Border Network for Human Rights

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

Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration

“A Call for Reform”

February 20^th, 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

CBP TOP OFFICIALS AND BORDER COMMUNITY GROUPS ENGAGE IN TWO-DAY MEETING IN SAN DIEGO

San Diego; January 22, 2010—CBP Chief of Staff Marco Lopez, other CBP officials and representatives from more than a dozen border organizations dedicated to immigrant rights, environmental protection and business promotion gathered Thursday and today in a small, working meeting at St Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego.

The parties to the meeting wish to release the following statement.

“Today in San Diego, representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, representatives of civil rights and human rights groups, environmentalists, business leaders and community members from the U.S.-Mexico border area participated in a dialogue on topics related to border communities.

This dialogue underscores the commitment of the Department of Homeland Security to transparency with community representatives and officials about specific practices that affect migrants and border residents. It also represents the resolve and efforts of community groups and other interests along the US/Mexico border to engage with federal law enforcement officials in a proactive way to find common solutions to the issues of civil and human rights, community security, and national security, environmental protection on the border and the orderly flow of people and goods at our ports of entry.

Participants in this second of two engagements look forward to regular dialogue between border communities and CBP.”

The organizations involved were, the Border Network for Human Rights (El Paso, Texas/Southern New Mexico); the U.S.-Mexico Border and Immigration Task Force; American Friends Service Committee (San Diego); Center for Social Advocacy (San Diego); Foundation for Change (San Diego); No Border Wall (San Diego); Angeles del Desierto (San Diego); Water Station, Inc., and Citizens for All Canal Safety (San Diego); Casa Cornelia (San Diego); California Rural Legal Assistance (San Diego); Border Encuentro (San Diego); International/Borderland Committee (San Diego); San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce (San Diego); Border Action Network (Tucson, Ariz.); Humane Borders Advocates (Tucson, Ariz.); Defenders of Wildlife (Tucson, Ariz.); Central Business Association (El Paso); National Immigration Forum (Washington, D.C.); ACLU San Diego; Texas, Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc.; and San Diego AILA/IRC.

Media contacts: Vince Bond, CBP Public Affairs, (619) 744-5224 , or Vincent.e.bond@dhs.gov; and Louie Gilot, Border Network for Human Rights Communications Director, (915) 274-0541, or lgilot@bnhr.org.