As known anti-immigrant “hate group” lobbies Congress this week… SEIU Denounces Anti-Immigrant Hate Speech Joins Prominent Immigrant Rights Groups to Advocate for Smart, Pragmatic Reform

Today the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), America’s Voice, Center for New Community, and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) launched a print ad denouncing known hate group, FAIR (the Federation for American Immigration Reform), for poisoning the immigration debate with bigoted, xenophobic hate speech.  In support of the ad, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement:

“It’s time that everyone learns who FAIR’s founders, leaders and followers truly are. They are not reformers, but a group of extremists whose leaders are fostering a bigoted, anti-immigrant, anti-American agenda that we must stop.”

“We will not allow such a raging extremist group to hide behind this false veil of reform. By continuing to fan the flames of hate and fear, FAIR has contributed to rising levels of hate crimes and discrimination that we are seeing in immigrant communities across the country.  There is no place for such fanatical hate speech anywhere in America today—especially not in the halls of Congress.”

“It’s time to stop the hate. Americans know that hate speech can’t raise wages and living standards for workers, decrease gas prices, provide affordable healthcare, end the mortgage crisis, or solve immigration. America doesn’t need zealots; we need smart, pragmatic immigration reform.

“Crude attempts to shut down our border and round up anyone who looks a certain way do not begin to solve our broken immigration system. Instead, we need to go after the bad-acting employers who exploit workers, and find a fair, practical way to get undocumented immigrants out of the underground economy, into the system and under the rule of law.”

Click here to see a copy of the print ad that rain in Politico and Roll Call today.

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• Immigration Reform: The Phone Call Heard Around the Country – On the call were Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.; Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.; and Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz. Immigrant rights advocates from various parts of the country also spoke.
• CAUSA: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Needed To Keep Country Secure, Administration Committed to Reform says Napolitano
• CAUSA: Lou Dobbs Departure Brings us Closer to Rational Debate on Immigration Reform
• An immigrants’ rights group has launched a campaign to educate workers about their rights and encourage local employers to treat them fairly. – Connecticut
• Mexican-born immigrant rights activist Jorge Mujica plans to challenge incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski in next year’s Democratic primary for Illinois’ 3rd congressional district.
• Immigrant Jail Tests U.S. View of Legal Access – City Bar Justice Center is calling for all immigrant detainees to be provided with counsel.
• Rep. Crowley and Members of Congress to President: We Need Immigration Reform Now
• 5 Former Census Directors Warn that Vitter Amendment would Severely Damage 2010 Census, Cost Billions – would add a new question on citizenship and immigration status to the 2010 census.
• SEIU Members Join Thousands at U.S. Capitol to Renew Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform – Joined by legislators, thousands of workers, families and clergy call for an end to divisive, costly immigration policies that separate families, harm all workers
• Does the U.S. Constitution defend the rights of undocumented immigrants?
• 6 Months from Census, Coalition to Announce Details of Campaign to Count All Latinos in 2010 – Labor Leaders, Elected Officials, Latino Groups, Spanish Language Media and Faith-Based Organizations Join Forces to Ensure Census Achieves Accurate Count of Second-Largest U.S. Population Group
• CAUSA: 10 Questions Legislators Should Ask FAIR Representatives
• Is This the Best They Can Do? Anti-Immigrant Group Rally Fizzles – FAIR Claims 200,000 Members; Only 50 People Show Up
• A class-action lawsuit recently filed by the undocumented employees of a local cleaning company underscores that workers who are in the country illegally have many of the same workplace rights that U.S. citizens have.
• CAUSA: South Carolina Congressman brings disgrace on Republicans during President’s Healthcare Speech
• Low-Income Immigrant Rights Conference Dec. 6-8
• Following this month’s bust of 14,500 marijuana plants that allegedly were in part being grown by Mexican migrant workers, a Colorado Springs senator is calling on Gov. Bill Ritter and the General Assembly to take aggressive action on illegal immigration in Colorado, though immigrant rights’ groups say lawmakers shouldn’t blame entire communities for the actions of a few individuals.
• In Memoriam: Mario F. Vazquez -vNovember 25, 1946-July 10, 2009
• Bank of America is accused of exploiting Latino immigrant customers – Ex-employees, backed by SEIU, say working-class and immigrant clients are urged to sign up for multiple services that carry high interest rates and fees. BofA denies any wrongdoing.
• SEIU Statement on White House Immigration Meeting The Starting Gun Has Sounded & “This Time We Will Reach the Finish Line”