09.06.2007 13:01
PRESE RELEASE FROM THE OPEN BORDERS ILLEGAL ALIEN LOBBY ON AMNESTY BILL

National Latino Leaders to Convene at Immigration Summit, June 11, in Washington, D.C., to Steer Reform Debate

In the shadow of the debate in Congress, national Latino community leaders and others will gather at an immigration summit in Washington, D.C., June 11, 2007, to help jumpstart stalled negotiations in the U.S. Senate and encourage greater sensitivity to the needs of immigrant workers and families.

“The time has come to fundamentally rethink the current approach to immigration reform,“ said Andres Jimenez, director of the University of California’s California Policy Research Center (CPRC), which is co-sponsoring the event with Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamerica (COFEM), the nation’s largest Mexican immigrant organization.

“We must redirect the debate in Congress to reflect the importance of keeping families together, protecting immigrant worker rights, creating a reasonable pathway to citizenship, and encouraging a balanced relationship with Mexico, and the Central American and Caribbean nations,“ Jimenez said.

The “Transnational Migration, Economic& Social Policy Conference“will take place at the University of California Washington Center, located at 1608 Rhode Island Ave., NW, in Washington D.C. Event registration begins at 8 a.m.

The conference will feature presentations by officials from a variety of mainstream and Latino organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and the National Education Association (NEA).

“Our goal is to provide the Latino community’s perspective on comprehensive immigration reform and a platform for Congressional leaders to understand how the proposal on the table may impact immigrant workers, families and children,“said COFEM Board Chair Francisco Moreno. “As Senate leaders consider a new timeline to restart the immigration debate, COFEM will continue to mobilize the community to ensure a passage of the bill this year.”

Conference panels include “Bi-national Health, Education&Civic Engagement in the Context of Immigration, “Investing in Migrant-Sending Communities in Latin America,“ “Comprehensive Immigration Reform“ and “Advocacy Strategies to Influence Immigration&Related Policies.“

It’s estimated that more than 12 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States today.

About COFEM

COFEM is a nonprofit organization serving the immigrant community since 2004. Its mission embraces a community centered approach to promote the advancement of the Latino community through public policy advocacy, educational and cultural programming, strategic mobilization, community organizing, and bi-national economic development. COFEM serves the immigrant community and hundreds of immigrant-based organizations from across the nation.