NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!! SPEAK UP ABOUT DETENTION

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From our friends at Detention Watch Network (this post has been duplicated from an original email they sent) 

 

nonameDear colleagues,

The immigration debate has been evolving rapidly. The latest information is that the Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss detention, criminalization and interior enforcement provisions in the bill on Monday May 20th.

We encourage you to make calls TODAY and TOMORROW to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to urge them to oppose the amendments that would further harm immigrants in detention and support amendments that would further critical detention reforms. (see attached a more detailed analysis of these and other related amendments)

We are particularly concerned about Grassley Amendment 53 which would dramatically expand immigration detention during removal proceedings and indefinitely afterwards for those who cannot be removed as well as severely limit the use of alternatives to detention and bond hearings. Passage of this amendment would be a huge setback to our collective efforts to dramatically reduce detention.

Please make calls TODAY and TOMORROW. They do make an impact!! Please also share this action alert widely with your networks and allies.

Thank you.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!!

THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER DETENTION RELATED AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION BILL S. 744

MONDAY May 20th

Call Senators from the Judiciary Committee TODAY and TOMORROW

and ask them to:

 

OPPOSE DETRIMENTAL DETENTION AMENDMENTS

 “Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I am calling to strongly urge Senator [NAME OF SENATOR] to OPPOSESenator Grassley’s amendments 41, 47, 51 and 53 and Senator Sessions’ amendment 12. These amendments are too extreme and out-of-step with the bipartisan spirit of S.744.

 

SUPPORT FAVORABLE DETENTION AMENDMENTS

 

“I further strongly urge Senator [NAME OF SENATOR] to SUPPORT Senator Coons’ amendment 6 and Senator Blumenthal’s amendment 2.  These amendments are easy fixes that address critical issues needed to reform the immigration detention system.”

[SEE LIST OF SENATORS AND PHONE NUMBERS BELOW]

 

DETRIMENTAL DETENTION AMENDMENTS

 

Grassley 41: Issue:  This amendment strikes provision in bill that codifies the Office of Legal Access Programs and expands Legal Orientation Programs.

Grassley 47: Issue:  This amendment strikes Section 3717, which provides for custody hearings for all detained immigrants and increases fairness of custody review and stipulated orders of removal procedures.

Grassley 51: This amendment strikes Section 3715, which directs DHS to create a secure alternatives program in every field office (including contracting with CBOs) and includes case management services. Section 3715 also requires DHS to make individualized assessments to determine level of supervision and to review the level of supervision monthly. It also permits secure alternatives to constitute custody in certain cases.

Grassley 53: Issue:  This amendment expands immigration detention during removal proceedings and indefinitely afterwards for those who cannot be removed. Severely limits use of alternatives to detention and bond hearings.

Sessions 12: Issue:  This amendment mandates bond levels of no less than $5,000 for nationals of non-contiguous countries, who have not been admitted or paroled, and who are apprehended within 100 miles of the border or present a flight risk as determined by ICE.

 

FAVORABLE DETENTION AMENDMENTS

 

Coons 6: Issue:  This amendment requires interoperability of ICE, CIS, CBP, and EOIR databases containing information on all detainees. Specifies categories of information that must be maintained in the database of each agency and establishes regular reporting requirements to Congress.  Makes reports available to public without FOIA request.

Blumenthal 2: Issue:  This amendment restricts the use of solitary confinement in immigration detention and outlines guidelines and oversight for its use.

 

 

Contact the Senators below who are on the Judiciary Committee

Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)
DC: (202) 224-4242
Email: https://www.leahy.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA)
DC: (202) 224-3841
Email: https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Senator Charles Schumer (NY)
DC: (202) 224-6542
Email: https://www.schumer.senate.gov/Contact/contact_chuck.cfm

Senator Dick Durbin (IL)

DC: (202) 224-2152

Email: http://www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/footer-contact?p=contact

 

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

DC: 202-224-2921

Email: http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/contact

Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN)
DC: (202) 224-3244
Email: http://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm?contactForm=emailamy&submit=Go

Senator Al Franken (MN)
DC: (202) 224-5641
Email: http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=email_al

Senator Christopher A. Coons (DE)

DC: (202) 224-5042

Email: http://www.coons.senate.gov/contact/

 

Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT)

DC: (202) 224-2823

Email: https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/#

 

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (HI)

DC: (202) 224-6361

Email: http://www.hirono.senate.gov/contact.cfm

 

Senator Orrin Hatch (UT)

DC: (202) 224-5251

Email: http://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-orrin

 

Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)

DC: (202) 224-5972

http://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorGraham

Senator John Cornyn (TX)
DC: (202) 224-2934
Email: http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm

Senator Mike Lee (UT)

DC: (202) 224-5444

Email: http://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Senator Jeff Flake (AZ)
DC: (202) 224-4521
Email: http://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

 

¡Reuniones Comunitarias GRATIS para Aprender Más Sobre la Reforma Migratoria!

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La propuesta de ley del senado ya está aquí! Pero que significa para nuestra comunidad? que pasa ahora? Que puedes hacer?

Todas estas preguntas serán contestadas en nuestras asembleas comunitarias que tendrémos en 3 ciudades en las próximas 2 semanas!

las reuniones se auspician por El Proyecto: Colección de Voces y la Coalición de Inmigrantes de la Florida 

For information in English, Go here

Naples: Lunes, 6 de Mayo, 6:30 PM en el Golden Gate Community Center

Bajar Volante

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Immokalee: Miercoles, 8 de mayo a las 6:00 PM en el RCMA  

Bajar Volante 

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Fort Myers: Miercoles, 15 de Mayo at 5:30 PM en la East United Way House 

Bajar Volante

ccnsp 5_15 mtg ENG

FREE Community Assemblies in May Re: Immigration Reform

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The Senate Immigration Reform Bill is here! But what does that mean for our community? What happens now? What can you do?

All these questions will be answered at our community assemblies being hosted in 3 different cities in the next two weeks!

These meetings are hosted by the Collier County Neighborhood Stories Project and the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)

Para información en español vea acá

Naples: Monday, May 6th at 6:30 PM at the Golden Gate Community Center

Download Flyer

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Immokalee: Wednesday, May 8th at 6:00 PM at the RCMA  Download Flyer

ccnsp 5_8_immokalee mtg

Fort Myers: Wednesday, May 15th at 5:30 PM at the East United Way House Download Flyer

ccnsp 5_15 mtg ENG

BREAKING NEWS: AP drops the term “illegal immigrant”

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http://blog.ap.org/2013/04/02/illegal-immigrant-no-more/

04/02/2013
The AP Stylebook today is making some changes in how we describe people living in a country illegally.

Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explains the thinking behind the decision:

The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally.

Why did we make the change?

The discussions on this topic have been wide-ranging and include many people from many walks of life. (Earlier, they led us to reject descriptions such as “undocumented,” despite ardent support from some quarters, because it is not precise. A person may have plenty of documents, just not the ones required for legal residence.)

Those discussions continued even after AP affirmed “illegal immigrant” as the best use, for two reasons.

A number of people felt that “illegal immigrant” was the best choice at the time. They also believed the always-evolving English language might soon yield a different choice and we should stay in the conversation.

Also, we had in other areas been ridding the Stylebook of labels. The new section on mental health issues argues for using credibly sourced diagnoses instead of labels. Saying someone was “diagnosed with schizophrenia” instead of schizophrenic, for example.

And that discussion about labeling people, instead of behavior, led us back to “illegal immigrant” again.

We concluded that to be consistent, we needed to change our guidance.

So we have.

Is this the best way to describe someone in a country without permission? We believe that it is for now. We also believe more evolution is likely down the road.

Will the new guidance make it harder for writers? Perhaps just a bit at first. But while labels may be more facile, they are not accurate.

I suspect now we will hear from some language lovers who will find other labels in the AP Stylebook. We welcome that engagement. Get in touch at stylebook@ap.org or, if you are an AP Stylebook Online subscriber, through the “Ask the Editor” page.

Change is a part of AP Style because the English language is constantly evolving, enriched by new words, phrases and uses. Our goal always is to use the most precise and accurate words so that the meaning is clear to any reader anywhere.

The updated entry is being added immediately to the AP Stylebook Online and Manual de Estilo Online de la AP, the new Spanish-language Stylebook. It also will appear in the new print edition and Stylebook Mobile, coming out later in the spring. It reads as follows:

illegal immigration Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission.

Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented.

Do not describe people as violating immigration laws without attribution.

Specify wherever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where. Crossed the border? Overstayed a visa? What nationality?

People who were brought into the country as children should not be described as having immigrated illegally. For people granted a temporary right to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, use temporary resident status, with details on the program lower in the story.

Seeking Volunteers and Interns!

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INTERNSHIP APPLICATION 2013

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: interns@collierstoriesmatter.org

DEADLINE: Applications will be received on a rolling basis

Visit our website: www.collierstoriesmatter.org

Position overview: The Collier County Neighborhood Stories Project is seeking interns to start immediately. The ideal candidates will be fast learners with a strong interest in immigrant rights. Previous experience working with coalitions and distributed teams successfully is a plus. The interns will report directly to Project Coordinator. Position location varies.  This is an unpaid internship but we will work with students to facilitate school credit. Position descriptions are included at the end.

We will interview with potential candidates as deemed necessary

Commitment: flexible, preferable at least 8-10 hours per week; start date and duration are negotiable , a courtesy notice of a least 2 weeks prior to leaving is required

Candidates must have their own transportation, phone and laptop.

Some responsibilities for positions will overlap so that all interns gain experience in related fields.

Intern positions include:

  • Deferred Action Program
  • Development (Fundraising and Grant Writing)

The number of interns for each position will vary.

Location(s): Naples and Immokalee, FL (the area of Collier County) and/or can work remotely

Internship Application 2013