At the US Social Forum, Immigrant Rights Groups Press Congress to Stop Repressive Senate Bill

MEDIA ADVISORY At the US Social Forum, Immigrant Rights Groups Press Congress to Stop Repressive Senate Bill Immigrant and Refugee Communities Advocate a New Start, Based on Human Rights, Dignity and Justice for All People and Communities

MEDIA ADVISORY -- PRESS CONFERENCE For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 28, 2007 Immigrant Rights Groups Press Congress to Stop Repressive Senate Bill and to Restore Rights as Part of Deliberations at the U.S. Social Forum Contact: Arnoldo García, (510) 928-0685, agarcia@nnirr.org (English / Spanish) Colin Rajah, (415) 203-8763, crajah@nnirr.org (English / Bahasa Melayu-Indonesia) Catherine Tactaquin, (510) 459-4457, ctactaquin@nnirr.org (English) Diana Pei Wu, (510) 847-9339, diana@nnirr.org (English / Spanish / Mandarin) WHAT: A media conference to address the hotly debated immigration reform bill before the Senate and other concerns being expressed by immigrant and refugee communities during the U.S. Social Forum. WHEN: 9:30-10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, June 28, 2007 WHERE: At the Immigrant Rights Tent at the Atlanta Civic Center (in back corner, in front of the registration site entrance), site of the U.S. Social Forum proceedings. WHO: Members and allies of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights with participants of the "Immigrant Rights Caucus" at the U.S. Social Forum. (See caucus list and national immigrant and refugee rights contact list for media below), representing African, African American, Latino, Asian & Asian American, Pacific Islander, South Asian and other communities. WHY: Ignoring broad immigrant community opposition, the U.S. Senate continues pushing forward an immigration reform bill (S.1639) that offers little relief for immigrant communities seeking legalization and family reunification. S.1639 would continue criminalizing immigrants, eroding the civil rights and liberties of the foreign-born. Based on a new guest worker program, S.1639 would dismantle the family unity basis of current immigration policies and impose a "merit" point system that favors skilled, educated, and English speaking workers considered more beneficial to the U.S. economy. The bill will deepen the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border, expanding immigrant prison construction, interior immigration policing, detention and deportations. * * * * * MEDIA CONTACTS Immigrant Rights Caucus at the U.S. Social Forum (partial list) June 26-July 1, 2007 - Atlanta, GA Carol Barton United Methodist Women's Division, New York, NY Cell/Telephone numbers: (917) 584-9726 (cell); Atlanta Marriott Email: cbarton@gbgm-umc.org URL http://www.umwmission.org http://gbgm-umc.org/umw Language(s) spoken: English (Spanish) Gabriel Camacho American Friends Service Committee, Project Voice, Boston, MA Cell (617) 947-7019 Email gcamacho@afsc.org Languages Spoken English, Spanish Viola Cásares and Alejandra Bergemann Fuerza Unida, San Antonio, Texas Cell (210) 273-5510 Email: insolita98@hotmail.com and admin@lafuerzaunida.org URL: www.lafuerzaunida.org Language(s) spoken: Español/Spanish, English Trishala Deb Audre Lorde Project, New York, NY Cell (917) 488-6701 Email tdeb@alp.org Languages Spoken: Hindi, Urdu, English Lillian Galedo Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Oakland, CA Cell & Telephone numbers (510) 409-1679 cell; (510) 465-9876 (w) Email: lgaledo@filipinos4action.org URL www.filipinos4action.org Language spoken: English National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Arnoldo García, cell (510) 928-0685, agarcia@nnirr.org (English, Spanish) Colin Rajah, cell (415) 203-8763, crajah@nnirr.org (English, Bahasa Melayu / Bahasa Indonesia) Catherine Tactaquin, cell (510) 459-4457 (English) Diana Pei Wu, cell (510) 847-9339, Diana@nnirr.org (English, Spanish, Mandarin) www.nnirr.org www.migrantdiaries.blogspot.com www.nnirr.blogspot.com www.myspace.com/nnirr migrantsrights.wiki.zoho.com Isabel Garcia and Alexis Mazón Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Tucson, AZ Cell/Telephone (520) 891-6169 and (520) 390-1604) Email: chita.garcia@yahoo.com and alexismazon@yahoo.com) URL www.derechoshumanosaz.net Language(s) spoken: English, Spanish Adriana Jasso American Friends Service Committee, San Diego, CA Cell (619) 808-7277 Email ajasso@afsc.org Languages Spoken: English, Spanish Hamid Khan South Asian Network, Los Angeles, CA Cell Voice 562-403-0488 x 105 Email hamid@southasiannetwork.org URL www.southasiannetwork.org Languages Spoken English; Urdu; Punjabi Gerald Lenoir Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Berkeley, California Cell: (510) 435-0382 (510) 849-9940 (voice) Email: bajimail@yahoo.com URL www.blackalliance.org Languages spoken: English B. Lowe and Francisco Pacheco Latino Union of Chicago, Chicago, IL Cell (773) 791-4668 (Loewe) and (240) 463-6410 Email ludevelopment@sbcglobal.net Languages Soke Spanish/English Monami Maulik DRUM: Desis Rising Up & Moving and the Immigrant Community Action coalition, Queens, NY Cell: (347) 385 9113 Email: monami@drumnation.org URL: www.drumnation.org Languages spoken: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, English María Poblet St. Peter's Housing Committee, San Francisco, CA Cell (510) 725-9646 Email maria@comitedevivienda.org Languages Spoke: Spanish/English Janis Rosheuvel and Prince Brown Families for Freedom, Brooklyn, NY Cell (917) 526-1136 Email janis@familiesforfreedom.org, princeofbrooklyn@gmail.com URL www.familiesforfreedom.org Languages Spoken English (both); French (Ms. Rosheuvel) Pedro Rios American Friends Service Committee; US/Mexico Border Program, San Diego, CA Cell 619/370-5908 Email PRios@afsc.org Languages Spoke: Spanish/English Rafael Samanez (VAMOS) Vendedores Ambulantes Mobilizando y Organizando en Solidaridad; New York, NY Cell: (646) 330-1951 Email: vamosunidos@gmail.com Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Lily Xiong Hmong American Women Association, Tel (414) 342-0858. Email lily@hawa-inc.org URL www.hawa-inc.org Languages Spoken: Hmong, English * For more information, the full schedule of events and links to the latest news & analysis: NNIRR Network News & Analysis: http://nnirr.blogspot.com Immigrants Rights Caucus: http://migrantsrights.wiki.zoho.com NNIRR Dispatches on the Road: http://migrantdiaries.blogspot.com U.S. Social Forum homepage: http://www.ussf2007.org NNIRR Homepage: http://www.nnirr.org * About The Immigrants Rights Caucus at the US Social Forum (partial list) The Immigrant Rights Caucus is convened by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (www.nnirr.org). The Caucus includes members and advocates from over 25 organizations, including the following groups and partner organizations: · AFL-CIO · American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) · Audre Lorde Project (ALP) · Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC) · Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) · CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities · Center for Parrticipatory Change (CPC-NC) · Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) · Coalicion de Derechos Humanos · Coalicion de Organizaciones Latino Americanas (COLA) · Colectivo Flatlander · Colonias Development Council · Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) · Esperanza del Barrio · Families for Freedom · Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc. · Fuerza Unida · Grassroots Global Justice · Highlander Research and Education Center · Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA) · Movement for Justice in el Barrio · Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) · Multiethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON) · National Immigration Project (NLG) · National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights · Priority African Network (PAN) · Progressive Communicators Network (PCN) · Queers for Economic Justice (Q4EJ) · South Asian Network (SAN) · Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network (REJN) · Southwest Workers Union (SWU) · St. Peter's Housing Committee · Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research & Action (TIGRA) · United Methodist Church - Women's Division · Vendedores Ambulantes Mobilizando y Organizando en Solidaridad (VAMOS)