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Immigration Reform Grassroots Supporters Turn Out in Huge Numbers for National Call Laying Out Strategy for Winning
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
More than 1,000 parties held throughout country, show support is strong and growing for immigration reform
Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009For
Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Contact: Mary Moreno, mmoreno@communitychange.org,
202-306-7951 (cell)
WASHINGTON - Tonight, more than 60,000
immigration supporters from across the country got together with friends, family
and neighbors to hear Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) lay out the strategy for
winning much-needed reform on a telephonic briefing. The call came just days
after Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano reiterated the President's
commitment to passing comprehensive immigration reform in early 2010, showing
support for reform is strong and growing.
Families, Freedom and Faith: A
Call to Action for Immigration Reform was sponsored by the Reform
Immigration FOR America campaign, and featured Gutierrez and Reps. Raul
Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). People were able to join the call
individually or from the nearly 900 house parties held across the country. The
large number of house parties is remarkable considering last week a major
anti-immigration group could only rile up its base for 53 events.
"The
response from the community was truly overwhelming," said Marissa Graciosa, campaign coordinator of the Fair
Immigration Reform Movement and a lead field organizer with the campaign. "With
very little publicity, we had people join the call from nearly every state,
including a party in Alaska. It shows that people are hungry for
change, and want to take action to make it happen."
Expert available for comment:
Gabe Gonzalez,
campaign strategist, is available to talk about what this call means to
immigrant communities, what the next steps are for advocates to get legislation
moving and the importance of immigration reform to the economy.
Mr.
Gonzalez has been quoted extensively in the press and leads the core national
campaign at the Center for Community Change. See complete bio here:
http://www.communitychange.org/who-we-are/our-staff/bios/gabe-gonzalez
To
speak with Mr. Gonzalez, contact Mary
Moreno at mmoreno@communitychange.org or
(202) 306-7951. (cell).
###
FIRM (Fair Immigration Reform Movement) is a
coalition of grassroots community organizations nationwide, working on behalf of
comprehensive immigration reform and immigrant rights and is convened by Center
for Community Change. Since 1968, the Center for Community Change has
strengthened the leadership, voice and power of low-income communities
nationwide to confront the vital issues of today and build the social movements
of tomorrow. www.communitychange.org
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