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Press Release

Historic Nationwide Campaign Launched for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

$4 million effort targets 30 states to pass workable comprehensive immigration reform in 2007

March 13, 2007

Contact:
Cara Morris Stern
Hildebrand Tewes
(202) 271-2272
Douglas Rivlin
(202) 383-5989

(Washington, DC) A coalition of local immigrant advocates, national policy groups, labor unions, faith-based groups, and ethnic organizations have come together under the umbrella of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) to mount an unprecedented nationwide campaign to support passage of workable comprehensive immigration reform legislation in Congress this year.

“This campaign is unprecedented in the pro-immigration community,” said Cecilia Muñoz, Senior Vice President of the National Council of La Raza. “Never before have we brought together under one banner such a formidable political coalition to fight for passage of comprehensive immigration reform. We now have the money, the people and the political will to punch this vital issue over the goal line in Congress and make America a better place to live and work.”

The campaign already has approximately $4 million on hand, and is expanding its war chest for what many believe will be a defining legislative debate in Congress this year. The campaign is anchored in the work of leading local and national groups committed to comprehensive immigration reform that will work and that will pass. It will feature a strong central staff headquartered in Washington, DC supported by a bi-partisan team of lobbyists, communications specialists and a field operation in 30 key states.

CCIR launched its effort over the weekend in Washington by bringing together field organizers from 29 states to hammer out strategy and refine legislative targets. In addition, the campaign’s Strategy Council met to consider legislative strategy and policy priorities. The members of the Strategy Council are:

ACORN, Asian American Justice Center, Center for American Progress, Center for Community Change, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), Denver Area Labor Federation, El Centro, Inc., El Pueblo, Hate Free Zone, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, LA County Federation of Labor, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, LULAC, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, MALDEF, NAACP, NAKASEC, NALACC, National Capital Immigrant Coalition, National Council of La Raza, National Immigration Forum, National Immigration Law Center, Nebraska Appleseed, New York Immigration Coalition, PCUN/CAUSA, SEIU, SEIU 32BJ, SEIU Florida Healthcare Union, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, UNITE HERE, UNITE HERE Local 226 Las Vegas, UNITE HERE New Jersey State Council, United Farm Workers, United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society.

The CCIR Board is comprised of Muñoz, (Chair); Frank Sharry, National Immigration Forum; Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change; Chung Wha Hong, New York Immigration Coalition; Eliseo Medina, SEIU; and Tom Snyder, UNITE HERE.

On behalf of the Board, Munoz announced the following actions on behalf of the campaign:

New Campaign Manager: CCIR has just hired a new Campaign Manager. Clarissa Martinez De Castro, a well-known figure in the immigrant advocacy world, has come over to the campaign from the National Council of La Raza where she has been working as the Director of State Policy and Advocacy. A U.S. citizen and immigrant from Mexico herself, she has degrees from James Garfield High School in Los Angeles, Occidental College, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

According to Martinez, “This campaign is a powerful effort driven by leaders of multiple sectors and communities. Our message to the Congress and the Bush Administration is clear and simple: get it done, do it right, and make it work.”

Field Operation: A national staff of state coordinators will work in 30 states and with hundreds of organizations, to run a top down and bottom up campaign to generate state and local support and pressure for members of Congress to support comprehensive immigration reform. The list of participating organizations gearing up to date is attached.

Lobbying and communications team: A bi-partisan group of seasoned lobbyists, communications specialists, and veteran field operatives are being hired to supplement the existing resources of members groups.

“This is just the beginning,” said Muñoz. “We welcome support from all quarters of the political spectrum and expect to work with all groups committed to passing immigration reform this legislative session.”

The campaign’s website is www.cirnow.org.

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