TMO Clergy & Houston Bishops Denounce SAFE Act

Methodist Bishop Janice Riggle and Catholic Cardinal Daniel Dinardo spoke at a TMO press conference supporting comprehensive immigration reform and condemning the "Safe Act" bill. With clergy and representation from every major religious denomination in Houston, leaders called on those who oppose the SAFE Act to communicate their perspective with the Congressional representatives. Bishop Michael Rinehart of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America noted that the SAFE Act contradicts the immigration principles local religious leaders first put forth in 2008. Rev. John Ogletree of First Metropolitan Church and Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel also called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Read moreChamber Leaders Join Central TX Clergy in Immigration Effort

Austin Interfaith Hosts Immigration Reform Event, Austin American Statesman
COPA Addresses Immigrant Fears in Meeting with Sheriff

Participants included people like Johnny Delmar, a UCSC student who shared his story about being profiled recently by rifle-armed police looking for robbery suspects.
Read moreNAIC Secures Flagstaff Resolution For Immigration Reform

Flagstaff City Council Approves Resolution Supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Amigos NAZ
AZ Interfaith Meets with Sen. John McCain Reaffirming Support for Immigration Reform

McCain: Backing Immigration Reform Sends Right Message, Arizona Republic
TMO Press Conference Responds to Immigration Bill

Speakers including Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, and Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel said the highest priority should be creating a process for undocumented immigrants to earn legal status and eventual citizenship."
Read moreNorCal IAF Immigration Action Team ‘Ready for Reform’
Bay Area IAF organizations have been in local action for years around issues effecting immigrants, and are getting ready for federal immigration reform. Leaders in Marin, Sonoma, Solano, and Napa counties have been organizing immigration workshops and clinics aimed at connecting immigrants with trusted legal support, educating people about immigration reform proposals, and building a constituency of immigrant and non-immigrant leaders to lay the local foundation for a successful pathway to citizenship. Since December, more than 500 people have participated in workshops and clinics focused on youth applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and over 100 native-born allies have taken part in local Immigration Action Team workshops on the history and current implications of US immigration policy.
PCIC Wins In-State Tuition for DACA Students in Pima County

PCIC leader Melanie Nelson spoke of the six Deferred Action Civic Academies held at her church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, last fall. "These students have lawful status now, but they can't afford the high tuition. Before DACA we had several attempted suicides in our parish. Now they need an pathway to an education and a future," she said. Before the vote, Jimmy Ojeda, a homeowner and parent, from St. John's, and Monica Leon, a U of A graduate, from Casa Maria Catholic Worker shared their own immigration stories. The group's goal is now to get the University of Arizona system to follow Pima's lead.
Nebraska Leaders Improve Police & ICE Treatment of Immigrants
After leaders of OTOC's Immigration Action Team challenged Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer to ensure that immigrants stopped by OPD officers receive fair treatment, OPD issued an official bulletin to all officers informing them that the matricula consular could be accepted as valid identification. (The matricula consular is an identification card issued by consulates verifying the place of residence for foreign nationals.) Photo shows leaders in early encounter with Chief Schmaderer.
OTOC leaders also met with the head of Douglas County Corrections and the regional director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about ways to reduce the number of immigrants with small children being detained in Douglas County jails while they await deportation hearings. ICE has now implemented a new release program which allows up to 100 persons who would otherwise be detained to return home to their families while they await their hearings.
COPA Secures $300K for DREAMers
With the promise of the California DREAM Act still a year away, COPA leaders launched a 2012 campaign to bring financial help to undocumented college students in their community. $150,000 raised from businesses leveraged an additional $150,000 from UC Santa Cruz, allowing COPA and its partners to provide $300,000 in assistance in advance of the law.