Oppose HR 4437

Press Release: For Immediate Release, March 5, 2006

Contact: Efren Gutierrez, Chicano Consortium, at 916-870-5034, or the Zapatista Solidarity Coalition, 916- 443-3424, email: zapa@zsc.org

Immigrant Rights Rally To Oppose HR 4437 Set For March 10 in Sacramento

An Immigration Rights Community Rally, including workshops on how we can mobilize to work locally against the passage of HR 4437 by the U.S. Senate, will be held at Southside Park, 601 W St., in Sacramento on March 10, 2006 from 10 am to 2:00 pm. The October 29 Coalition, an anti-racist, pro-immigrant rights group which includes a number of community organizations and individuals, is sponsoring the rally.

The event will begin with family picnic time from 10 am to 12 noon. The Program and Teach In will run from 12 noon to 2 pm. Due to the urgency of this matter, we are asking that people take the day off from work or school in order to underline our commitment to defeat HR 4437!

This event is part of a National Day of Action called by the National Alliance for Human Rights (NAHR) to oppose HR 4437, an anti-immigrant bill sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-W). This bill will allow felony prosecution of anyone who resides in the United States without authorization, or anyone who assists them, including their spouses, relatives, friends, churches, schools, hospitals, employers and community based organizations.

The House of Representatives passed HR 4437 in December 2005, and it will go to the Senate this month. If this bill becomes law, it will automatically turn undocumented immigrants living in the US into "aggravated felons," creating greater fear, discrimination and abuse of communities of color/immigrants in this country.

"This bill aims to criminalize not only immigrants, but anyone who assists them in any way," said Mario Galvan of the Zapatista Solidarity Coalition. "It also calls for the building of a wall along the border, dividing Mexico and the U.S. We must stop this vicious anti-immigrant bill from becoming law!"

The National Association for Human Rights, a network of individuals and organizations committed to the promotion of human rights, social justice, and political empowerment, had called for the development of a network to deal with attacks on the Latino community, particularly the Sensenbrenner legislation (HR4437).

On February 11, 2006, a National Summit was held in the Riverside Convention Center. A call for a national action on March 10, a National Walkout/ No Work Day, was proposed and agreed to, in order to mobilize and educate Latinos and other communities of color throughout the country.

For more information, contact the Zapatista Solidarity Coalition, 916-443-3424, or the Chicano Consortium, 916-870-5034.
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Related Links:
Border Angels
http://www.borderangels.org/portal/

Oppose anti-immigrant H.R. 4437 and Pass a Just Legalization Bill!  
http://www.petitiononline.com/HR4437/petition.html

Oppose the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act
Letter to House Judiciary Committee Members opposing HR 4437
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/12/09/usdom12188.htm

People Unite! March against H.R. 4437
Friday, March 10th at noon
http://www.icirr.org/index.htm

Action Alert! HR 4437 attacks immigrants
http://www.unionvoice.org/APALA/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=1536286

H.R.4437 Title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04437:
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Bloglink: http://humane-rights-agenda.blogspot.com/2006/03/oppose-hr-4437.html

C/S