SHAPING POLICY   --   INFORMING THE PUBLIC DEBATE –

Immigrant Day & Legislative Successes
This year marked the 16th annual celebration of Immigrant Day. This cherished tradition is a demonstration of the strength and unity of our statewide immigrant rights community to elected officials in Sacramento. A majority of the bills on the 2012 ONE CA Immigrant Day Platform passed the Legislature, and 6 were signed by the Governor.  One of these bills was the CIPC co-sponsored bill AB 1899 – Access to Education for Survivors of Crime. We thank and celebrate with you this notable victory!

TRUST Act AB1081 (Ammiano)
2012 was a significant year for California in pushing back against unfair detentions and deportations caused by the failed "Secure" Communities program. The TRUST Act,  supported by a powerful network of community organizations across the state, garnered notable momentum as it passed the Legislature with a significant margin of support. The Governor’s veto was immensely disappointing, but the passion and power displayed by our movement in advocating for the TRUST Act makes us stronger for next year.

On December 3rd, author Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, joined by principle co-authors Senator Kevin De León and Assemblymembers Luis Alejo and V.M. Perez, reintroduced the  TRUST Act as AB 4 (Ammiano). CIPC is committed to the fight against S-Comm and to advancing proactive solutions that keep families together and help restore trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. It is our hope and expectation that Governor Brown will reach a common understanding with the community ahead of the bill's first hearing next year.

[AB 4 is co-sponsored by CIPC, Asian Law Caucus, National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), ACLU of CA, and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF).]

Health & Budget Advocacy
CIPC worked alongside its allies to protect and expand immigrant access to health and human services in 2012. We continued our participation in several statewide efforts to protect state-funded programs and services available to immigrants and their families, including the Having Our Say Coalition, the Health & Human Services Network, California Partnership, and the Latino Health Alliance.

This year, CIPC advocated against the Governor’s proposed cuts to various health and human services, including CalWorks and Medi-Cal. We also engaged in efforts to ensure that healthcare reform implementation is sensitive to the needs of immigrant communities. For partners, we provided several webinars and trainings on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its implications for immigrant communities. As implementation moves forward, CIPC will continue its work to ensure California's immigrants maintain access to health care.

BUILDING CAPACITY AMONG IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES –

Statewide Immigrant Advocacy & Organizing Conference

Just last week, CIPC hosted our 3rd biannual conference Liberty & Justice for All in San Francisco. This year's sessions covered discussions on border justice, LBGT immigrants, workers’ rights, comprehensive immigration reform and more. CIPC’s commitment to convene events like the conference stems from our belief that networking and information sharing provides powerful opportunities to develop and advance inclusive policies in California.

Regional Trainings & Webinars
CIPC offers biannual regional trainings and yearly webinars for allies, community members, and advocates. In February and March, CIPC held trainings in Oakland and Los Angeles on key immigrant issues, including Access to Health Care and Public Benefits, Communications, Civil Rights and Public Safety, and Advocating for Immigrant Rights. In late Spring, we convened a webinar series on 2012 legislative priorities that provided participants information on new bills, strategies, and opportunities for engagement. Besides the Spring Webinar series, we offered individual webinars for special events and trainings, such as the Monterey Binational Health Week.

PROVIDING RESOURCES & EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

Looking Forward: Immigrant Contributions to the Golden State 2012
CIPC released the 4th edition of this report that celebrates the contributions of immigrants to California, and specifically the contributions of immigrants in five counties -- Los Angeles, Kern, Tulare, Santa Barbara and San Joaquin. The reports were done in cooperation with researchers at the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration in the University of Southern California.

Making the Affordable Care Act Work for Immigrants in California.
While the Affordable Care Act will provide coverage for many immigrants and their families, it will also leave out a large group of unauthorized immigrants. This report examines how health reform affects immigrants in the following ways: affordability of health care for lawfully present immigrants, complex issues faced by mixed-status families, and preserving access to health care for undocumented immigrants.

We at the California Immigrant Policy Center are honored to work closely with so many of you - the grassroots and community organizations that support immigrants in their everyday struggles, advocacy groups that tirelessly advocate for federal and state policies to support our poorest residents, and immigrants who organize and mobilize in the face of tremendous challenges. 2013 holds many opportunities and challenges and we look forward to continuing our work together.

As we enter this holiday season, we wish you and your family the best and we look forward to continuing our work together in 2013!