Other Events March to Defeat the Sensenbrenner Bill Come to the March in Upper Manhattan Against H.R. 4437 Date: March 26 Time: 1:00 PM, at 165th Street and Audubon (on the A line) (endorsed by NJ Civil Rights Defense Committee) WE HAVE TO DEFEAT H.R. 4437 NOW We can and must defeat the anti-immigrant bill H.R.4437. We must put greater pressure to ensure it. The turnouts in Chicago, with more than 300 thousand people, and other samples of pressure, including the lobbying in Washington of pro-immigrants and defenders of the human rights groups, have had a tremendous impact in the internal workings of the Legal Committee of the Senate. Now there is the possibility that this committee will vote on a Bill that would open a route for the legalization of millions of undocumented people. Later, the proposal of the Senate will have to face the approved bill from the House of Representatives which is authored by the republicans James Sensenbrenner and Peter King. The more diverse and strong the pressure is from the immigrant communities, unions, groups defending civil and human rights, churches of all the denominations, all sorts of organizations, etc., the greater possibilities we will have to defeat this political attack from the most conservative sector of the United States. By way of popular peaceful mobilizations we will avoid the criminalization of almost 2 million undocumented minors and more than 10 million of adults that are in the same legal condition. This is how we will defeat this attempt to brand as traffickers of human beings churches, social services agencies, family members and any person that offers aid to an undocumented person. In this way we will avoid that an undocumented person, who is caught or a visitor whose visa has expired during their stay in the country, spend a year in jail. No to racism, xenophobia and discrimination against immigrants. Come to the March in Upper Manhattan Against H.R. 4437 Date: March 26 Time: 1:00 PM, at 165th Street and Audubon Bring Placards, Banners, Flags, Whistles, Drums, Guiros.. Immigrant Community Coalition Contact: Radhamés 646.796.8657 ( Acción Comunitaria La Aurora, Centro para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Dominicana, Iglesia San Romero de Las Américas, Good Shepherd Church, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Inmigrant Rights, Colegio de Periodistas Dominicanos, Centro Hispano "Cuzcatlan", New Cork Civic Participation Project, Mothers on the Move, Caucus de Mujeres Dominicanas, SEIU Local 1199, Centro Comunitario Hermanas Mirabal, Congreso Nacional Dominicano, Asociación de Egresados de la UASD, Asociación de Inquilinos del 700 West de la Calle 178, Business Development Center For Inmigrants, Servicio de Educación Básica, Fundación Minerva Mirabal, International Action Center, Programa la Voz Latina WBAI-99.5, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, Movimiento Institucional Dominicano (MIDO), Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (RD-USA), Consulta Dominicana sobre Libre Comercio, Independent Nework Inc.) Planning meeting for regional "equal rights for all" conference The movement against the Sensenbrenner Bill has begun to unite and mobilize large numbers of both immigrant and citizens, as shown by the 100,000-strong demonstration in Chicago. This is a great opportunity to revive the movement for immigrant rights that was forced to retreat after 9/11. But it would be a waste of this opportunity if we were to limit ourselves to opposing this reactionary bill. If Congress instead passes the McCain/Kennedy bill, immigrants will be worse off than they are now—totally dependent on employers for their status. If no bill passes, we will still have massive detentions, deportations, and exploitation of the undocumented—an ongoing war of terror against immigrants. We need some way to not just fight back, but to actually put forward OUR alternative--a vision for a better future. It’s time to make bold demands of what we want the government to do. We need to fight for what we really want: equal rights for all—immigrant and citizen alike, an end to all detentions and deportations, free travel across the borders for all, as we had in the first century of this country’s history. In January, a small group of activists from New York and New Jersey came together to start organizing a North East Regional conference for immigrant rights. The aim of the conference is to democratically formulate our alterative vision of equal rights for all, and plan organizing strategy behind that vision. We want to work with all activists who share a vision that “No One is Illegal”--equal rights for all. Please come help build this conference. Our next planning meeting is 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 29, at the Garment Workers Solidarity Center, 406 W. 40th Street, between 9th & 10th Ave Eric Lerner NJ Civil Rights Defense Committee 973-736-0522