This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending August 9

Week Ending August 9

This week in immigration reform: two more House Republicans join the growing ranks of GOP lawmakers who support reform that includes a road to citizenship; President Obama reminds the nation that immigration reform will help the housing market recover as he gives a speech on housing reform; and NCLR Affiliates meet with members of Congress, conduct citizenship workshops, and begin phonebanking operations to continue through the August Recess.  NCLR staff kept the community informed as always this week, with staff quoted in stories in TIME, CNN Politics, and VOXXI.com. 

—More House Republicans come out in support of reform with citizenship.  Although the August Recess is only a few days underway, two House Republicans have already come out this past week in conditional support of immigration reform that includes a road to earned citizenship.  Florida Representative Daniel Webster (R-FL-10) announced in an interview Friday Aug. 2 that he would support reform that includes a road to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as long as certain pre-conditions are met, while Illinois Representative Aaron Schock, questioned by advocates at a town hall on Tuesday August 3, gave a similar endorsement of reform with a road to citizenship contingent upon certain requirements being fulfilled.

NCLR, its Affiliates, and its coalition partners will build on these victories by urging House Republicans who have not yet come out in support of reform that includes a road to citizenship to do so.  To learn more about NCLR’s upcoming actions or to get your organization involved in the August push for reform, contact John Herrick of the NCLR Action Fund at [email protected] or at 202.776.1735.

—President Obama notes that immigration reform will help housing market:  In a speech on the urgent need to reform the housing market this Tuesday August 6, President Obama noted that passing comprehensive immigration reform would give the housing sector a shot in the arm.  By allowing the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country to earn their way to legalization and citizenship, immigration reform would lead to more people buying homes, thus raising property values while contributing to the recovery of our nation’s housing market.

As the President stated, and many reports indicate, immigration reform is good for the economy.  NCLR recently asked several of its Affiliates from across the country to share how immigration reform will be good for their local and state economies.  Check out their stories on Youtube, and share the video with your friends on Facebook!

NCLR and Affiliates in action

• California:  Emerging Latino Communities grantee Líderes Campesinas initiated a phonebank in Rep. Gary Miller’s (R-Calif.) district this Friday, August 9.  TODEC volunteers will be calling registered voters in Rep. Miller’s district for the next several weeks, urging voters to call the Congressman and ask him to give immigration reform a vote in the House of Representatives.
• Colorado:   NCLR Affiliate El Comité de Longmont held a citizenship workshop on Saturday, August 3 in Longmont, CO – Rep. Cory Gardner’s (R-Colo.) district.  NCLR is pleased to report that several of those who attended the workshop are now on track to become U.S. citizens in the next few months.

• Florida:    The NCLR Action Fund’s regional organizer in Florida teamed up with local business leaders to meet with staff of Congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL-10) on Tuesday August 6.  The group urged Rep. Webster to work with his colleagues to give immigration reform a vote.

•  North Carolina:  Emerging Latino Communities grantee El Pueblo joined with the Latino Coalition of Randolph County to hold a rally in front of Rep. Renee Ellmers’ (R-NC-2) Asheboro office this week calling on the Congresswoman to support immigration reform that includes a road to earned citizenship.  Ellmers came out and told her assembled constituents that she “believes in good, solid immigration reform,” and announced that she “wholeheartedly” supports reform that includes a road to earned legal status.