| Call on Governors Vilsack,
Huckabee and Iowa Political Leaders to Fight to Restore Integrity,
Humanity to Nation’s Broken Immigration System
Read
the article in the Des Moines Register from 7/18/05
Contact:
Hugh Espey, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (515) 282-0484
Kirk Martin, Catholic Charities, (515) 237-5068
7/16/05
Des Moines, Iowa: Today, hundreds of Iowans joined Bishop
Gregory Palmer of the Iowa United Methodist Church and other religious
and community leaders from around the state at a rally outside of
the National Governor’s Association (NGA) Annual meeting.
The coalition of groups announced a plan to educate Governor Vilsack
(IA-D) and his colleagues about issues affecting the nation’s
immigrant population and called on incoming NGA Chair Mike Huckabee
(AR-R) to be a leader on immigration reform.
“Governor Huckabee has said America
should always be a place that opens its arms, opens its heart and
spirit to those who come in search of a better life. There is no
better leader to help reform our nation’s broken immigration
system. We hope as he takes on the national role as the new National
Governors Association Chair, he will embrace his beliefs and pursue
immigration reform on the national political agenda,” said
Maria Lira of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.
Immigration reform is on the state and national
political agenda, as Congress and states debate in-state tuition,
drivers’ licenses, the reauthorization of the Patriot Act,
Senator McCain and Kennedy’s immigration bill and other state
and federal policies. Participating organizations believe that the
current immigration policies do not reflect the reality of our global
economy and that our nation’s governors need to make more
of an effort to reform these policies within their states. Current
policies leave millions of immigrants in the shadows, lacking the
rights and opportunities that America was built on.
“Immigrants have rights too,”
said Loxi Hopkins of Quad Cities Interfaith. “Immigrants contribute
to our farms, our tax base, and our economy. With opposition to
the REAL ID Act a significant first step, we ask that the governors
and state leaders take an active role in recognizing immigrants
and their rights and call on them to help restore dignity and fairness
to our immigration system.”
During the rally, religious and community
leaders unveiled a plan that includes showing a strong community
and immigrant presence at regional hearings being organized by the
State’s New Iowans Commission. They laid out principles for
an immigration system that is safe, respects the rights of all,
protects individuals fleeing persecution and reflects the reality
of the global economy.
# # #
Sponsoring organizations:
AMOS—A Metropolitan Organizing Strategy, American Friends
Service Committee, Catholic Charities, Catholic Diocese of Des Moines,
Clinica Medica Latina of Des Moines, Des Moines Area Religious Council,
Des Moines District Committee on Hispanic Ministries of the United
Methodist Church, Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa and Nebraska,
Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Iowa Citizens
for Community Improvement, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Iowa Council for International
Understanding, Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Latino
Affairs, Justice for Our Neighbors, Methodist Federation for Social
Action, Network Against Human Trafficking, Our Lady of the Americas,
Somali Foundation, Quad Cities Interfaith.
Read
the article in the Des Moines Register from 7/18/05
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