WHAT: Congress is once again taking up the issue of immigration. New proposals from the U.S. House of Representatives and the White House have recently been introduced, and in the Senate, legislation may be introduced and debated within the next two weeks.
The House and Bush Administration proposals take different approaches to addressing immigration reform, and potential compromises could impact family-based immigration categories. We are very concerned that families will continue to be separated and that policies may be put in place that fail to address family backlogs and that threaten family structures.
ACTION NEEDED: Click on “Take Action” and enter your zip code to send a message to your Members of Congress in both the House and the Senate starting TODAY!
Ask them to pass just and comprehensive immigration reform legislation that preserves families; provides a path to lawful permanent residence and citizenship for the 11-12 million undocumented in our nation; and improves the economic prospects, health, labor protections, and stability of all U.S. residents, including newcomers.
Please ask your co-workers, families, and friends to contact their Congressional delegations on this issue.
BACKGROUND: On March 22, 2007, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) introduced the Security through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 (STRIVE Act). This bill is a good starting point and the appropriate framework for a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The White House announced its proposal for immigration on March 29th; the Administration’s proposal does not meet the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA’s principles for comprehensive immigration reform.
Please visit our website for more information on the STRIVE ACT and the Administration’s proposal.
For more information on comprehensive immigration reform, please visit the website of the Justice for Immigrants Campaign.
Who can I contact at Catholic Charities USA for more information? Please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Director of Immigration and Special Populations Policy or Christin Driscoll, Senior Director for Policy Development and Advocacy.
Raise your voice and join your colleagues from accross the nation - in just two days, nearly 1,000 message have been sent to Congress from our site!
Tens of thousands more are calling and writing their legislators via other means.
Together, we can make a difference!
Posted by: Christin Driscoll | May 03, 2007 at 09:48 AM