Texas 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
Tags: austin, Border Network, convention
I just read the best reaction to the immigration law ever on CNN. Awesome! “OK… so a cop’s title is “Law Enforcement Officer”… in order to be an “Illegal Immigrant” you have to be breaking the law of the United States of America… why would we not expect our “Law Enforcement Officers” to enforce the law of the United States of America? This is not a racist statement, this is not an anti-immigrant statement, I’m not a tea-partier, Im a slightly left of center gay American whose partner of 8 years is a Canadian. My partner goes through a massive ordeal in order to stay in this country legally, which he does… Im not able to sponsor him for permanent residence, and there is no legal pathway for him to gain permanent residence… so for now we live with renewing his temporary status based on his job and NAFTA, hoping for either an employer willing to sponsor him for permanent residence (a 5 year long, very expensive process) or the repeal/invalidation of DOMA, or the passage of the UAFA bill. He has to prove his legality in this country quite often, and is required to have his passport with proof of his legality on him at all times… I am more a victim of discrimination, as a US Citizen who cannot sponsor my permanent partner for US residence, than these illegal aliens who are breaking the law of the united states”