Updated agenda with SPEAKERS is here!

Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration

“A Call for Reform”

February 20^th, 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