Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 14, 2009

For more information:

Hilary Tone, Communications Coordinator 520-623-4944

Jennifer Allen, Executive Director 520-820-0360

While Washington Gears up to Reform Immigration,

Arizonans Learn How to Keep Pressure on Officials

Tucson, Arizona - Nearly 2,500 faith and community leaders gathered yesterday in Washington, D.C. to echo Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and other members' call that "Family Unity Cannot Wait". The Congressman presented the details of a forthcoming bill to reform the U.S.'s failed immigration policy into one that keeps families together, improves the U.S. economy and ensures labor rights for all.

The Congressman's announcement and the bill, scheduled to be introduced next month, are expected to kick-off the Congressional debate and invigorate on-the-ground support for reforming U.S. immigration policy.

According to the Border Action Network in Arizona, sustaining momentum in Washington is largely dependent on the constituents in home districts.  "Congress has been inundated by hate-filled phone calls, emails and faxes urging them to do the impossible and impractical: round up and deport millions of family members in the U.S." explains Jennifer Allen, Executive Director of the Border Action Network, a human rights community organization and member of the national Reform Immigration FOR America campaign.

To create a counter-balance, the organization has launched an initiative to train Latino families in Arizona on how to use technology to ensure Washington policy makers hear their voices.

All over Arizona, the organization is offering Spanish-language training in the basics of civic participation: how a bill becomes a law, who the Arizona members of Congress are, how to call them, send emails, sign postcards and receive text message alerts on their cell phones.

"This entire country would benefit from a real reform of our immigration system. The debate has been dominated by hate and fear," says Allen. "We are moving the debate forward by giving people, who want practical solutions that will benefit immigrant families and the country as a whole, the tools to speak up."

As part of the initiative, the group is collecting 30,000 postcards to send to President Obama, Arizona Senator McCain and the signer's Representative. Since the August 1^st launch of the initiative, the group has collected 10,200 postcards and trained more than 500 people in several cities in Arizona, including Yuma, Somerton, San Luis, Wellton, Gila Bend, Casa Grande, Miami, Mesa, Phoenix, Avondale, Buckeye, Globe, Gilbert, Nogales, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Sedona, Roll, Texas Hill, Wilcox, Tempe, Sierra Vista, Douglas, Cottonwood, and Tucson.

"As a country, we should not stand for policies that separate families and degrade our economy. We applaud the members of Congress that are getting the ball rolling. We are committed to building vocal support in Arizona to continue to press for real solutions for immigrants and the country," concludes Allen.

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Border Action Network is a human rights community organization that formed in 1999 and works with immigrant and border communities in Arizona to ensure their rights are protected, dignity upheld and that their communities are safe and healthy places for all people.

www.borderaction.org