This Week in Immigration Reform – Week Ending September 27

Week Ending September 27

This week in immigration reform: House leadership of both parties remain committed to working on immigration reform legislation this fall; and NCLR and its Affiliates gather signatures for petitions at Hispanic Heritage Month event and meet with members of Congress, local elected officials, and law enforcement to push the House to act on reform.  NCLR staff kept the community informed as always this week, with staff quoted in stories in MSNBC, La Opinión, and Latinos Post.

• House developments on immigration reform come from both sides of the aisle.   At the end of last week, Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL-4), Sam Johnson, (R-TX-3) and John Carter (R-TX-31) issued statements that their bipartisan working group was not moving forward with introducing immigration reform legislation.  While Reps. Carter and Johnson stated that they could not move forward because of mistrust of President Obama, Rep. Gutierrez said that the group did not have the support of House Republican leadership.

Despite Congress continuing to come up short in its attempts to fund the federal government, House leadership on both sides of the aisle continues to signal it could consider immigration reform legislation this fall.

At a Hispanic Heritage Month event, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-6), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said this week that he wants the House to begin working on immigration reform bills in October.  It is reported that Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH-8) has echoed Goodlatte in private conversations, saying that immigration reform is still on the fall agenda.

Across the aisle, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) is reported to have plans to introduce immigration reform legislation as early as October 5.

• October 5^th events lined up across the country to keep the pressure on Congress.  NCLR is proud to be a national organization endorsing the October 5^th National Day of Dignity and Respect for immigration reform.  We know that some Affiliates are planning to participate in events that are already planned, and it is not too late to organize and register an event.  For more information and materials for local events, as well as other ways to support the events, please visit www.octoberimmigration.org.

• NCLR Alma Awards to survey issues affecting the Latino community.  The 2013 NCLR ALMA Awards – broadcast live on MSNBC Friday, Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT – will feature a one-hour news special on issues affecting the Latino community at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, hosted by MSNBC’s Alex Wagner with NCLR President & CEO Janet Murguía as well as Maria Teresa Kumar.  Tune in to get the latest updates on issues that you care about, including news on immigration reform.

• NCLR and Affiliates in action.

Arizona:  The NCLR Action Fund met with Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-9) on Sept. 19 to thank her for her support of immigration reform.

Florida:  The NCLR Action Fund has kept busy in Florida, meeting with staff of Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL-15) on Sept. 19 to urge the Congressman to tell Speaker Boehner that immigration reform deserves a vote.  At the meeting, the Action Fund delivered a letter from Lakeland, FL Mayor Gow B. Fields to Rep. Ross.  In the letter Mayor Fields urged Rep. Ross to work for reform in Congress.

Nancy Palacio of PICO, Blaine Gravitt of Rep. Ross’ office, Carmen Balasquide of the NCLR Action Fund, and Danny Barajas of Young American Dreamers at the 9/19 meeting on immigration reform.

Finally, the Action Fund met with Lakeland, FL’s Chief of Police Lisa Womack on Sept. 20 to discuss the urgent need for immigration reform.

Pennsylvania: NCLR Affiliate Concilio (The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, Inc.) took advantage of the crowd attending its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Philadelphia this week by gathering signatures for a petition calling on Pennsylvania members of Congress to pass immigration reform legislation.

Volunteers gathering signatures for an immigration reform petition at NCLR Affiliate Concilio’s Hispanic Heritage month event in Philadelphia, PA.

If your organization is planning an event for Hispanic Heritage Month, consider having participants sign a petition to your congressional delegation in support of immigration reform.  Please contact John Herrick at 202.776.1735 or at [email protected] for more information.

NCLR Affiliates:  To share your recent meetings on immigration with your members of Congress, please fill out the report-back form on our website.