NEW YORK BANNERS WAVE IN WINDS OF CHANGE WITH THE CALL:

“JUSTICE FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS” “JUSTICIA PARA LOS INMIGRANTES”

New York … May 18, 2006

With Bush's national televised speech on immigration reform on Monday, this action is designed as the people’s response and follows recent national protests, including one in NYC on May 1 that drew out hundreds of thousands of people.

This also comes within New York City's “National Week of Action” called to coincide with the Senate resuming Immigration Debates the same day of Bush’s immigration speech. (Press release for the national day of action reprinted below)


Immigrants Demand Real Legalization & Reject Inhumane
Compromises"

As the Senate reconvenes on Monday, May 15th for the last stretch of its immigration reform debate, immigrants in New York City will join thousands across the country in a National Week of Actions from May 14- May 20 to say "No Deal!" to a three tier legalization bill, guest worker programs, increased enforcement, and border walls. Immigrants warn the Senate against compromising our futures with the bill on the table which has drawn mass opposition for its attempt to split up immigrant families and increase criminalization through expedited deportation and indefinite detention. Instead grassroots coalitions of diverse immigrant organizations stand firm in saying that immigrants deserve no less than:

(1) Legalization for all immigrants; No guest-worker
programs of work & leave

(2) Improved and faster family reunification
opportunities for all;

(3) Enforce the protection of human and civil rights
by reducing detention & deportation, ending
collaboration between the DHS and public agencies, and
ending deaths & abuses of migrants at the borders;

(4) Non-compliance with the REAL ID Act and the
guarantee of equal access to driver's licenses for
immigrants;

(5) Equal protection of labor rights of undocumented
workers