There has been a flurry of immigration reform events over the last two weeks. On Sunday, the Long Island Civic Engagement Table, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, along with several other groups launched a statewide bus tour for immigration reform. On Monday, Long Island Wins sponsored a forum on the economic benefits of immigration reform. I have attended six events this month where I have spoken on reform and many of my colleagues have done the same.
Long Island’s immigrant rights groups have held meetings with three of our region’s four Congressional offices as well as with Senator Schumer’s Long Island office. We have been collecting postcards in support of immigration reform and we are participating in the statewide online petition drive for Real Immigration Reform. Rallies are being planned for April 10 and May 1, so keep your schedule clear if you want to participate.
The work of the immigrant rights community here is being carried out in conjunction with the statewide New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform Coalition as well as the national Fair Immigration Reform Movement. These groups conduct weekly meetings to plan strategy. All of our work is designed to push for the most inclusive immigration reform possible and all involves coordination at the local, state, and national levels.
We think what we are doing is paying off.
I hope you will check back regularly on Long Island Wins to see what Real Immigration Reform events are taking place. In the coming weeks, I’ll also give you hints about what you can do to spread the word about the need for reform.
