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Home > Press Room > 2006 > Press Release
Press Release
Historic National Day of Action
Rally for Immigrant Rights
Unprecedented nationwide rally of
immigrants and supporters to take place on April 10, 2006 in
opposition to HR 4437 and in support of comprehensive
immigration reform.
April 5, 2006
Contact: Lizette Jenness Olmos
202-833-6130 ext. 14
Washington, DC – The
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
is part of a national grassroots movement
working alongside the National Capitol
Immigration Coalition and other local and
regional organizations holding rallies across
the country on Monday, April 10, 2006 in support
of a fair and comprehensive immigration reform
bill. Over 75 cities are confirmed and the list
is growing to participate in this unprecedented
day of action that has energized immigrant
communities nationwide.
“Comprehensive immigration
reform must include an earned adjustment for
immigrants currently working in the United
States; create legal channels for future flows
of immigrant workers; and reduce the vast
backlogs in family-sponsored immigration,” said
LULAC National President Hector M. Flores,
“There is a bipartisan comprehensive immigration
bill that offers effective enforcement,
strengthens borders, and encourages people to
come out of the shadows by offering a path to
permanent residency.”
This earned legalization
legislation is not amnesty because under the
provisions of this legislation, an undocumented
worker will have to pay a $2,000 fine,
undergo a background
check, pay any back taxes, learn English, enroll
in civic education, remain employed for six
years, and then, at the end of those six years,
go to the back of the line to apply for legal
permanent resident (LPR) status.
Undocumented immigrants are a major boost to the
US economy with the combined value of
their labor, their stimulus on our economy, and
the taxes they pay exceeding $890 billion per
year according to a UCLA study by Raul Hinojosa.
In contrast undocumented immigrants only use
about $43 billion in public benefits per year
primarily in education and emergency health
care. As stated by LULAC National Executive
Director Brent Wilkes, “Undocumented immigrants
contribute about $850 billion more per year then
they cost—a huge net gain for the United States.
It’s about time that we provide a legal avenue
for them to come here in recognition of their
tremendous contributions to our country.”
LULAC continues to strongly
oppose bills that offer no real solutions toward
comprehensive immigration reform and jeopardize
the quality of life by creating an unfair system
that does nothing to improve public safety and
national security.
Some of the cities
participating in the April 10th event
include: Austin, Dallas, Tucson, Little Rock,
Las Cruces, Santa Ana, San Jose, Mid-Wilshire,
Long Beach, East Los Angeles, Riverside, San
Fernando Valley, Bakersfield, San Diego, Los
Angeles, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction,
Telluride, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Mears, Homestead,
Lake Worth, Miami, Pensacola, Chicago,
Lexington, Boston, Detroit, Kansas City, Omaha,
Newark, New York, Raleigh, Cincinnati,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Houston, San
Antonio, Washington, DC, and Milwaukee. For a
complete list please go to:
http://www.lulac.org/events/immigrationcalendar.html
or
http://www.april10.org.
The League of the United Latin
American Citizen (www.lulac.org) advances the
economic conditions, educational attainment,
political influence, health and civil rights of
Hispanic Americans through community-based
programs operating at more than 700 LULAC
councils nationwide.
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