November 8th, 2012 at 11:20 am » Comments (0)

Ballot Language of LR-121

AN ACT REFERRED BY THE LEGISLATURE

AN ACT DENYING CERTAIN STATE-FUNDED SERVICES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS; ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING A PERSON’S CITIZENSHIP STATUS; PROVIDING THAT THE PROPOSED ACT BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE.

LR-121 prohibits providing state services to people who are not U.S. citizens and who have unlawfully entered or unlawfully remained in the United States. Under LR-121, every individual seeking a state service, such as applying for any state licenses, state employment, unemployment or disability benefits, or aid for university students, must provide evidence of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status, and/or have their status verified through federal databases. State agencies must notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of noncitizens who have unlawfully entered or remained in the U.S. and who have applied for state services.

The costs associated with verifying U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status will vary by agency and cannot be precisely determined. However, on-going costs may include: hiring and training state personnel to use various federal databases; software, hardware and search charges; and information assessment and management costs. Read More http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/elections/2012/electionstats/race_478104c6-1325-11e2-8fda-0019bb2963f4.html

November 7th, 2012 at 12:18 pm » Comments (0)

BY JAY WEAVER Posted on Tue, Nov. 06, 2012
jweaver@MiamiHerald.com

October 15th, 2012 at 1:46 pm » Comments (0)

Voices of Immigrants in Action, begun just 2 years ago, is pleased to see the increased awareness about AIDS and the correlating risk factors. Since the initial community recommendations were revealed in early 2011, advancements such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), mobilization of thousands around the DREAMERS and some blows to the anti-immigrant state laws have been a reason to celebrate.  VIA’s work was well received at the XIX International AIDS Conference in DC, further advancing the strength of the community’s voice.

With the elections around the corner, VIA encourages everyone to vote. Take steps to assure a continutation of the momentum in favor of respect and safety of immigrant communities. These two issues are cricital to reducing HIV/AIDS among Hispanic immigrants.

To learn more, refer to this section on Immigration from the Southern Aids Manifesto: Update 2012. This was coauthored by the Rural Women’s Health Project Team and Nic Carlisle of AIDS Alabama. The Manifesto was produced by the Southern AIDS Coalition.

Or visit the VIA bi-lingual video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLG9IGmDrOc

October 4th, 2012 at 5:23 pm » Comments (0)

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Michael Earls
October 3, 2012
202-261-2388

In Boston Globe Follow-up Interview, Romney Camp Clarifies DREAMer Position & Continues to Fly Immigration Hardliner Flag

Washington, DC – A number of media outlets yesterday highlighted Mitt Romney’s comments to the Denver Postregarding his plans for applicants to the DREAMer deferred action program.  Many observers interpreted the Romney comments to be evidence that the candidate was softening his hardline immigration stance in an attempt to appeal to Latino voters.

However, in follow-up comments that have yet to receive significant notice, the Romney campaign clarified important policy details about Romney’s DREAMer plans – and it is not good news.  In an interview with the Boston Globe, the Romney campaign made it clear that a President Romney would actually shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as soon as he was inaugurated.  This means that only the DREAMers who received deportation exemptions before January 20, 2013 would receive protection under a President Romney, with the vast majority of eligible applicants shut out, leaving them vulnerable to deportation under a Romney Administration.

At present, approximately 200 DREAMers have actually received their work permits.  It is our best guess that by the time of Inauguration Day rolls around some 100,000 DREAMers will have received their work permits.  With 1.4 million young people eligible, that means that Romney is now promising to protect but a fraction of the people who would benefit the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The clarifying comments provided to the Globe continue Romney’s curious political strategy of appealing to the small sliver of anti-immigrant voters instead of the vast majority of Americans, Latino and non-Latino, who support practical and humane reforms like the DREAMer deferred action program.  For example, a CNN/ORC poll on immigration policy released yesterday found that with respect to President Obama’s policy of protecting young people eligible for the DREAM Act, a whopping 64% of registered voters said the new policy was “about right,” while 15% said it does not go far enough.  Only 18% said the DACA program goes too far.

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, “The Romney campaign’s decision to side with the 18% of the American people who are hardliners wasn’t sound politics in the primary, and isn’t sound politics now.  Just when it looked as if Romney was reaching out to Latino voters by promising to protect young people who benefit under President Obama’s initiative, now his campaign is promising to rip away the hopes and futures of more than a million young people who are American in all but paperwork.  Well, at least he finally came clean, and the choice is clearer than ever.  A vote for Romney is a vote against the DREAMers.”

·       Romney Interview with Denver Post: The key part of the interview: “The people who received the special visa that the president has put in place, which is a two-year visa, should expect that the visa would continue to be valid.”

·       Romney Campaign Interview with Boston Globe: The key part of the interview, as described by Boston Globe correspondent Callum Borchers: “Responding to a Globe request to clarify Romney’s statement to the Denver Post, Romney’s campaign said he would honor deportation exemptions issued by the Obama administration before his inauguration but would not grant new ones after taking office.”

America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform.  

www.americasvoiceonline.org

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September 13th, 2012 at 11:59 am » Comments (0)