Transcript, Illegal alien lobby (REFORM IMMIGRATION FOR AMERICA) “emergency” amnesty conference call of August 11, 2014 (Transcribed by REV.com) Call lasted about 45 minutes, beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern

In audio: – coming to our borders because we are [inaudible 00:00:02] situations in their home countries. Mostly, [inaudible 00:00:07] in El Salvador. [inaudible 00:00:09] are very complex, but the stories are simply horrifying. The stories we are hearing on the [inaudible 00:00:16], babies to three year olds to boys of other ages, coming from circumstances where they are forced to join gangs or face torture, [inaudible 00:00:26], or having their families and [inaudible 00:00:29] killed. Young girls are facing the unspeakable. They are fleeing for their lives to a variety of different countries including the US. Not because they want to, but because their lives depend on it, and they know it. [inaudible 00:00:45] ugly circumstances where people are not welcoming, the American population as a whole has a huge heart and it’s willing to help those in need.

It’s our job to speak up for these families so that the rest of this country understand the gravity of the situation to the country. If they understand they will act. For this part, the administration and Congress should act in a way that represents our country’s big heart. They should make sure the individuals in need have their day in court. We want the entirety of their circumstances to be taken into account. We should expand their access to lawyers and due prospect, not just focus on their removal. We think these steps should go a long way in setting up the best possible process to give these families a fair chance. We have to help them tell their stories. Together, we will help them tell children on the border but we are counting on you to help.

Then, of course, the politics of immigration has just put us in a key moment where millions of families could finally get the justice they deserve. On the one hand, Republicans in Congress have proven that there are more interested in catering to those on the far right. Just a week and a half ago they voted to put themselves farther from immigrant families than they ever have. They voted to deport dreamers, to tear our communities apart, and close doors on due process for families across the border.

The attitude is not new. It is appalling to see a major party shut our immigrant families even more. To take extreme positions just to satisfy those on the right. With that, Republicans have officially made it clear that they have no intentions to work with our community and leaving President Obama no option but to take action.

President Obama has said great things and come out strongly saying that we’ll take action at some point between now and December. What needs to happen is for our movement to have a very strong showing over the next month, taking action, showing our strength at the rallies of individuals, and participating in Congressional town halls. For this to happen, we need to show the rest of the country that our families need this and that we need to show our energy.

With that in mind, and at this point, I have three different ways we can get involved. Again, in order to join events in your community, remember that you can text JUSTICE to 69866. Again, text the word JUSTICE to 69866. Secondly, we can also go to StopSeparatingOurFamilies.org. That’s www.StopSeparatingFamilies.org, and see a full range of events that we have across the country. Again, that’s www.StopSeparatingFamilies.org. Lastly, pick up your phone and call the White House every day until our families have relief.

We have a rise at this moment only through the strength of our families and our movement, and the movement including you. That’s how we will drive home history for our community. We will be asking questions during this time and so, one of the questions that we want to engage you in is, do you want to get more involved in the immigrant rights movement as in the fight for our families? If yes, press one; two for no; and three if you want more information. Remember, at any time you can press zero to submit a question to our speaker.

Now it is my great pleasure to introduce our first speaker, a real champion for our immigrant families and for this country. We have with us Senator Blumenthal. Senator Blumenthal is Connecticut’s Senior Senator, and I know from working with advocates in his home state and in this country, that he is known as a fighter, a champion, when it comes to the working families, to [inaudible 00:04:37] that he cares about, and certainly immigration reform being one of them. Please, Senator Blumenthal, welcome to the National Call for Action for Our Families.
Senator: Thank you very, very much. Thank you for including me and thanks the coalition for humaning immigrants rights of Los Angeles for all your good work and I’m honored to be with you tonight along with Wendy Young and Emmy Fernandez, Wendy Young of Kids in Need of Descent, Emmy Fernandez. They both are real champions and speaking of my home state, I want to give a shout out to a number of great advocates in this movement who particularly deserve thanks. Pica Maddows for the work that she’s done, both in Connecticut and nationally. Also, to the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, [inaudible 00:05:31] for progressive action and all the community leaders, labor leaders, faith based organizations across Connecticut who partnered with me and worked beside me and provided the voices and faces of this great movement.

The voices and faces are what is critical at this moment in our history. Roses numbers which you provided, the opportunities that you mentioned for participation, the grass roots movement that we hope to advance and further, all are absolutely vital at this point because I think we’re really at a turning point. The cusp of really achieving immigration reform and a really important, lasting solution in a number of these areas.

Let me just approach it from three different perspectives. Number one, the immediate challenge of the young migrants coming across our border, children who are fleeing viscous persecution and violence in their home countries. Number two, copper heads in immigration reform, which we all hope will come from the house as the Senate passed the bill that I worked very, very hard to achieve there on a bipartisan basis overwhelmingly. Third, what will happen, what I hope will happen, in the event that the house refuses to pass reform opportunities that I see for executive action, which are obviously everybody’s second choice, but nonetheless, we need to keep in mind.

First, I’m reminded of the mantra which is the real guiding lone star positions. First, do no harm. These young people coming across the border deserve due process, deserve facilities that are humane and caring. They deserve advocates who can sit and stand with them and they deserve, really, the individual consideration that only can come when they are given the kind of due process and consideration that the law currently contemplates. The victim has [inaudible 00:08:04], must be preserved.

First, due no harm needs keeping that act intact. I don’t need to tell anyone on this call the great onslaught of opposition that’s coming from certain corners. If we can stand strong, we can defeat them. I did the border and it was a profoundly moving and inspirational experience. I saw kids arriving, they’re not trying to escape or evade protection, they are presenting themselves to the border patrol. They are brought to facilities where they’re kept in holding cells in a set, and then to other facilities where the kinds of conditions are less than optimal. I saw young children, their legs barely reaching the ground, interrogated by the border patrol and the thought of them going through this process without someone there to interpret and council and elicit from them the truth of their individual circumstances, because they are fearful, more than anything, fearful. That’s what I saw in their eyes. The absence of that kind of advocate and council is abhorrent to me as a lawyer who believes in the constitution, in the rule of law, in individual consideration. Whether they are fleeing persecution is an individual determination to be made under our law and decide what they are to be given asylum, until I am pledging to you and I hope that you will join in purging as strongly as you can, every single member of Congress, to defeat efforts, to repeal the victim crest and protection act.

Second, immigration reform. I still believe it’s possible. I may be in a minority in a United States Senate, but I am going to keep working to persuade my house colleagues, principally on the Republican side, as you know, that’s where the advocacy needs to go. I believe comprehensive immigration reform is doable. It has a very powerful, historic, political dynamic in it’s favor and it relates to the upcoming Presidential election, the position the Republic holds and if they fail to at least permit the contest to go forward, it has elicited a profoundly powerful coalition.

In this community, civil rights community, advocates across the spectrum, because it will guarantee a more secure and more just system. Is it perfect? No. Not by a long shot. I don’t deride it, but I am the first to recognize it’s imperfections in so many areas. I believe strongly that we need to try to advance the house, not give up.

If it is impossible to achieve, and we very definitely need to ask respectfully, but firmly, that the President go forward with whatever executive authority he can apply to improve the system. He said so already with the back of a program which I strongly supported. The dream is provide very powerful voices and faces. At that time I went to the floor every time I could, every week, with portraits of these dreamers, with life stories from Connecticut. Individual stories of their struggles and achievements and their potential to give back and contribute to the country, to our education system, to our medical systems, the doctors, lawyers, engineers. They are so impressive, then.

The dreamers, I think, epitomize what the President can do. The President should actually suspend the deportation of all individuals, undocumented, who are qualified under the bill that was passed by the United States Senate. For example, if they have no criminal record, if they have children in this country, if they pose no threat and they would be qualified under the Senate bill, the President should suspend the deportation.

I think sending that message to him and respectfully but emphatically, is a very imporant task ahead. I want to come back to what I think is the really potential point here, the stories. This is what I find most impressive and persuasive is the stories of the individuals. The employers who have started small businesses. They employ people. The parents who have children born here that they have no criminal record. They ought to be given a chance to stay, again, if they qualify under the Senate, those criteria. It would be eligible for the past citizenship. There are so many people who have a stake in this bill in terms of stopping the arbitrary ways and intentions. I helped to write, particularly, that part of the immigration reform bill that contains due process. The President may be able to implement parts of it by his executive authority.

I think the President has broad authority to do more and I hope that he will and I just want to close with this thought, because I know there are very, very eligible and significant speakers after me. Whenever I feel down or discouraged, I go to an immigration naturalization ceremony. I did just a week or so ago. I try to do it every time I can, when I’m in Connecticut. They’re held on Fridays in our courthouses around Connecticut. Parts of [Haven 00:14:15] report, and of course people come with tears in their eyes, with their families, their friends. They celebrate. I tell them that [inaudible 00:14:24] opportunity to give a little talk and I thank them for wanting to become United States Citizens. Such a moving and powerful picture. There’s an old saying, a picture’s worth a thousand words. If you look at this picture, it’s America. We’re a nation of immigrants. We should be proud of it. We’re strong because of it.

All I can say is that if we present that picture to America, I truly believe that we will care today. These people are not numbers. They’re not extraction. They’re not statistics. They’re individuals. Whether they’re crossing the border from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, the youngest of them were fleeing viscous persecution, murder, rape, robbery, their stories are electrifying and gripping and their courage is very, very powerfully impressive. Those pictures carry enormous weight and I truly believe that we can prevail and that we can persuade my colleagues that comprehensive immigration reform is an idea whose time has truly come.

My visit to the border, watching the immigration naturalization ceremony, meeting with the dreamers, spending time with advocates, all convinced me that this task is politically doable if we mobilize at the grass root. If we do what is necessary because, truly, we are the strongest and greatest country in the history of world, because we are a nation of immigrants. One last picture, when I visited one of the facilities in Texas. I was given the opportunity to visit one of the classrooms for these children are learning language. They’re excited to be learning English. To be learning some history. One of the instructors siad to the class, “Why don’t you show them -” I was in a group bipartisan [inaudible 00:16:43], “Why don’t you show the senators what you learned today?” They all rose and they recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. There were tears in our eyes.

These children are really, to think of what they had endured, what they have had the courage to get through the year, very, very moving. Just keep in mind that American people are decent in their hearts and we need to convince their elected representatives to match that decency and vision with the political courage to do what’s right.

In audio: Thank you so very much, Senator Blumenthal, and I think that we are a stronger movement because you’re on our side; because of all of your hard work to really pass the only bipartisan piece of legislation in the Senate and we know the role that you have. One of the speaker – one of our callers, actually, called in to say thank you to you, and personally to say thank you for all the hard work, and just a reminder to everybody, in terms of our being asked by Senator Blumenthal to do.

First and foremost, to stand up for undocumented families that have been fighting for years in this country for reform. To stand up for the children, to make sure that the 2008 trafficking victims protection act is not rolled back. To hold the Republicans accountable for immigration reform because it must pass. We must keep our eyes on the prze and to share your stories, your powerful stories, and the contributions to this country. It is time to our families to be respected.

Thank you very, very much, Senator Blumenthal, and we especially thank you for taking the time to be on the next call.

Senator: Well, I’m honored to be on with you, thank you. Thank you so much, and thank you for all your great work, and thanks to the speakers who will follow if I am unable to stay on the call I just want to stress a special thanks. This is my passion. Anybody who asks individual people in Connecticut whom I can help out, I hope you’ll let me know. We go to bat for people, we advocate for them, and we fight for them. It’s our passion in our office, so thanks for this great opportunity and thanks for all your great work.

In audio: Thank you so much. In order for you to take action, as you heard from Senator Blumenthal, our President Obama needs to hear from us. We need to make sure and share our stories and why we’re supportive of administrative reform to provide relief for our families. Before you leave this call, press nine to leave a voice mail for President Obama. That’s again, press nine to tell him what administrate reform would mean to you and why you support gold action. Remember that if you have a question for any of our speakers, you can press zero to submit a question.

Now it is my pleasure to introduce to you Wendy Yem. She’s the Executive Director of Kids in Need of Defense. She’s been doing an amazing job. Her organization has been doing an amazing job to defend unaccompanied refugee children at the border. Please Wendy, join us, in speaking to all participants on this teleconference and update us on what’s happening with the unaccompanied refugee children and their family.

Speaker 3: Thank you, Ann Elican, thank you Senator Blumenthal for your tremendous leadership and to everyone else for joining us tonight. We have all watched the tragic situation on the border unfold since May, as thousands of Central American have sought safety and protection in United States. As of last week, more than 60,000 children from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala have arrived since October of last year, which actually represents a tenfold increase from the total number of children in 2011.

The primary reason these children are fleeing to the United States is to escape violence in their home countries. The violence is generate by gang Wendy: Gangs and drug traffickers who are systematically preying on the children. My organization, KIND, provides lawyers to many of these kids. When I work with them, every day we hear stories of horrific violence. Stories such as Jasmin who fled to the United States after she and her sister were repeatedly assaulted and raped by gang members. Because Jasmin recognized the boys who assaulted her sister, she began to receive death threats. She reports the threats to the police who did nothing to help her. After another of her siblings was murdered by the gang, Jasmin and her sister fled to the United States to join an older brother. To escape this kind of violence, families and children are making the desperate choice to leave their homes and communities and travel on their own. This is, therefore, fundamentally a refugee situation and not immigration.

Sadly, the way is dangerous. Children are targeted by gangs and drug traffickers as they move across the region who capitalize on the children’s vulnerability by charging them huge smuggling fees and subjecting them to extortion, rape, and murder along the way. In 2008, the TVPRA, the Trafficking Victims Protection Authorization Act was enacted. It was intended to recognize the unique vulnerability of unaccompanied children. It made into law what had actually been standing practice which is to admit children, who are other than Mexican or Canadian, into the United States so that they can present a claim to remain here. Children can then pursue asylum or other forms of protection before an immigration court or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Children from Mexico and Canada have been subject to different procedures. They are turned around at the border unless they immediately describe why they fear being returned, demonstrate a risk of being trafficked, or too young to turn around because they can’t express their fear. Unfortunately, as the United Nation’s report concluded last year, this high speed screening process used for Mexican and Canadian children has been very poorly implemented. Yet restriction, as members of Congress and even, sadly, the administration itself, has suggested that this failed approach to screening should apply to Central American children as well. Imagine being a young child or even a teenager who’s fled the kind of violence that Jasmin did and having to explain that at the U.S. border to a uniformed, armed border patrol agent.

Most children in these situations are scared. Border patrol agents are not trained to have these difficult discussions with kids. It is virtually impossible for children to overcome this barrier.

In KIND, we work with unaccompanied children, we spend hours and hours developing trust for the child so that she feels comfortable enough to open up and share her story with us. Even worse, some in Congress want to make it even harder for these children. If they’re lucky enough to make it past border patrol, they would also be subject to fast track procedures before an immigration judge and would be forced to make their case in a matter of days or weeks. Access to the courts is fundamental for these children so that they can have a full, fair, and objective hearing. To help them through the process, access to lawyers is just as important. Children who are represented by an attorney, are four times more likely to be found eligible for protection. The United Nations estimates that about sixty percent of the children coming from Central America may [inaudible 03:27] asylum here in the United States.

I’ve been in immigration court and seen a five year old appearing without a lawyer. She stood before a robed judge while a federal prosecutor argued for her deportation under U.S. immigration laws. There she stood, clutching a doll unable to understand that the decision that would be made clearly means the difference between her life or her death. I very much appreciate the willingness of everyone on this call to stand up for these children who otherwise remain voiceless. This is a test of the United States’ commitment to human rights, children’s rights, and fundamental decency. There are three simple messages that we need to send to the President and to Congress.

First, the children in Central America are fleeing rape, murder, and extortion that threaten their safety, lives, and well-being. Ninety percent of them are trying to reach family in the United States who can protect them from this violence.

Second, we can’t send them back to danger without giving them a hearing. At the very least, children should have a chance to tell their story. Refugee children deserve a fair hearing with the help of an attorney and with a judge that considers their individual circumstances. While we need to address the backlogs in our immigration courts, we also need to give these children time to recover and prepare their cases. This reflects our values of cairn
ess, justice, and due process.

Third, tell the government to give these children a chance. Don’t apply fast track screening procedures at the border that jeopardize children’s lives and safety. Instead, ensure that every child has a timely and full hearing so we can determine which children need our help and protection. Thank you and I’d be happy to answer any questions.

Anjelica: Thank you so very much, Wendy. Once again, I want to remind that you can press ‘nine’ to leave a voice mail for President Obama reiterating Wendy’s messages as well as to tell us your story and your hope for justice in this country. We have another poll question for you. Thank you all for you who responded. All throughout the month of August, the movement will be holding events and actions across the country to push back against the attacks on our children and support President Obama in taking administrative action.

Will you join in events in your area during the August recess? Press ‘one’ for ‘yes’, ‘two’ for ‘no’, and ‘three’ if you need more information. Remember, you can press ‘zero’ at any time to ask a question and ‘nine’ to leave a voice mail for President Obama.

Next up, I would like to introduce Henry Fernandez. He’s the senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. He’s going to tell us more about how we can push back and win administrative relief for our family. Henry Fernandez is a long time champion for our community. Henry, welcome.
Henry: Thank you so much, Anjelica. Good evening to everyone. I’ve been asked to talk really about three issues. What the anti-immigrant groups are doing, why they’re doing it, and what we can do about it. Anti-immigrant groups including FAIR, NumbersUSA, and their local partners around the country are protesting against children and families fleeing violence, coming from countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. This is including protests, like the one in Murietta, California where screaming adults stopped a Department of Homeland Security bus full of young children and the protest in Vassar, Michigan where armed protesters held signs complaining of an invasion. All over the country, anti-immigrant protesters have said these children are carrying dangerous diseases. This is an outright lie meant to raise racist fears of unclean immigrants.

These children come from countries that actually have higher vaccination rates than the United States and they are all screened for health needs upon arrival in the U.S. In addition, three week-ends ago, the extreme right-wing group, Overpasses for America had rallies around the country. These were all very small, but they plan to have similar events over the next month during the period when members of Congress are back home in their districts. There are several things happening that really trouble us.

First, anti-immigrant groups are using the issue of children at the border to try to stop President Obama from acting alone to provide relief against deportations. Anti-immigrant groups are lying and blaming the arrival of these children on Obama’s deferred action for childhood arrivals, or DACA initiative, which has helped hundreds of thousands of young members of our community avoid deportation. They want people to believe that any further relief provided by Obama will bring many more immigrants to our border.

Second, if the immigrant groups are becoming more militant, the issues that they are raising are often racist and meant to appeal to extremists. This includes calling children carriers of disease and gang members. It also includes militia groups calling for armed volunteers to confront children crossing the border. We’ve even seen rallies by organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and some anti-immigrant extremists have called for violence.

Third, the public and politicians are taking up the messages of these anti-immigrant groups. Right-wing Congress members, Michele Bachmann and Steve King convinced the rest of the Republicans in Congress last week to pass an extremely anti-immigrant bill that would both end DACA and return the children fleeing violence, without any real review of whether they would be murdered, raped, forced into a gang, or into prostitution when sent back to their home countries. Fortunately, because of people like Senator Blumenthal, this bill will go nowhere in the Senate.

Fourth, some Department of Homeland Security officers appear to be working in secret with anti-immigrant groups. For example, it is hard to see how the protesters could stop the bus of children in Murietta, but have done so, without law enforcement officers tipping them off to when the bus was coming. On Friday, the Center for American Progress and the Center for New Community hosted a meeting for pro-immigrant groups around the county. Here’s what we agreed to work on together and what we hope you will take on in your own communities.

First, we want the public to make a choice between decent families that make up our movement and the racist and anti-immigrant words of our opponent. We need to challenge the lies about children carrying diseases as well as highlight examples of extremists carrying guns at rallies and calling for violence. We want to expose the role of [inaudible 09:54] and organizing protests and attacking children. At the same time, tell the stories of the real reasons people are fleeing violence, to escape rape, and murder, and being forced into gangs, or into prostitution. We must educate journalists and community leaders about who the anti-immigrant groups really are and let real children and families who have fled violence tell their stories. We need to win this debate and we need to call out Republican elected officials whenever they use talking points from extremist groups.

Second, hold the Department of Homeland Security responsible for allowing its law enforcement officers to work behind the scenes with anti-immigrant groups. Demand to know how information about bus routes and locations where children are being housed have gotten into the hands of anti-immigrant groups. Third, understand that this push by anti-immigrant groups is intended to stop President Obama from taking steps on his own to protect millions in our community from deportation. We need to fight for these children because it is morally right, but also because we need to show our power as a movement to protect executive action by the President. Our push needs to both be for these children and for action by President Obama.

Finally, show our power. Meet with members of Congress, go to town hall meetings our members of Congress have and speak out. You can learn about where and when town hall meetings will be by signing up at bit.ly/townhallnearyou. We all rally, our own rally that draw attention whether at Congress members’ offices, outside [inaudible 11:26] facilities or at other places that show we are strong. You can go to stopseparatingfamilies.org to find a rally from our side in a community near you. We need Democrats to stand strong and Republicans to back down. We need President Obama to protect these children and to stand up for our families. We have a huge, powerful movement. This is a moment where we must act across the country to fight back against the anti-immigrant voices which have become loud. We can protect these kids and win big relief from Obama. Thank you.

Anjelica: Thank you so very much, Henry, and thank you for all you do. Just to remind everybody what Henry’s saying to push back against the hate and the lies and to push forward our love for our children, our families and work where we can to fight for justice. Remember, you can press ‘zero’ at any time to ask questions and ‘nine’ to leave a voice mail for President Obama.

Now, we’re going to take a few questions from the audience to hear from you since all of you have submitted questions tonight. Our first question comes from Russell from North Carolina. Russell, are you on the phone? I think we’re having trouble hearing Russell, but I will give Russell’s question.

Russell says, “I was recently detained in Buffalo and is very active in the movement. Would do we need to do to keep pushing Congress and the President?” I just want to say, first and foremost, stay on top of all the work that is being done during the recess, that’s why we’re asking you to text ‘69866’. Also, to keep talking to your congressmen and tell them that we need immigration reform for a permanent solution, but we need to make sure that we have administrative relief and protection for people exactly like you, Russell, who are being detained day in and day out.

The next person on the line that we have, is Ernesto from Houston, Texas. Ernesto, are you on the line?

Ernesto: Hello. How are you doing today? My question is, I’m doing okay. My question is, I have a petition that has been approved, but the main thing is, I have to wait for the priority date and my priority date is, the one that is close by is from my brother which is on 1998. Right now the priority date says 1997. Basically, the question is, if President Obama signs any relief at all, do I have to be on the line or have to wait for the priority date or what is the process I need to do? Of course, it’s a tricky question because we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but I want to be prepared for any.

Anjelica: [inaudible 14:33] reform I think is still [inaudible 14:35] and I think you give a perfect example why we need to have immigration reform because of the long wait in terms of petitions. I hope President Obama will accelerate your petition so that you can actually have protection [inaudible 14:48]. Do not abandon what you already have in [inaudible 14:51] especially because you have [inaudible 14:54] petition. The idea of the idea of administrative relief is, that you will actually have an opportunity to demonstrate those familial ties, the long term contribution in this country and, therefore, that would be taken into account.

I want to remind everybody that there is nothing yet that has been approved so you should not abandon any of your immigration casework, just continue to follow them. Also, be very, very careful of individuals who are looking to take your money now when there is nothing that’s passed or that the President has authorized at this moment. I hope that answers your question. I don’t know if there’s anybody else on the line who’d like to answer Ernesto’s question as well.

Okay. With that said, I think we have time for one last question and I think it’s from Gilberto from Chicago, Illinois.

Gilberto: Hi, good evening, everyone. My name is Gilberto, I’m here in Illinois. I’ve been pretty active in our community with trying to get push forward the CIR bill. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of problems. One of the questions that I have for all the speakers, but, obviously, whoever answers, it would be fine. Like I said, I’m very supportive of trying to push this bill forward. One of the things that I would like to emphasize to all the people out there listening to our conversation, is that I think we can accomplish more by being civil and non violent and, basically, as everybody else stated, kind of sticking to the issues. I think we can get this done. We’re all working towards the same goals. There’s a big power in numbers and I think we will have to show that as this month of August moves forward. I do want to participate in the rallies that you may be having out this way. I would like to stay on top of those things, if you can forward those events to me, I would glad to be a part of them.

Anjelica: Thank you.

Dick: Let me just say, it’s Dick Blumenthal. I couldn’t agree more. I’m so glad that you made that point because the civility and the eloquence of, again, the voices and faces are so powerful. The message is such an American vision if it’s expressed with civility and courage, I think it has so much more effect than some of the shouting, and so forth. Obviously, people feel strongly, they should feel passionately, but your point is very well taken. Thanks.

Henry: I would also just reemphasize what the Senator said and thank the caller for the question and statement. I would point out that what we’ve seen on the other side, has really been some very scary images of people carrying guns and people screaming at children and stopping buses full of young children. I think what we have on our side, are stories of brave children and families that have fled violence and that are taking significant risk because they believe in the potential of this country and the history of this country. I think those are stories we want to tell and I think that even our rallies need to represent that, certainly our commitment to non violence, but also our commitment to telling the powerful stories. I think that is so different than what we’re seeing on the other side that we will definitely win hearts and minds through this effort.

Wendy: This is Wendy. I’d like to give my thanks to the caller because I think when you’re standing up for what’s right and moral and compassionate, you don’t need histrionics and violence. I just very much appreciate what he said.

Anjelica: Thank you so very much to all our speakers. I thank you all for joining this call. Our fight is for our families, for our children, for workers, and to do so in the peaceful, non violent way possible. We are a movement that is powerful because of this love that’s inherent in the work that we do. I want to say thank you for everyone for joining this call, remind you that at the end of this call, you will be directed to leave a voice mail for President Obama who [inaudible 19:55] around administrative relief. To tell him why you support him going big on immigration relief for our families, to stay involved, make sure you text 69866 and you will be connected to events happening in your community.

Thank you very much to all our speakers for joining us tonight, for all the hard work that they do in moving our work forward and for standing with our families. Good night to all and thank you again for joining the national campaign for action for our family. Thank you.

New Speaker: Please press ‘one’ to leave voice mail. Please press ‘one’ to leave-…

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