5/24: NNIRR/AFSC Press Conference

Subject: PRESS REL: National Immigrant Press Conference
Date: May 22, 2006 6:31 PM

For Immediate Release
May 22, 2006

Immigrant Communities Nationwide Say NO
To Senate Immigration Compromise Bill,
Call for Fair and Just Legalization

Contact:
Arnoldo Garcà a (510) 465-1984 x 305 agarcia [at] nnirr.org
Christian Ramà rez (619) 885-1289 cramirez [at] afsc.org
<mailto:cramirez [at] afsc.org>


Oakland, CA - The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)
with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), in collaboration with
local partners, will hold a telephonic press conference to highlight
nationwide community opposition to the Senate "Compromise" immigration
bill now under consideration. Diverse communities are calling for fair and just
immigration reforms that include legalization with rights, full labor
protections, family reunification and border demilitarization. The current
version of the bill includes, what is being passed off as legalization, a
limited and divisive program that creates three tiers of undocumented
immigrants, who will be subjected to unfair treatment, severe fines and
deportations. The "Compromise" also contains devastating enforcement
provisions that increase jails for immigrants, strip away due process
rights, expands guest worker programs and further militarize the border.

What: "Immigrant Communities Nationwide say NO to Compromise Bill
-Call for Fair and Just
Legalization with Rights"

When: Wednesday, May 24, 2006, 1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT

Where: Dial in to (866) 550-6338

Who: Speakers include:

* Isabel Garcà a (Arizona) - Coalición de Derechos Humanos (Coalition for
Human Rights).
* Maricela Garcà a (Illinois) - National Alliance of Latin American and
Caribbean Communities (NALAAC).
* Hamid Khan (California) - The South Asian Network
* Monami Maulik (New York) -Immigrant Communities in Action coalition and
DRUM: Desis Rising Up & Moving
* Tirso Moreno (Florida) - The Farmworker Association of Florida Inc.
* Christian Ramà rez (Philadelphia) -American Friends Service Committee,
Project Voice.
* Moderator: Catherine Tactaquin (California) - Executive Director of
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

"The Senate compromise bill, offering further militarization of the
U.S.-Mexico border and guest worker programs, guarantees that immigrant
families, workers and communities will suffer greater abuses of their rights
and more migrant fatalities at the border," declared Isabel Garcà a,
chairperson of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos based in Tucson, Arizona.
"Our elected officials need to enact laws that protect the rights of all
immigrants, provide true safety to our communities, offering fairness and
justice for all immigrants," Ms. Garcia added

"All immigrant communities deserve legalization with rights, full labor
protections, and family reunification," stated Monami Maulik, Director of
DRUM: Desis Rising Up & Moving. "Our communities will not accept an
immigration bill that erodes our civil and human rights and criminalizes
immigrants. The bills will require deportation for minor infractions, limit
people's ability to access fair hearings, and result in the long-term
separation of families."

As they call for a fair and just immigration reform, communities across the
country are pressing our country's lawmakers to consider the devastating
impacts the proposed Senate immigration bill will have and instead pass
legislation that provides genuine legalization and protects the rights of
all on immigrant families, workers and communities.