March, 09 2011, 01:04pm EDT
Advocates Decry House Republicans' Attack on All Immigrants - Citizen, Legal Resident, and Undocumented
House Hearings Pit Groups Against Each Other, Fail to Focus on Real Solutions
WASHINGTON
On Thursday, March 10th, the House Immigration Subcommittee - led by Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), and Steve King (R-IA)--will continue to put off any real discussion about immigration solutions, and instead continue its public relations campaign to rebrand "mass deportation" as an economic recovery strategy. In a series of hearings, the House Immigration Subcommittee has been advancing a divisive approach that pits groups against each other in a blatant attempt to stoke racial fears and economic anxiety. In Thursday's hearing, titled "Jobs in Recession and Recovery: Who Are Getting Them and Who Are Not," the Subcommittee is expected to compare the job prospects of U.S. workers who were born outside of the country--including millions of citizens and legal residents who pay taxes, create jobs, serve in the military, and vote--with the prospects for U.S.-born workers. It's not a difficult guess to determine which group will come up short in Thursday's hearing.
On Thursday, March 10th, immigrant advocates will hold a telephonic press conference to respond to the strategy of Reps. Smith, Gallegly, and King. Almost three quarters--71.8%--of the immigrant population of the United States are here legally, and the foreign-born workers these legislators seek to scapegoat include 16.8 million United States citizens. Advocates will call on Republican leaders in the House to end this campaign of misinformation and focus instead on real immigration reform.
WHAT: Immigrant Advocates Decry House Republicans' Attack on All Immigrants - Citizen, Legal Resident, and Undocumented
WHO: Clarissa Martinez, Director, Immigration and National Campaigns, National Council of La Raza
Karen Narasaki, President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center (invited)
Frank Sharry, Executive Director, America's Voice
Michele Waslin, Senior Policy Analyst, Immigration Policy Center
WHEN: Thursday, March 10th at 1:00 pm ET
HOW: Dial in: 1-800-894-5910; Passcode: POLITICS
America's Voice -- Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform. The mission of America's Voice is to realize the promise of workable and humane comprehensive immigration reform. Our goal is to build the public support and create the political momentum for reforms that will transform a dysfunctional immigration system that does not work into a regulatory system that does.
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