EL PASO, Texas – Se espera que esta tarde en El Paso cientos de residentes de comunidades fronterizas busquen lograr el compromiso de los congresistas clave con la reforma migratoria. El representante Luis Gutiérrez, de Illinois, y el de California, Joe Baca, se reunirán con Silvestre Reyes de El Paso en un foro público auspiciado por la Border Network for Human Rights (Red Fronteriza por los Derechos Humanos).

El líder del grupo, Fernando García, dice que hace algunos años ya parecía inminente que se haría una reforma migratoria integral, pero que el tráfico de miedo y la creación de chivos expiatorios la mandaron al final político de la lista. Piensa que ya es hora de llamar “extremistas” a quienes pintan a los inmigrantes como enemigos del bienestar de la nación.

“Pintan a los inmigrantes – y pintan la frontera – de una manera muy distorsionada. Para ellos, los inmigrantes son criminales; los inmigrantes son perezosos; los inmigrantes no contribuyen, cuando es todo lo contrario. Así que estamos ante un discurso que promueve el miedo.”

Quienes se oponen a la reforma claman que los presupuestos estatales y el federal serán abrumados por los costos asociados con los inmigrantes no documentados y que la migración perjudica las posibilidades laborales de los ciudadanos norteamericanos. Sus defensores dicen que las estadísticas revelan una realidad muy diferente. García afirma que las cifras públicas han sido explotadas con una carga racial y con actitudes nativistas para obtener ganancias políticas, lo cual ahonda la crisis migratoria al retrasar lo inevitable.

“El hecho de que necesitamos una reforma migratoria y un cambio en nuestras políticas fronterizas, es innegable. Y vamos en esa dirección; así que es inevitable.”

Comenta que los legisladores deben frenar lo que él llama una creciente militarización de la frontera. Agrega que la mayoría de los norteamericanos no conoce las estadísticas que muestran que este lado de la frontera es más bien pacífico, y que se ha vuelto más seguro en los últimos años.

García quiere que los congresistas presionen al Presidente Obama para que adopte políticas y medidas para el cumplimento de la ley más sensibles y humanas, y que genere nuevas oportunidades de ciudadanía para estudiantes y voluntarios del ejército. Pero según García, en medio del camino de cualquier agenda reformista se atraviesa el “mito” de que nada sucederá hasta que la frontera esté más segura.

“Necesitamos cambiar ese discurso y decirles que entiendan que los inmigrantes de hecho sí contribuyen. Son parte de esta sociedad. Es una nación de inmigrantes y no hay nada que temer.”

El foro de El Paso inicia hoy a las 6.

Vea la transmisión en vivo del foro, en www.ustream.tv.

Tuiteo en vivo en www.twitter.com

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EL PASO, Texas – Hundreds of border-community residents are expected to seek immigration reform commitments from three key congressmen this evening in El Paso. Illinois Representative Luis Gutierrez and California’s Joe Baca will join Silvestre Reyes of El Paso at the public forum, sponsored by the Border Network for Human Rights.

The group’s executive director, Fernando Garcia, says that just a few years ago comprehensive immigration reform seemed imminent, until fear-mongering and scapegoating put it on the political back burner. He says it’s time to call out “extremists” who paint immigrants as enemies of the nation’s well-being.

“They are painting immigrants – and painting the border – in a very distorted way. Immigrants for them are criminals. Immigrants are lazy. Immigrants do not contribute – which is totally the opposite. So what we’re facing is a narrative that is promoting fear.”

Reform opponents claim state and federal budgets are being overwhelmed by costs associated with undocumented immigrants, and immigration is hurting job prospects for U.S. citizens. Advocates say the statistics paint a very different picture.

Garcia says public figures have been exploiting racially-charged, nativist attitudes for political gain, thus deepening the immigration crisis by delaying the inevitable.

“The fact that we need immigration reform and to change our border policies is undeniable. And we’re going to move in that direction, so it is unavoidable.”

He says lawmakers should put the brakes on what he calls an increasingly militarized border. Most Americans, he adds, aren’t aware of statistics showing the U.S. side is mostly peaceful, and has actually been getting safer in recent years.

Garcia wants the congressmen to press President Obama to adopt more sensible and humane deportation and border-enforcement policies, and to create new citizenship opportunities for students and military volunteers. But standing in the way of any reform agenda, according to Garcia, is the “myth” that nothing can happen until the border is more secure.

“We need to change that narrative. And tell them to understand that immigrants actually do contribute. They are part of this society. It’s an immigrant nation, and there’s nothing to fear.”

The El Paso forum starts at 6 p.m. today at the downtown El Paso Public Library, and will be broadcast live here on www.ustream.tv

Live tweeting will be here at www.twitter.com

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories

On Monday, October 10, these lawmakers will hear the concerns, ideas, recommendations of border residents and advocates about how to further advance comprehensive immigration reform and border enforcement reform.

After a meeting of border stakeholders, the congressmen will face a larger audience of community members from the border region of West Texas and Southern New Mexico. There, BNHR is expecting Congressmen’ commitment for a a new effort to advance immigration reform and a new direction on border policy in the U.S.

Information on the public forum on immigration and border enforcement

Who: Border Network for Human Rights and community members from West Texas and Southern New Mexico

Where: Downtown El Paso Public Library;

When: Monday, October 10, 2011 at 6 p.m.

The public forum will be broadcast live at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/border-network-for-human-rights and live-tweeted at www.twitter.com/bnhr.

and forgets simple geography

(LAS CRUCES, New Mexico) — This week 10,000 foreign nationals living in New Mexico began receiving randomized letters informing them that they must drive to a new field office in Albuquerque to prove their New Mexican residency and identity.

But why?

The letters state in part, “This process is not optional… the Motor Vehicle Department will take steps to cancel your license or identification card if you fail to comply… ” The letters go on to explain that the recipient of this random check must drive to the newly opened office in Albuquerque to prove residency. The letters began to arrive in Las Cruceans’ mailboxes yesterday and are part of Gov. Susana Martinez’sthinly-veiled anti-immigrant agenda.

In her zeal to drive immigrant families underground, the governor is showing how disconnected she is from hardworking Las Cruceans and southern New Mexico residents. The governor must not have any immigrant friends or acquaintances if she doesn’t realize that many cannot cross the Border Patrol checkpoints on I-10 or I-25 on the way to Albuquerque. If this weren’t bad enough, the nine-hour roundtrip drive to Albuquerque during the workday is a significant financial hardship an undue burden for families.

The truth is this effort has nothing to do with proper ID or public safety. If any number of the 10,000 chosen in the letter lottery, including lawful permanent residents, fail to show up in Albuquerque, Gov. Martinez can falsely claim that each of them is abusing the New Mexico law that allows undocumented workers to lawfully earn their license to drive. The governor is padding the numbers to support her agenda. This scheme would enable her to push for increasingly harsh anti-immigrant policies.

Furthermore, the governor is thoughtlessly spending state resources to require families and workers to prove yet again what they have already proven to authorities: that they are lawful permanent residents of the state or that they are immigrants earning their driver’s licenses according to New Mexico law.

This policy likely violates both the U.S. and New Mexico Constitutions. And taxpayers can’t afford tofund an illegal, politically motivated booby trap.

Either Gov. Martinez’s government is not taking into consideration the fact that Las Cruces taxpayers work during workdays, or there are other motives for her letter lottery. The Border Network for Human Rights calls on the governor to immediately stop the residency certification program and to stop playing political games with hardworking New Mexico families.

The Border Network for Human Rights, founded in 1998, is one of the leading immigration reform and human rights advocacy organization in the United States. Based in El Paso, BNHR has over 7,000 members in El Paso and Southern New Mexico.

Since Barack Obama took office in 2008, more than one million migrant workers and their families have been incarcerated and deported. Most of them had no criminal records, whatsoever. President Obama doesn’t intend to stop his repressive policies, thus really tough times are coming ahead for our immigrant communities.

Gutierrez was released and made it back to the floor of the House of Representatives in time for the final vote of the day after paying a $100 fine, said the spokesman, Douglas Rivlin. [...]

Gutierrez and about a dozen other immigration protesters were arrested after sitting down in front of the White House, in an area where people are supposed to keep moving.

The arrested were part of a larger protest by groups which say that under President Barack Obama’s watch, more people have been deported than under any other president.

This story originally appeared on Carlos In DC Blog. You can see more photos and video at his site.

At Tuesday’s action, immigrants directly impacted by the failings of the immigration system have spoken out, including Florinda Faviola (Desemillian) Lorenzo.  Ms. Lorenzo, a mother of three, is facing an August 3 forced departure date after being snared in the infamous Prince George’s Secure Communities program where she was arrested for the “crime” of selling telephone cards. Prince George’s County has the second worst rate of deportation of non-criminals through Secure Communities in the country.  To date, requests for relief in her case have been denied by the Department of Homeland Security.

“Florinda’s case is the perfect example of the failings of the administration,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland.  “A mother of three is facing forced separation from her children in a case where the President’s agency has specifically refused to provide relief.  This is not inaction that can be blamed on Congress; the only responsible party is the President.”

Friends at the rally were keeping us posted through Twitter:

From Peruanista- @ALERT Congressman Luis Gutierrez & civil rights leaders about to get arrested at @WhiteHouse OBAMA STOP DEPORTATIONS!

From CarlosQC- About 8 activists including Rep. Luis Gutierrez arrested today at White House protest 1 MILLION migrants deported by #Obama2012 since 2008 #latism

USATODAY today released an in-depth report that challenges the myth of the dangerous, open border. As we all know, there is just no such thing.

Not only has the border been totally militarized by President Obama, people who live along the border have been saying “we feel safe” for years.

The report examined crime data for cities at 30, 50 and 100 miles of the Mexican border. Every single one has had crime rates lower than the U.S. average for the past 10 years, which has also dropped.

From the article:

U.S. border cities were statistically safer on average than other cities in their states. Those border cities, big and small, have maintained lower crime rates than the national average, which itself has been falling.

The appearance of an out-of-control border region, though, has had wide-ranging effects — stalling efforts to pass a national immigration reform law, fueling stringent anti-immigration laws in Arizona and elsewhere, and increasing the amount of federal tax dollars going to build more fencing and add security personnel along the southwestern border.

The perception of rising violence is so engrained that 83% of Americans said they believe the rate of violence along the southwestern border is higher than national rates, according to a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 999 adults.

The findings “are contrary to conventional speculation that the border is an out-of-control place,” said Steven Messner, a criminologist and sociology professor at the University at Albany-SUNY, who reviewed USA TODAY’s analysis.

So, can we get serious about comprehensive immigration reform now?

What is the Texas Convention for Immigrant Integration?

The Texas Convention will be a historic moment when hundreds of Texas immigrant families, civil rights advocates, students, business representatives, unions, and local and federal elected officials will come together in the Capital of the State (Austin) to recognized the contributions of immigrants to the well-being and greatness of the state of Texas and the nation.

What is the goal of the Texas Convention?

All participants and represented sectors at the convention will make an unequivocal call to reform our obsolete immigration system and to establish a comprehensive policy that: 1) will bring out of the shadows millions of immigrant workers; 2) integrates efficiently immigrant families to the economic, social, cultural and political fabric of our society; 3) develops and implements accountable, humane and responsible border and interior enforcement policies; 4) provides long-term solutions for immigration flows based on the needs of our economy, the dignity and rights of immigrant workers and the realities of the global migration process.

What are the objectives of the Texas Convention?

The leadership of the US Congress and the Obama administration have expressed their commitment to start meaningful discussions to reform our current immigration system in the first half of 2010. In this context, the Texas Convention aims to unify the voices of Texans that favor comprehensive immigration reform. Furthermore, the Texas Convention aims to place Texas, the second state in the nation with the most immigrant families and the largest border state, in a leadership role in the national discussions. In Texas, we believe that a thoughtful overhaul of the immigration system is good for our economy, for our families and for our community security.

Who is convening and organizing the Texas Convention?

The Texas Convention is convened and organized by the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA), a statewide coalition integrated by immigrant and human rights organizations, service providers, workers’ unions and faith-based institutions. The Border Network for Human Rights (based in El Paso) coordinates the logistics and communications of RITA, and the RITA Executive Committee, composed by RITA’s founding organizations from several cities in Texas, has the role of developing our statewide strategies and work plans.

Who can participate at the Texas Convention?

Any organization, institution, group and individual that shares the goal and objectives of the Texas Convention is invited to participate.

How can I participate at the Texas Convention?

Organizations and individuals may attend the Convention free of charge. Please register by clicking here.

The agenda of the Convention will reflect the different sectors in Texas that support sensible immigration reform. If your group would like to provide testimony on the impact of the current immigration laws on families, businesses, or congregations, please contact Adriana Cadena, RITA Coordinator, at 915-577-0724 or acadena@bnhr.org.

Direct media inquiries to Louie Gilot, Communications Director of the Border Network, at lgilot@bnhr.org.

Who can I contact in my region to coordinate my participation?

Austin: Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition • 512-476-2472  • info@autinirc.org

El Paso: Border Network for Human Rights  • Betty Tercero  •

915-577-0724 • btercero@bnhr.org

Dallas: Catholic Charities of Dallas • Catarina Torres • 214-520-6590 X124 • ctorres@central.catholiccharitiesdallas.org

Forth Worth: Coalition for Immigration Reform of Dallas/Ft.Worth & North Texas • 817-922-0280 • proyectoinmigranteics@yahoo.com

Stephenville: Welcoming Immigrants Network • Dean Reed •

254-485-5832 • rdr17@me.com

Houston: Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign •

Thomas Servello • 713-296-1623 • thomas@mifamiliavota.net

Brownsville: Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos • Maria Cordero • 956-832-4989 • mariaranchoalegre@yahoo.com

San Juan: La Union del Pueblo Entero • Marta Sanchez  •

956-584-3636  • martas@lupenet.org

Where will the Convention be held and what time will it start?

The Convention will be held at the Travis County Expo Center, located on 7311 Decker Lane in Austin, TX  78724, from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

What should I take to the Texas Convention?

U.S. & Texas flags, photos of family members affected by immigration laws, and banners and t-shirts of organizations.