paso
« North Texas Conference United Methodist Church (NTC UMC)
« Reform Immigration for America (RIFA)
« Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA)
« Caravan participants and individuals.
En espanol: Reporte sobre la reunion del 8 de Marzo
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010| Discuten alternativas para zona fronteriza | ||||
| Héctor Manuel Castro El Diario de El Paso | 09-03-2010 | 00:41 | El Paso |
||||
Representantes del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, el Departamento de Estado, el Departamento de Justicia, el Departamento de Salud, y varios líderes de los Derechos Humanos en Estados Unidos, se reunieron ayer en la ciudad de El Paso, para discutir alternativas encaminadas a salvaguardar los derechos de quienes residen a lo largo y ancho de la frontera con México.La reunión celebrada en el hotel Camino Real y la que se llevó a cabo a puerta cerrada, forma parte del informe sobre los derechos humanos que el gobierno de Obama tendrá que presentar a la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU), en el próximo mes de noviembre.“Es la primera vez que el gobierno nacional realiza esta clase de paneles, e intenta buscar soluciones a las frecuentes violaciones que se cometen contra aquellos que carecen de documentación legal en este país”, indicó Ruthie Epstein, de la Organización ‘Derechos Humanos Primero’, y quien llegó de la ciudad de Nueva York especialmente para este evento.Epstein explicó que Estados Unidos está obligado a presentar en un informe de 20 páginas, indicando cuáles son las violaciones más frecuentes contra los inmigrantes del país, y a la vez, alternativas de seguridad social, que no menoscaben los derechos de las personas, sin importar su estatus legal.“Lógicamente ese informe va a estar agendado a conveniencia de las políticas migratorias de este país, pero a la vez, es importante la presión que nosotros realicemos durante este proceso”, dijo ella.Por su parte, miembros de la Red Nacional de Jornaleros, procedentes de la ciudad de Phoenix (Arizona), asistieron igualmente para denunciar las constantes agresiones que tienen que soportar los hispanos en esa ciudad.“Phoenix es la capital del racismo mundial”, manifestó Salvador Reza, Vocero del Movimiento Puente, encaminado a defender los derechos de los inmigrantes, y quien comentó que en su condado (Maricopa), se cometen constantes violaciones a los derechos civiles de los residentes hispanos.“El alguacil Joe Arpaio, y los agentes que están bajo su mando, ejercen injustamente abusos de poder contra nuestra comunidad, y a pesar de que hemos presentado pruebas suficientes de estas arbitrariedades, nadie ha hecho nada para evitarlas”, señaló Reza.El activista indicó además que estará participando de la movilización que se llevará a cabo el 21 de marzo en Washington DC, con el fin de pedir al gobierno una reforma migratoria justa, que garantice el estatus legal a los más de doce millones de indocumentados que actualmente viven en el país.Por otra parte, Louie Guilliot, Vocera de la Red Fronteriza en El Paso, resaltó la participación en esta reunión de Phyllis Coven, quien está a cargo de la reforma en los Centros de Detención Migratoria, propuesta por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.Y aunque Coven no quiso hablar directamente con los medios de comunicación, Guilliot indicó que durante la reunión se discutieron temas referentes a la búsqueda de alternativas diferentes al arresto, para aquellos que soliciten asilo político en este país.Coven estará hoy visitando el Centro Carcelario Migratorio ubicado en el Condado de Otero, con la intención de observar el estado en que se encuentran los detenidos. |
Listening session and press conference Monday, March 8
Friday, March 5th, 2010**Press Conference 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 8**
LISTENING SESSION ABOUT THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE BORDER
Officials from the Obama Administration hear from border advocates and elected officials
El Paso, TX – Officials from the State Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Service are conducting six listening sessions around the country to gauge the state of human rights in various places in the United States. The officials, including Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Lisa Garcia, Senior Advisor to the Administrator on Environmental Justice, and local officials like Manuel Oyola-Torres, ICE Special Agent in Charge in El Paso, are seeking community input to draft a report to the United Nations. One of the six meetings takes place in El Paso on March 8, and is the only one to focus on the state of human rights on the border.
The Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso was asked by the agencies to help organize the session and has invited representatives of organizations dedicated to community organizing, environmental protection and economic justice from San Diego to Brownsville to address the officials. (In addition, several El Paso elected officials will speak, including Sheriff Richard Wiles, State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, and City Reps. Susie Byrd and Beto O’Rourke.) The all-day session was organized around five themes: Border enforcement and its impact on immigrants; Detention and removal; Border enforcement and its impact on communities; Human rights in the colonias; Environmental protection along the border; and Economic justice.
“We applaud the effort by the administration to consult with the communities before drafting their very important report. We hope that the officials will leave with a better understanding of the situation on the ground and that we will set the ground work for continued consultation on these important issues,” said Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights. (More)
The meeting itself is not open to the public or to the press, but the organizations will have a press conference right after the event. Please join us at the press conference.
**Press conference**
When: 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 8, 2010
Where: Camino Real Hotel Ballroom Lobby
Who: Border Network for Human Rights (El Paso), Human Rights First (New York), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (DC), ACLU (New Mexico and San Diego), American Friends Service Committee (San Diego), Humane Borders (Ariz.), Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (Rio Grande Valley), Colonias Development Council (Las Cruces), Sierra Club (Texas and Arizona), Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project (El Paso), La Mujer Obrera (El Paso), and more.
Read about the New York listening session here and here. Read about the New Orleans listening session here.
Contact: Louie Gilot, Communications Director,Border Network for Human Rights, (915) 274-0541, lgilot@bnhr.org, www.bnhr.org
En espanol: El Diario de El Paso vino a la Convencion de Austin
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010| ‘Reforma migratoria generaría al país 1.3 trillones de dólares’ |
| Héctor Manuel Castro/Enviado El Diario de El Paso |
Austin— Con argumentos de orden económico, social y familiar, decenas de activistas texanos exigieron en esta capital el cumplimiento de la promesa de Reforma Migratoria Justa que hiciera Barack Obama en su campaña presidencial.“Si legalizaran justamente a todos los que ya están aquí, se generarían 1.3 trillones de dólares en el lapso de 5 años, ya que nadie tendría miedo de invertir en este país”, aseguró en su alocución Alfredo Castañeda, del Movimiento Mexicanos Unidos por Dallas.El líder social añadió que mientras Japón, China y la Comunidad Económica Europea se concentran en fortalecer sus comunidades, Estados Unidos enfoca sus leyes migratorias en la división de familias que pudieran ser la solución a la crisis económica actual.Consignas como ‘Si se puede’, ‘Se ve, se siente, la lucha está presente’, y ‘Pueblo que lucha, triunfa’, fueron evocadas por los cientos de participantes, quienes no se cansaron de exigir derechos para los más de 12 millones de indocumentados que viven actualmente en los Estados Unidos.Delegaciones de Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Elizario, Austin, Fort Worth y el Valle de Río Grande participaron ayer la Convención Estatal de Texas de organismos sociales a favor de la Reforma Migratoria.Empero, la cumbre estuvo marcada por la falta de compromiso por parte del poder legislativo de Texas, ya que varios representantes estatales que supuestamente participarían, cancelaron a última hora, dejando a un auditorio sumido en la incertidumbre.“Nuestras comunidad está llena de buenos deseos y de ganas de esta reforma migratoria, pero aquellos que realmente pueden generar un cambio, nos defraudan con su carencia de compromiso”, manifestó Olga María Ruiz, residente de El Paso, al enterarse que Norma Chávez, Joseph Moody y Marissa Márquez, representantes estatales por El Paso, habían cancelado su participación en el último momento.Richard Wiles, alguacil de El Paso, dijo que él personalmente había llamado telefónicamente a Marissa Márquez para saber si asistiría, pero ésta dijo que no podía, pero que había enviado algún dinero para colaborar con la causa.“No es justo que estas personas, que supuestamente nos representan, no asistan en los momentos que más los necesitamos, y piensen que con dinero pueden suplantar su ausencia”, añadió Ruiz.Durante la Convención, uno de los temas que sobresalió fue el de la separación de las familias como consecuencia de la deportación de padres de familia, destacándose el caso de Laura Madrid, una madre que reside en Puerto Isabel (Texas), y quien dijo llorando que su único pecado fue querer un mejor futuro para sus hijos.Laura al igual que su esposo, entraron a Estados Unidos sin documentación legal, y debido a eso, su pareja fue deportada hace dos años, dejando a sus hijos sin una figura paternal que los apoyaba económicamente.“Ahora me da terror salir a la calle. Cada vez que voy con mis hijos al mercado, a una tienda, a un parque, creo que me van a arrestar y separar de mi familia”, argumentó.De la misma manera, Alicia Zabala, del Valle Río Grande, recalcó su enojo y frustración al saber que existen miles de familias que no pueden estar reunidas por la arbitrariedad de las leyes migratorias.“No somos criminales, somos personas honestas que trabajamos muy duro día a día para subsistir en este país. No merecemos sufrir de la forma en que lo hacemos por carecer de documentos”, indicó.Zabala también señaló que todos los días siente miedo de que su esposo sea arrestado y deportado.“¿Qué va a pasar con mis hijos el día que su padre sea separado del hogar?”, dijo sollozando.Durante la reunión, los asistentes firmaron una petición especial dirigida a Barack Obama, en la que se manifiesta la importancia de la comunidad hispana en la vida económica de Estados Unidos, y la necesidad de una reforma migratoria integral.“Nuestro sistema migratorio está quebrado, y es el momento de generar un cambio que beneficie a todos en general”, indica la misiva al presidente.“Si el gobierno de Obama continúa separando las familias de inmigrantes indocumentados, tarde o temprano habrá consecuencias nefastas políticas, sociales y económicas en Estados Unidos”, indicó. |
More than 700 Texans come to the Austin Convention
Monday, February 22nd, 2010MORE THAN 700 TEXANS GATHER TO ASK FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Diverse sectors of Texas represented in state-wide convention in Austin
Austin, TX – More than 700 community members, advocates, business leaders, people of faith, and elected officials gathered today (February 20, 1-5 p.m.) at the Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin to support comprehensive immigration reform in 2010. Participants sought to send a clear message to President Obama and to Texas Senators and Representatives that families, businesses, and communities across Texas cannot wait any longer for the federal government to fix the broken immigration system. Delaying action is bad for the nation and it’s bad for Texas.
Participants agreed to continue their efforts past the convention with a campaign to gather 50,000 signatures on a letter to President Obama urging him to take up immigration reform this year. Today, in a convention center decorated with photographs of loved ones that audience members had pinned on walls, speakers from all backgrounds shared their views that immigration reform is good for the economy, for security, and for families.
Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice-President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU,) said, “We need an immigration system that works for America’s workers. For too long, our nation’s immigration system has fueled discrimination and exploitation of workers. It has driven down wages and working conditions. And it has failed to live up to our nation’s values. We now have an opportunity to change course. That is why Change to Win and the AFL-CIO have come together to create a unified labor framework for immigration reform that addresses the needs of our nation’s workers, families and communities. This framework is about moving America forward. We are a nation that respects hard work, family and the pursuit of the American Dream. Our immigration system must hold true to these principles.”
El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles said he is one of many law enforcement officials who are opposed to the practice of deputizing local police officers to serve as immigration agents and hope immigration reform puts an end to it. “Having local law enforcement enforcing immigration law tears down the trust and respect we need to keep the community safe. As for immigration reform, I’d like to see it come to a resolution,” he said.
Pastor Lynn Godsey, President of the Hispanic Evangelical Alliance of Dallas-Fort Worth, said, “Not only does the Constitution of the United States uphold the protection of an individual’s civil liberties and human rights, but God has much to say about the treatment of the sojourner in the Bible. As people of faith, we are called to ground our conduct and treatment of others in what God has revealed through scripture, in and through his Son, Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, we are instructed to ‘not mistreat the foreigner, for at one time we too were such.’ In the New Testament, Jesus took it to another level in stating that we love our neighbor and provide for his or her needs, for He said: “I was a stranger (foreigner) and you invited me in”. As such, our views on immigration are to be grounded and reared in Biblical Revelation. It is a call from Christ to all of us that are His followers to treat the alien, the stranger the immigrant with fairness, justice and hospitality.”
Attendees also heard the personal stories of regular people who were personally affected by bad immigration policies. Amelia Hernandez said she was taking care of her three nephews because their parents were deported. “They don’t know the damage they cause to children, separating them from their parents. My nephews can’t fall asleep; they cry all the time; they don’t want to eat. They want to be with their parents and they feel abandoned. Because of this, I think legalization should be a priority for the president and his administration.”
College students who support the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow undocumented youth to adjust their status so they can attend college, also had their say. Among them was Zelene Pineda who came to the U.S. with her parents when she was 8 years old. Undocumented children do not qualify for many of the scholarships that other students take for granted and often struggle to pay tuition. “The situation for undocumented students on the border is even more limiting,” Pineda, who lives in El Paso, said. “You’d have to pass Border Patrol checkpoints to go to school in San Antonio, for instance, so you don’t go there. You see Mexico (from El Paso), but you can’t go there. The foreign students from Mexico have benefits like in-state-tuition. But even though you are in the country, you have to pay more. On the border, you are constantly reminded of your immigration status.”
Other notable speakers included Ali Noorani, Director, National Immigration Forum, Reform Immigration for America Campaign; Pastor Mark Gonzalez, Vice President, Governmental Affairs, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC); Sam Guzman, President/CEO, Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC); and Sate Rep. Carol Alvarado.
Contacts:
Adriana Cadena
RITA Coordinator
RITA (Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance)
(915) 253-2262, acadena@bnhr.org
Louie Gilot
Communications Director
Border Network for Human Rights
(915) 217-3621, lgilot@bnhr.org
###
More information about the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA): This alliance is a multi-sector, statewide network dedicated to building support for a sensible immigration policy. Visit us at www.reformimmigrationfortexas.org.
Press conference today with Sheriff Wiles
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010**Press conference, Re: Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration, February 17, 2010**
EL PASOANS JOIN 500 TEXANS IN AUSTIN TO ASK FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Local group is key organizer of state-wide convention
EL PASO – Members of the Border Network for Human Rights and El Paso leaders have worked hard in the past months to organize a statewide convention to energize Texans about comprehensive immigration reform and to call on Texas elected officials to take leadership of the issue. The convention, called “Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration: A Call for Reform,” takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. February 20 in Austin.
More than 500 people, including about 100 from El Paso, are expected. Speakers include representatives from all sectors –businesses, unions, religious groups, community members, elected officials and more. Speakers from El Paso include State reps. Norma Chavez, Joe Moody and Marissa Marquez, Socorro Mayor Trini Lopez, and Sheriff Richard Wiles. A complete agenda will be given at the press conference.
Press conference:
Where: Border Network for Human Rights offices, 2115 N. Piedras
When: 1 p.m., Wednesday, February 17
Who: Community members, DREAM Act students and leaders (Sheriff Wiles, Socorro Mayor Trini Lopez) who will go to Austin Saturday, February 20 to call for comprehensive immigration reform.
More information about the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA): This alliance is a multi-sector, statewide network dedicated to building support for a sensible immigration policy. Visit us at www.reformimmigrationfortexas.org.
Contacts:
Adriana Cadena
RITA Coordinator
RITA (Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance)
(915) 253-2262, acadena@bnhr.org
Louie Gilot
Communications Director
Border Network for Human Rights
(915) 217-3621, lgilot@bnhr.org
Updated agenda with SPEAKERS is here!
Monday, February 15th, 2010Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration
“A Call for Reform”
February 20th, 2009
Austin, Texas
Agenda
12 Noon Registration
1:00 p.m. Welcome to the Texas Convention
- Adriana Cadena, Coordinator, Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, El Paso
- Caroline Keating-Guerra, Coordinator, Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition, Austin
1:10 p.m. Invocation
1:15 p.m. Family Reunification
It is about Families, It is about Texas
(Moderator: Marta Sanchez, La Union del Pueblo Entero, San Juan)
Testimonies of Texas immigrant families.
1:30 p.m. Civil Right, Human Rights, American Values
The Road of Faith, the Welcoming of Immigrants
(Moderator: Lori Stafford, Welcome Immigrants Network, Dallas)
- Kim Kamen, Regional Director, American Jewish Committee, Dallas
- Pastor Lynn Godsey, President, The Hispanic Evangelical Alliance of DFW; Texas Director, Esperanza para America Campaign, Dallas-FortWorth
- Rev. Stephen Jasso, All Saints Catholic Church, Fort Worth
- Pastor Omar Chavarria, La Iglesia Bautista Manantial de Vida, Penitas
- Pastor Jaime Mathias, Cristo Rey Parish, Austin
1:50 p.m. Pathway for Citizenship
The Organized Voice in Texas.
(Moderator: Douglas Interiano, Coalition for Immigration Reform, Fort Worth)
Testimonies of RITA members and other organizations in Texas.
- Paul Parsons, Texas/Oklahoma/New Mexico Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Austin
2:20 p.m. Future Flows
PANEL: Immigrants and Economic Recovery
(Moderator: Louie Gilot, Border Network for Human Rights, El Paso)
- J. Carnes, President and owner, Winter Garden Produce, Uvalde
- Sam Guzman, President/CEO, Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), Austin
- Marc Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Austin
- Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union, Houston
2:50 p.m. Accountable Border Enforcement
SPEAKER: Border Security and Immigration Reform.
Mayor Chad Foster of Eagle Pass
3:00 p.m. Community Security
We are Part of the Solution: Community Security, National Security and Immigration Reform.
(Moderator: Fernando Garcia, Border Network for Human Rights, El Paso)
- Sheriff Richard Wiles, El Paso County
- Officer Daniel Segura, Fort Worth Police Department
- Chief Art Acevedo, Austin Police Department (Pending)
- Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Harris County (Pending)
(Youth theater)
3:25 p.m. Immigrant Integration
PANEL: Dream Act
Our Country, Our Future: Access to Education to Immigrant Students.
(Moderator: Julieta Garibay, Director, DREAM Campaign, University of Texas, Dallas)
- Zelene Pineda, Founder, Jovenes Fronterizos por un Mismo Sueño, El Paso
- Jose Torres, President, University Leadership Initiative, University of Texas, and LULAC member, Austin
- Kemi Bello, Leader, Texas Dream Act Alliance, Houston
- Jose Magaña, law student, DREAM Act activist, Waco
- Teri Alberch –UT Administrator, Austin (Pending)
Voter Engagement
Speaker: Pastor Mark Gonzalez, Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (HCFCIR) and Vice President, Governmental Affairs, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)
3:55 p.m. Texas and Immigration Reform
Elected Officials for Immigration Reform
(Moderator: Adriana Cadena, Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance)
- State Rep. Norma Chavez, El Paso
- State Rep. Joseph Moody, El Paso
- State Rep. Marissa Marquez, El Paso
- State Rep. Elliot Naishtat, Austin
- State Rep. Carol Alvarado, Houston
- Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez, Austin
- Mayor Trini Lopez, City of Socorro
4:30 p.m. Key Note Speaker:
Ali Noorani, Director, National Immigration Forum, Reform Immigration for America Campaign, Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. Closing
Caroline Keating-Guerra, Coordinator, Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition, Austin
The Texas convention agenda is here!
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration
“A Call for Reform”
February 20th, 2009
Austin, Texas
Tentative Agenda
12 Noon Registration
1:00 p.m. Welcome to the Texas Convention
1:10 p.m. Invocation
1:15 p.m. Family Reunification
It is about Families, It is about Texas
Testimonies of Texas immigrant families; their successes as well as the impact of immigration policies on their lives.
1:30 p.m. Civil Right, Human Rights, Values
The Road of Faith, the Welcoming of Immigrants
Testimonies off faith-based institutions.
1:50 p.m. Pathway for Citizenship
The Organized Voice in Texas.
Testimonies of RITA members and other organizations in Texas calling for immigration reform.
2:20 p.m. Future Flows
PANEL: Immigrants and Economic Recovery
Testimonies of business owners and union members in Texas about the contributions of immigrants to the Texas economy and to the national economy, and about the economic benefits of immigration reform.
2:50 p.m. Accountable Border Enforcement
SPEAKER: Border Security and Immigration Reform.
3:00 p.m. Community Security
We are Part of the Solution: Community Security, National Security and Immigration Reform.
Testimonies of law enforcement officials.
3:25 p.m. Immigrant Integration
Our Country, Our Future: Access to Education to Immigrant Students.
Testimonies from students and professors about the impact of immigrations laws on education.
3:55 p.m. Texas and Immigration Reform
Elected Officials for Immigration Reform
4:30 p.m. Key Note Speaker
5:00 p.m. Closing
Staffing changes
Monday, January 25th, 2010The Border Network for Human Rights is happy to announced two personnel changes. Community Organizing Director Martina Morales will now also be Assistant Executive Director in training. Miguel Miranda, Coordinator for the Montana Vista Sector, also takes on another hat. He will serve as Public Relations Director and willmaintain the Border Network’s good relations with like-minded groups locally.
Felicidades, Martina and Miguel!
