Looking towards 2011 for Immigration Reform

We narrowly lost the fight to pass the DREAM Act this year but the fight isn't over.  A new congress will convene in January and the odds for us moving any just and humane immigration laws look grim today.  But in my estimation this maybe the time to begin rebuilding and expanding our capacity to impact immigration policies.  We should use this time to engage new people, train those that have shown interest these past few months and retool for a bigger fight.

Impact on the Local
Locally we must begin to educate immigrants on their rights so that they can understand how the law does protect them and so that they are not swindled by crooked lawyers or profiled by bad cops.  We can begin by engaging them at their churches and schools with Know Your Rights Workshops (KYRW) and sign them up for updates and meeting reminders.  We must take KYRW further by giving them hope through our stories of success in organizing.  We must expand the number of local leaders engaged in these efforts if we wish to win a national reform in the near future.

TAP and students from various schools gathered seeking support from Councilman Oliver Davis for the DREAM Act.  Councilman Davis delivered a powerful proclamation in support of the students. 

Impact Statewide
The attack on immigrant families will intensify because politicians see easy targets that can mobilize the electorate.  We will see an Arizona style law, attack on Medicare for U.S. born children of immigrants, stronger penalties for entering the country without proper papers and workplace enforcement of the employees through e-verify.  We must mobilize and visit our legislators in Indianapolis to share with them our values when dealing with immigrants and the consequences to our local economies if we make Indiana less welcoming to immigrants. 

Impact Nationally
I wrote at the the beginning that the odds are grim for any positive reforms coming from Congress next year but I am hopeful.  I am hopeful that we have learned our lessons well on how to move a national issue with a constituency that can not vote.  We must build relationships with those that can vote and begin to work on common issues that impact our communities.  We must stand with the working people in the non-immigrant communities that also want better schools, safer neighborhoods, access to health care and opportunities to economic development.  We need their support because their voting power is what will bend the ear of elected officials. 

Rev. Gilbert Washington of St. Paul Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, attending a DREAM Act march in downtown Chicago. 

So what can you do?
Join TAP to begin building bridges with non-immigrants and let us stand together to ensure our families are not the targets of opportunity seeking politicians this coming year.  If you are interested in finding out more and staying informed, please contact us tapmichiana@gmail.com.

May God bless your families and Merry Christmas.

Prison Reform?

Is Daniels serious about doing this or simply looking for new ways to expand prison programs for a bigger prison system? 

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-daniels-endorses-findings-of-c-121610,0,5858131.story

Onward to the Senate

Update at Noon: Vote postponed for the lame duck session.  This means we have at least 2 more weeks to find more votes for the bill.  Meeting this Tuesday, 7 PM to discuss action steps to push Lugar.  Zion UCC, 715 E. Wayne Street. 

Update at 10:40 am: There is a small chance that the cloture vote will be postponed until the lame duck session.  This gives us a few more days to keep pushing the calls into Lugars office. Lugar is using the tax cuts has an excuse for not being on board.  We need to flood his office with calls and remind him of the House vote and his previous support for the DREAM Act. 

Great job everyone in helping pass the DREAM Act in the House.  It was an historic vote and your calls helped ensure the message got to Members of Congress what this bill is really about.  Now the fight continues in the Senate where we need 60 votes and are a few shy as of today.  Lugar is on the fence and your calls will be key in helping move Lugar.

Check this blog link regularly for relevant updates and these the 3 things you can do:
1. Watch the vote tomorrow at 11 AM.
2. Pass around the Senate 866 Number in your action alerts.  Spanish: 866-961-4293, English: 866-996-5161 
3. Check this blog regularly for updates and share the link.  


Roll call of tonights historic vote: 
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll625.xml

Vote Today on the DREAM

 This was the easy part, next comes the Senate...

 Update at 9:14 PM:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46138.html 
 Update at 4:39 PM:

Hoyer is back on board.  The House vote is set for 6:30 PM.  

Update:
Please call Hoyer's office to demand that he move the DREAM Act to vote on House floor NOW!  It is our understanding that he is potentially trying to slow down the process to force a Senate vote first,  THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE!

Hoyer’s office number is: 202-225-3130 and his Chief of Staff is Terry Lierman.

Watch the vote at:
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN.aspx

It will happen this afternoon but the count is going to be down to the wire. We need calls into Ellsworth office because he is on the fence: (202) 225-3284

Update: 
Lugar is undecided on his vote and prefers for the tax cuts to come up first.  Please make calls to Lugar at:

Senators to push for DREAM:

a.     Senate Spanish: 866-961-4293

b.     Senate English: 866-996-5161

 TAP met with Congressman Donnelly's staff yesterday to push support of the DREAM Act.  

Continue Making Calls!!

We have word that Senator Lugar is only a maybe on the DREAM Act.  He was not consulted on the new bill.

Senators to push for DREAM:

a.     Senate Spanish: 866-961-4293

b.     Senate English: 866-996-5161

Right to Work for Less

Next year the labor unions in Indiana will face an assault from the Right to Work lobby.  I am posting a link so that you may learn more about the issue that will threaten our wage and safety issues in Indiana. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law

A quick excerpt:
"Opponents further argue that because unions are weakened by these laws, wages are lowered and worker safety and health is endangered. For these reasons, they often refer to right-to-work states as "right to work for less" states or "right-to-fire" states, and "non-right-to-work" states as "free collective bargaining" states. They also cite statistics from the United States Department of Labor showing, for example, that in 2003 the rate of workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers was highest in right-to-work states."

DREAM ACT UPDATE 12/07/2010

The DREAM Act of 2010 S.3992, a new version of the DREAM Act, includes numerous changes to address concerns raised about the bill.  Among other things, S. 3992:

1.    Does not repeal the ban on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.  The DREAM Act would not allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition.  The DREAM Act also continues to prohibit students from obtaining Pell and other federal grants.
2.    Lowers the age cap for eligibility for the DREAM Act to 29 on the date of enactment.  Additionally, in order to be eligible, individuals still must have come to the U.S. as a child (15 or under) and be a long-term resident (at least 5 years).  An earlier version of the DREAM Act (S. 1545 in the 108th Congress), authored by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and cosponsored by Senator John McCain, did not include any age cap.  This bill was approved by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee on a 16-3 vote.
3.    Does not grant legal immigrant status to anyone for at least 10 years.  Previous versions of the DREAM Act would have immediately granted legal immigrant status to individuals who met the bill’s requirements.  Under S. 3992, an individual could obtain “conditional nonimmigrant” status if he proves that he meets the age (currently 29 or under and arrived in the U.S. at 15 or under) and residency requirements (5 years or more) and:
a.   Has graduated from an American high school or obtained a GED;
b.   Has been a person of “good moral character,” as determined by the Department of Homeland Security, from the date the individual initially entered the U.S. (previous versions of the DREAM Act only required an individual to be a person of good moral character from the date of the bill’s enactment);
c.    Submits biometric information;
d.   Undergoes security and law-enforcement background checks;
e.   Undergoes a medical examination; and
f.     Registers for the Selective Service.
4.    Further limits eligibility for conditional nonimmigrant status by specifically excluding anyone who:
a.   Has committed one felony or three misdemeanors;
b.   Is likely to become a public charge;
c.    Has engaged in voter fraud or unlawful voting;
d.   Has committed marriage fraud;
e.   Has abused a student visa;
f.     Has engaged in persecution; or
g.    Poses a public health risk.
Additionally, individuals would continue to be excluded if they have received a final order of deportation, have engaged in criminal activity (as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act), or present a national security or terrorist threat.
5.    Gives a conditional nonimmigrant the change to earn legal immigrant status only after 10 years and only if he meets the DREAM Act’s college or military service requirements, and other requirements, e.g., pays back taxes and demonstrates the ability to read, write, and speak English and demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of government of the United States.
6.    Further limits “chain migration.”  DREAM Act individuals would have very limited ability to sponsor family members for U.S. citizenship.  They could never sponsor extended family members and they could not begin sponsoring parents or siblings for at least 12 years.  Parents and siblings who entered the U.S. illegally would have to leave the country for ten years before they could gain legal status and the visa backlog for siblings is decades long.
7.    Specifically excludes nonimmigrants from the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.  Conditional nonimmigrants also would be ineligible for Medicaid, Food Stamps and other entitlement programs.
8.    Establishes a one-year application deadline.  An individual would be required to apply for conditional nonimmigrant status within one year of obtaining a high school degree or GED, being admitted to college, or the bill’s date of enactment.
9.    Requires anyone applying for the DREAM Act to show that he is likely to qualify in order to receive a stay of deportation while his application is pending.  The DREAM Act is not a safe harbor from deportation.
10.  Requires DHS to provide information from an individual’s DREAM Act application to any federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agency, or intelligence or national security agency in any criminal investigation or prosecution or for homeland security or national security purposes.
11.  Places the burden of proof on a DREAM Act applicant.  An individual would be required to demonstrate eligibility for the DREAM Act by a preponderance of the evidence.

DREAM NEEDS YOU NOW!

The DREAM Act will be voted on tomorrow at 10am.  We need calls into these offices today!  The house line is 866-967-6018

And the script on that line is this :
The House of Representatives will vote on the DREAM act Friday morning. Millions of young people’s futures are riding on this bill. In a moment you will be connected your Representatives office. When you are connected, tell your representative to vote YES on the DREAM Act.

Fence sitters:
Visclosky, Peter IN-01


Leaning Yes:
Ellsworth, Brad IN-08

November SBCSC Parent Advisory Council meeting

Last night ( Tues Nov 30 ) I attended the SBCSC Parent Advisory Council meeting. The idea behind the Council is for parent representatives from every school to get information about various aspects of the SBCSC such as programs, test scores, etc., and take that information back to other parents at their school. Parents have the opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback, and set the agenda for future meetings. This is a good effort by Superintendent Kapsa to communicate with parents and he has given TAP access to this forum. It is disappointing that all the schools were not represented.

Presentations were given on the Read 180 program and 8 Steps to Success.

Read 180 is a literacy intervention program for high school and intermediate students. This is a successful program that has shown an average 1.5+ year reading gain for students who have been in 60+ sessions. I won't go into details her. If you want more information click the link above or contact the SBCSC.

8 Steps to Success is a process intended to improve student achievement. It is a school wide system that uses frequent student assessment, teacher collaboration, and monitoring to achieve student excellence. You can get more information by following the link to the Indiana DOE site or contacting the SBCSC.

My children's kindergarten teacher was the presenter for 8 Steps to Success. She remembered them and me after all these years. I was nice to have the opportunity to let her know what they are up to now.