Following DREAM, Menendez Will Introduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill in Senate – Reform Immigration For America Mobilizing To Pass Dream, Partners Mobilize Pro-Immigrant Voters

Today at an Immigration Forum with more than 500 hundred faith and civil rights leaders, Senator Menendez (D-NJ) announced that he will be introducing immigration reform legislation in the Senate. The announcement comes in the heels of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s statement yesterday that he will put the DREAM Act for a vote next week as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will be pushing the legislation aggressively and will meet tomorrow with President Obama to enlist his support.

“Senator Menendez deserves praise for moving forward with a comprehensive reform bill instead of yielding to those who say that tackling immigration reform is too hard, too risky, and too controversial,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, and Chair of Reform Immigration FOR America. “Every effective policymaker and legislator should support this legislation if they want to bring real, long-lasting change to our dysfunctional immigration system.”

These developments will fire up immigration reform supporters all over the country, who are upset by anti-immigrant policies like Arizona’s SB 1070, and will turn out during the midterm election for candidates that will lead on immigration.

Reform Immigration FOR America’s partners are involved in aggressive civic participation efforts to engage and mobilize pro-immigrant voters to impact the election in 2010. In Washington, organizers and volunteers from OneAmerica will educate and turn out tens of thousands of pro-immigrant voters to express themselves at the ballot box in local and Congressional elections. In Colorado, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is partnering with 10 civic participation groups to help run the Engage Colorado campaign. The campaign plans to contact over 55,000 pro-immigrant so called “drop off” and “supporter voters” multiple times in 3 counties in Colorado and is working with Western Slope and Mountain offices to set up mini phone-banks and canvasses (300-1300 voters each) in some of the small communities in Colorado.

They know that voters want action on immigration reform, and leaders who will move important legislation. Senate action on key immigration legislation like the DREAM Act and AgJOBS would show the voters that Congress and the President are serious about reform and willing to roll up their sleeves and work out their differences to get good policies passed.

According to Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles (CHIRLA):

“The immigrant community is pleased that the DREAM Act will have its day in the Senate.  Millions of families await the moment when Congress will have the courage and wisdom to take further steps towards alleviating their anxiety, suffering, and isolation.  The absence of Congressional action has poisoned the dialogue in America about immigration and it is hurting us all.  We urge Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass the Dream Act and resist the temptation to further punish immigrant families with more enforcement measures.  The time to give new immigrants an opportunity to reach their American Dream should come now.”

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