Angry about Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Actions? You Can Make A Difference Here in New Hampshire!

by: KrisSchultz

Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 00:27:00 AM EDT

So many new developments abound on immigration reform in recent days, it's definitely been hard to keep up with them all.  So, for the sake of brevity and for your own research purposes, I'm going to post links to a variety of news for you to choose on your own.  Less editorializing from me = more deductions and information-gathering by you? That's my hope.

NH STATE SENATE & OUR PRESS CONFERENCE
Our organization - Reform Immigration FOR America - held a press conference yesterday.  The Speakers were former Ambassador George Bruno, former NH GOP Party chair Fergus Cullen, Eva Castillo, Sarah Chaisson Warner of NH Citizens Alliance, John Young of the National Agriculture Council for Immigration Reform, and Carlos Cardona, a school board member from Franklin.  Fergus has a very compelling story:

Cullen told the story of his own parents, who immigrated to America from Ireland. Cullen's parents came to America in the 1960s so his father could do a medical residency at a Boston hospital. At the time, foreign doctors were eligible for the draft, and Cullen's father served for a year in Vietnam rather than return to Ireland. In the 1970s, Cullen's parents became citizens.

Cullen said that in the last presidential primary, the Republican candidates with the most extreme views on immigration were largely ignored.

"There is support for comprehensive immigration reform, and it's not something we should put off for another election," Cullen said.

Many immigrants seek U.S. citizenship by time served in service with our military.  President Obama first spoke out about Arizona's actions during a swearing in ceremony for new citizens who served in our military, risking their lives for a country that was yet to accept them as a member.

Also yesterday, HCR22 - a pro-comprehensive immigration reform resolution - passed the NH State Senate Judiciary Committee and moves on to the full State Senate.  If it passes, that means that both bodies of the NH General Court calls on Congress and the President to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  And that's awesome.  So look for that on Wednesday.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Today Mayor Bloomberg said that our nation is "committing national suicide" if we don't pass immigration reform. He understands what this means to our economy and to our families. He gets it!

"We have to get real about the 12 million undocumented here," the mayor said. "We're not going to deport them. Give them permanent status. Don't make them citizens unless they can qualify, but give them permanent status and let's get on with this."
.....
He called on President Obama to lead the fight to overhaul the nation's immigration rules. "I will be there behind him supporting him 100%," he said.

Bloomberg long has been a supporter of immigration reform, saying current law deters international companies from sending employees through border hassles to work in the U.S. - and freezes out the highly skilled immigrants America needs.

Edgar Neibla
The detention case of Edgar Neibla highlights why our system is broken and must be fixed.  It was heartbreaking to hear my counterpart in Colorado talk about Edgar's case today on our conference call.  She asked us all to call President Obama and urge his release.  Edgar would be a cop by now, if he were documented.... which he so obviously would like to be.  

And I'll admit that I'm burying the lead
Today Senators Schumer, Menendez & Reid have moved forward with an outline of comprehensive immigration reform.  I urge our Senators to take action and put forth a comprehensive immigration reform bill as soon as possible.  Here's what my national organization, RI4A, says about the outline.  Here's a link to the full proposal.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Sign up here, join the text network here, or fax your members of congress here.

If I had a way to live-stream from tomorrow's event, I most certainly would do that. Hope to see all my fellow immigrants there tomorrow, even if you, like me, are 5th, 6th or 7th generation American!

Note: I'm the NH State Director for the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign, which is promoting comprehensive immigration reform.  I'm also a 5th generation German & Irish immigrant.  Sadly, I have no idea why my relatives came to the U.S.A, but probably not for much different reasons than those who come here today - for the hope of a better life and future for our family.  Given how much worse the rules are for immigrants today, not sure they'd have had the same opportunities today as they did back then.  That's just another reason why reform is urgent and greatly needed!