DANR & Its National Council Commend Senate Judiciary Committee for Advancing Senate Bill 744

Washington, DC (May 23, 2013). The Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR) and its National Council praise the introduction of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, and commend the Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing the bill for full U.S. Senate consideration.

Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

“After debating in vain for over a decade, Republicans and Democrats have finally introduced what seems to be a historic bipartisan immigration reform bill in an attempt to fix U.S. broken immigration system,” said Nestor Montilla, DANR Chairman. “At least by introducing an 850-page bill, and advancing it from the Senate Judiciary Committee to the floor of the U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats have taken a few steps closer to achieving much needed immigration reform.”

The bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Schumer, McCain, Durbin, Graham, Menendez, Rubio, Bennet and Flake.

“It’s about time that 11 million undocumented immigrants are afforded the opportunity to come out of the shadows into a society where they have been living and contributing for years,” said Claribel Martinez-Marmolejos, DANR Vice President and Treasurer. “Join us in advocating for the passage of this bill.”

To contact your senators, click here.

The bill includes provisions of serious concerns to U.S. diverse communities:

Title I.  Border Security

This Title provides for border security measures that will achieve and maintain effective control in high risk areas of the Southern border.

• Border Plan: Stage one requires the DHS Secretary to develop a Comprehensive Border Security Strategy and Southern Border Fencing Strategy within six months before the registration period for Registered Provisional Immigrant status (RPI) begins.  These strategies must be designed to achieve persistent surveillance of the border and a 90% effectiveness rate for apprehensions and returns in high risk border sectors. The bill appropriates $3 billion for this plan which will include technology, personnel and other resources.
• Triggers: The Secretary’s border plan must be operational before any RPIs may apply for adjustment of status. The Secretary must develop and implement a fencing plan ($1.5 billion); E-Verify must be mandatory and operational; and a biographic entry-exit system at air and seaports must be implemented before RPIs may adjust to permanent residence.
• Southwest Governors Commission: After five years, if the specified goals of 90% effectiveness and persistent surveillance have not been met, a Southern Border Security Commission will be established to make further recommendations for achieving these goals.  The Commission would recommend up to $2 billion in additional DHS spending that would be available to achieve the border security goals if they have not yet been met.
• Additional Resources: To further ensure completion of these targets, Customs and Border Patrol personnel and resources will be increased, additional funding for border prosecutions in the Tucson sector are funded, and the authority of the National Guard to assist in border security operations is codified.
• DHS Oversight: To protect the integrity of the system, additional resources and training will be devoted to implementing a DHS-wide use of force policy and associated training in appropriate use of force and the impact of federal operations on border communities.  A Border Oversight Taskforce is established to take testimony and conduct hearings in order to review and recommend changes to existing border policies.  The current duties of the USCIS Ombudsman’s office will be expanded to encompass all DHS immigration functions. DHS will be required to issue regulations on racial profiling that are based on a study analyzing individualized data on DHS officers enforcement activity.

 

Title II.   Legalization (Registered Provisional Immigrant program) and Legal Immigration

This title provides a path to citizenship for the 11.5 undocumented immigrants in the United States. It establishes a new framework for future legal immigration by revamping the current family and employment based systems and creating two additional merit-based immigration systems.

 

SubPart A.  Creation of Registered Provisional Immigrant program

• Registration Requirements: Immigrants who entered the United States before December 31, 2011 and have been physically present in the U.S. since that time will be eligible to apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status provided they pass a background check, have not been convicted of a serious crime, pay any assessed tax liability, and pay appropriate fees and a $500 fine.
• Initial registration will be valid for six years. It provides for work and travel authorization, and includes spouses and children in the United States on the same application.
• Renewal: RPIs applying for renewal will be subject to a new background check, payment of processing fees, payment of taxes, and a $500 fine. RPIs must provide evidence of having been 1) regularly employed while meeting a requirement that he/she is not likely to become a public charge or 2) having resources to demonstrate 100% of the poverty level.
• Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residency: At the end of ten years, RPIs may apply for adjustment of status, provided that they demonstrate: 1) they are admissible, 2) pay an additional $1000 fine per adult plus application fees; 3) prove they are learning English; 4) pay their taxes; 5) pass a background check and 6) demonstrate compliance with the employment requirement. Specifically, they must show: 1) they have regularly worked in the U.S. such that they are not likely to become a public charge or 2) they have resources to meet 125% of the Federal Poverty Level. Under the revamped legal immigration system, individuals present in the U.S. for 10 years in lawful status can adjust status to lawful permanent residence including RPIs and other legal immigrants. RPIs may apply for naturalization after an additional three year wait, making the total path to citizenship about 13 years. The bill includes a “back of the line” requirement: RPIs may not adjust status until the family and employment backlogs are cleared.
• Timeline: DHS has 12 months to issue regulations. Then there is a one year initial application period which can be extended by the Secretary for up to 18 months.
• DREAM Act: Individuals who entered the U.S. before the age of 16 and who have completed high school or obtained a GED in the U.S. may register for RPI status through the DREAM Act.  There is no age cap for the program. Individuals who received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals are grandfathered into RPI status.  DREAM RPIs are exempted from penalties and the triggers.  Five years after registration, DREAM RPIs may apply for adjustment of status; their time in RPI status will count towards eligibility for naturalization, allowing them to become citizens immediately after receiving their green card. Children under age 16 have a five year path to citizenship and are exempted from certain requirements. The bill heightens child welfare protections to ensure parental rights are not terminated on the basis of a parent’s immigration status alone.
• Agricultural program: Undocumented farm workers who can demonstrate a minimum of 100 work days or 575 hours in the two years prior to the date of enactment would be eligible for an Agricultural Card. Workers who work at least 100 days a year for five years or workers who perform at least 150 days a year for three years can adjust status to permanent residency. To be eligible for permanent residence, agricultural workers must show that they have paid all taxes, have not been convicted of any serious crime, and pay a $400 fine.
• Integration: Creates an Office of New Americans, a New Americans taskforce and additional initiatives to help immigrants learn English, American civics and integrate into local communities. Provides funding for programs to help non-profits and local government with these initiatives.

 

SubPart B.   Legal Immigration Reforms

• New Merit-Based System: Creates a “Track One” merit based visa which will initially allocate 120,000 visas annually based on a points system, with the possibility of increasing the allotment by 5% (up to 250,000) in any year when unemployment is under 8.5%.  Points will be awarded for factors such as education, employment, family in the U.S. and length of residence in the U.S. Half of the merit visas will be set aside for high skilled individuals and half of the cap will be for lower skilled workers.
• A new “Track Two” merit-based system is created to clear the employment and family backlogs. In addition, this system allows individuals who are lawfully present in the U.S. for over ten years with work authorization to adjust status to permanent residence.
• Lawful Permanent Residents’ spouses and children: The current family based categories will be revised to permit the spouses and children of lawful permanent residents to immigrate immediately.
• Additional changes to the current family system: The current sibling category will be eliminated 18 months after enactment. The 3^rd preference family category (adult married children of U.S. citizens) will have an age cap of 31 beginning 18 months after enactment. The backlog reduction program will include processing of petitions in phased-out family categories. U.S. citizens can petition for a sibling for up to 18 months after enactment.
• New Family “V” Visa: Creates a new nonimmigrant visa for families with approved petitions to work and live in the U.S. while waiting for their green card. Allows other family members including siblings to visit the U.S. for up to 60 days per year.
• Employment-Based Reforms: Spouses and children of employment based visa applicants, STEM graduates with doctoral degrees, certain other professionals, and certain foreign doctors are exempt from the employment visa cap. The cap on low-skilled workers is raised.
• Additional Backlog Reduction and Improvements: Additional provisions to streamline processing and reduce backlogs include elimination of employment based country caps, an increase in family based country limits, and recapture of unused visa numbers. Popular programs for foreign doctors (Conrad-30), religious worker recruitment, and EB-5 investors are permanently reauthorized. Numerous other technical fixes to improve and streamline current visa programs are included (additional protections for stepchildren, widows, and other family members.)
• Judicial Discretion: Expands the authority of immigration judges and DHS to waive removal on humanitarian grounds.

 

Title Three. Interior Enforcement.

This title mandates E-Verify, provides additional worker protections, reforms the immigration court system and provides additional measures related to interior enforcement.

 

• Five year phase-in of mandatory E-Verify: An electronic employment verification system (E-verify) will cover all employers within a five year period, beginning with federal contractors and critical infrastructure employers. It requires identity verification through use of enhanced fraud-proof documents. Specifically prohibits creation of a national ID card.
• Anti-fraud measures: Expands ability to protect against identity theft of Social Security numbers by allowing employees to block their social security number and gives employees access to personal E-verify history.  It provides for an expansion of the photo identification mechanism as a component of E-verify and encourages states to provide photos to DHS.
• Due Process: Expands due process protections for employees to ensure that legal workers are not prevented from working due to errors in the system or because of employer negligence or misconduct. Provides for back-pay if an employee loses work unfairly due to system or employer error. Provides a stay of termination of employment to give the worker time to correct any errors in the system.
• Worker Protections: Includes protections for employers and employees, including pre-emption of state verification laws, expansion of U visas in employer abuse situations, and program funding. The bill also cracks down on labor recruitment abuse.
• Refugee/Asylum Issues: Streamlines processing in refugee and asylum cases by eliminating one year asylum filing deadline, eliminating family reunification barriers for asylees and refugees, authorizing streamlined processing of certain high risk refugee groups, authorizing asylum officers to grant asylum for eligible applicants during credible fear interviews, and permits qualified stateless individuals to apply for lawful permanent resident status.
• Immigration Court Improvements: Authorizes increase in immigration court personnel, additional resources, and more training for judges and other staff; access to counsel for vulnerable populations to improve efficiency of courts, and permanently codifies Board of Immigration Appeals and legal orientation programs.
• Interior Enforcement: Tightens certain grounds of inadmissibility relating to document and passport fraud, driving while intoxicated following three convictions, conviction for gang related activities, convictions related to domestic violence, child abuse, stalking, violation of protection orders and failing to register as a sex offender.  Prohibits and or increases penalties for abusive smuggling, illegal entry, and re-entry. Creates a mandatory exit verification system,
• Detention Reform: Increases oversight of detention facilities, expands the ability of immigration judges to conduct bond hearings, and expands alternatives to detention.

 

Title IV. Reforms to Non Immigrant Visa Programs.

This Title reforms current non-immigrant visa programs and creates a new worker visa that melds greater employer flexibility with worker protections and ability to apply for permanent residence.

 

• H-1B: Changes to the H-1B high skilled visa program include expanding the current cap from 65,000 to 110,000 with an option to ultimately increase the cap to 180,000 visas annually based on a High Skilled Jobs Demand Index. Allows for work authorization for spouses and children.  Increases requirements for recruiting and offering jobs to U.S. workers at higher wages prior to hiring foreign workers. Increases fines and wage requirements for companies that are heavy-users of H-1B visas. After 3 years, companies whose workforce is more than fifty percent H-1Bs are barred.
• Deterring Abuse: Establishes significant new authorities and penalties to prevent, detect, and deter fraud and abuse of the H-1B and L-1 visa systems by fraudulent employers.  Increases wages for foreign workers to help protect Americans.
• H-2B: Makes permanent the H-2B returning worker provision.
• New Worker Program (W Visa): Establishes a new nonimmigrant W classification for lesser-skilled foreign workers performing services or labor for a registered employer in a registered position. Spouses and minor children are included and are work-authorized. It is a three year visa with three year renewal periods. Initially, 20,000 W visas will be made available, rising to 75,000 visas in four years. The visa program cap can rise to 200,000 depending on a formula based on unemployment, job openings, number of applications and the recommendations of a newly established Bureau of Immigration and Labor Market Research. Shortage occupation employers can hire workers outside the cap. W visa holders may switch from one registered employer to another without penalty and apply for the merits-based lawful permanent residence program or the Employment-Based system.
• Agriculture: A new agricultural guest worker visa program would be established to provide a more stable agricultural workforce. A portable, at-will employment based visa (W-3 visa) and a contract-based visa (W-2 visa) administered by the Department of Agriculture would replace the current H-2A program. It will provide growers with a streamlined process to petition for worker while ensuring critical worker protections. The H-2A program would sunset after the new guest worker visa program is operational.
• INVEST Visa: This bill creates a new INVEST visa for foreign entrepreneurs who seek to come to the U.S. to start their own companies. This 3-year visa would be available to immigrant entrepreneurs who have a qualifying investor in the US and can be renewed if it can demonstrate certain benchmarks related to the number of jobs it creates and revenue it produces.

 

La Lista Dominicana

To Nominate a Candidate to the Dominican List,  CLICK HERE

Dominican List Slideshow

Dominican List Prologue by Silvio Torres-Saillant, Ph.D.

15ava Cumbre de Liderazgo de la Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana en Washington, DC

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Transportation & Hotel

Washington, DC (26 de Junio, 2012) — The Dominican American National Roundtable has partnered with the Hyatt Regency Washington, DC on Capitol Hill to ensure your stay in Washington, DC during the DANR 15th Annual National Leadership Summit is productive and enjoyable.

We have an exceptional agenda for you. Read more below:

El Programa Nacional de Pasantia 2012 y la 15^vaCumbre Anual de Liderazgo de La Mesa Redonda Dominico-Americana tomarán lugar en Washington, DC al final del mes de julio del presente.

El Programa Nacional de Pasantia 2012 se efectuará del domingo 21 de julio al domingo 29 de julio del presente.  Diez estudiantes universitarios de diferentes partes de los Estados Unidos participarán este año. El tema es: “Participacion Civica: Dirigiendo la Nueva Generacion Hacia Abogacia y Reforma”.

La 15^va  Cumbre Anual de Liderazgo de DANR tomará lugar desde el jueves 26 de julio al domingo 29 de julio.  Las actividades principales de la Cumbre incluyen:

Jueves, 26 de Julio –  9am to 5pm  – Dia Nacional Legislativo

 

Viernes, 27 de Julio 9am – 12pm – Reunion de Junta Directiva de DANR & NDAC

Viernes, 27 de Julio – Talleres Manana y Tarde –U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (entrada gratis).

Viernes, 27 de Julio 4pm Recepcion/Preludio a La Lista Dominicana en U.S. Captiol Visitor Center, Washington, DC.

-Estreno de  “La Lista Dominicana”, una publicacion y recuento audiovisual de la contribucion Dominicana a los Estados Unidos.

- Ceremonia de Reconocimientos: Homenajeados incluyen: los cantantes Monchy & Nathalia, Julissa Marenco, Presidente de Telemundo ZGS, Nelson Valdez, Vice Presidente del 1199, Senador del Estado de Rhode Island Juan Pichardo, Dr. Karina Edmonds Montilla, Ph.D., Especialista de Tecnologia de NASA, Dr. Ramona Hernandez, Directora Ejecutiva del Dominican Studies Institute, Felipe Lopez, Ex jugador del NBA player, y el escritor Diogenes Ramon Abreu, entre otros.

Viernes 27 de julio 8:00PM: Recepcion de Apertura de la 15ava Cumbre Anual de la Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana  en el Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Avenue Washington, DC 20024). Inscribase pulsando aqui.

En la Recepcion participara la cantante Milly Quezada, Monchy y Nathacha, seleccionados de La Lista Dominicana , personalidades, lideres, estudiantes, auspiciadores, miembros de DANR e invitados de las diversas comunidades de los Estados Unidos.

 

Sábado, 28 de Julio, 11am – 4pm  - La Celebracion Historica de la Contribucion Dominicana a los Estados Unidos.

Lugar: Washington Monument en el National Mall (Madison Dr. NW 15^th St NW Washington, DC 20001).  Gratis

Para Inscripcion gratis e informacion sobre transportacion a precio modico, visit www.danr.org.

Sábado, 28 de julio 7pm – Recepcion de Clausura VIP (TBA)

 

Domingo, 29 de julio 9am – Reunion de la Junta Directiva de DANR

Domingo, 29 de julio 11am – Resumen de Programa de Pasantia de DANR Summer

 Para reservar transportacion pulse aqui.

Para reservar alojamiento a precio especial de grupo, contacted a:

Special Hotel Discount
Hyatt Regency Washington On Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 710-8426
Use Link: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/DANR

 

Special Hotel Discount
Capitol Skyline Hotel
10 I Street Southwest
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 485-7500
Use Code: DANR

Organizaciones coordinadoras y auspiciadoras de la Celebracion Historica Dominicana 2012 incluyen, Dominican American National Roundtable, National Dominican American Council, Galo’s Corporation, Diversity Foundation, Latino Coalition, The Institute for Latino Studies, Lino Press, Dominican Republic Tourism Board, Voxxi.com y the City University of New York.

For Information and Sponsorship Opportunities
♦ National Dominican American Council
(202) 2385-0097
info@danr.org

Statement by DANR President on the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Arizona v. the United States

120625_SCOTUS_Immigration_Decision

Washington, DC (June 25, 2012).  The Dominican American National Roundtable and its National Council (NDAC) agree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to struck down some key provisions of Arizona’s immigration law, known as S. B. 1070, mandating that individuals cannot be detained solely to verify their immigration status.

However, the Court decision leaves intact questionable provisions of the law, including requiring local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of anyone they suspect to be illegally in USA.

“DANR agrees with the Supreme Court’s ruling, but it is not sufficient to address current broken immigration system at the national level,” said Dr. Maria Teresa Montilla, President of the Dominican American National Roundtable. “Instead of addressing the issue by executing unconstitutional state laws, the U.S. Congress should act immediately to enact comprehensive immigration reform.”

For a printable copy of the ruling, please click the following link. 120625_SCOTUS_Immigration_Decision

 

We Stand United in Support of Dean Deniosky Pena-Mora / Unidos en Apoyo a Dean Feniosky Pena-Mora

NOTED & QUOTED

For immediate release

** Press Advisory**                  

The Dominican American National Roundtable and the National Dominican American Council join NYC Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City community leaders, residents and students to stand together in support of Dean Feniosky Pena Mora and in opposition to the current effort to remove him from his position as Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.  

Since assuming the position of Dean in 2009, Feniosky Pena-Mora has demonstrated his talents as a Latino leader fully capable of leading the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.  

 

His list of accomplishments include:

  

1.   Improved the Fu Foundation School of Engineering National ranking from 21 in 2009 to 15 in 2012.

 

2.   Diversified both the faculty and student body by adding more women and minorities to the school.

 

3.   Attracted and brought on board new faculty with high standards of excellence. 

 

4.   Increased the support for Columbia University Engineering Endowment.

 

COME AND BRING OTHERS TO SUPPORT! 

 

What: Rally/ Press Conference denouncing removal of Feniosky Pena-Mora as Dean of Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University

 

When: Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 2pm

 

Where: In Front of Columbia University- 116th Street & Broadway in Upper Manhattan, NY 

——–

Espanol

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Para difusion inmediata

Contact0: 646-250-2175

UNIDOS EN APOYO A DEAN FENIOSKY PENA-MORA

La Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana y el Consejo Nacional Dominico Americano se unen a Ydanis Rodriguez, Concejal de la Ciudad de Nueva York, líderes  comunitarios,  residentes y estudiantes de la  Ciudad de Nueva York en apoyo al Decano Feniosky Penalty Mora y en oposición al esfuerzo  para sacarlo de su posición como Decano de la Fu Foundation School of Engineering y Applied Science de la Columbia University. 

Desde que asumió la posición de Decano en 2009, Feniosky Pena-Mora ha demostrado su talento como un líder Latino plenamente capaz de dirigir el Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.   

Su lista de logros incluyen:

1.      Mejorar el ranking nacional de la Fu Foundation School of Engineering  de 21 en 2009 a 15 en 2012.

2.      Diversificar tanto la facultad como el alumnado añadiendo más mujeres y minorías a la escuela.

3.      Atraer y enlistar nuevos profesores con altos estándares de excelencia.

4.      Aumentar el apoyo a la  Columbia University Engineering Endowment.

 

VENGA E INVITE A OTRAS PERSONAS A APOYAR!

 

Qué?: Rally / Conferencia de Prensa denunciando eliminación de Feniosky Pena-Mora como Decano de of Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University

 

Cuando?:  Jueves 10 de mayo de 2012 a las 2 pm

 

Donde?:  Frente a la Columbia University- 116th Street & Broadway in Upper Manhattan, NY

 

________________________

Background articles posted by DANR about Feniosky Pena-Mora

First Dominican Appointed Dean of Columbia University’s School of Engineering to Be DANR Conference Keynote Speaker in Walt Disney World

http://danr.org/tag/feniosky-pena-mora/

U.S. Senate Confirms Dominican from the Bronx as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Uruguay

Washington, DC (March 30, 2012).  The U.S. Senate confirmed attorney Julissa Reynoso, born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx, New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay in South America.

 

“This appointment in Uruguay, makes Julissa Reynoso the first Dominican to occupy the position of United States Ambassador in the history of this country; it is a further sign of our integration into the fabric of this society,” said Dr. Maria Teresa Montilla, President of the Dominican American National Roundtable.  “To have a person with her professional background, character and humanity serving as U.S. Ambassador speaks well of the United States of America.”

 

Reynoso was nominated by President Obama on October 17, 2011.

 

She was born in January 1975 in Salcedo, Dominican Republic. In 1982, she emigrated with her family to the United States. Her U.S. immigration experience started in the South Bronx in New York City where she attended Catholic schools, and learned English.

 

Her high school guidance counselor encouraged her to apply to top schools. Reynoso earned a B.A. in Government from Harvard in 1997, an M. Phil. in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. in 1998, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2001.

 

After law school, she clerked for Federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2001 to 2003, was a fellow at Columbia Law School in 2005, and practiced international arbitration and antitrust law at the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett from 2006 to 2009. She served as Deputy Director of the Office of Accountability at the New York City Department of Education in 2006, and was a part-time legal fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law from August 2008 through July 2009, when she received her first State Department appointment.

Prior to her appointment, Reynoso served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central America and  in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Reynoso has published widely in both Spanish and English on a range of issues including regulatory reform, community organizing, housing reform, immigration policy, and Latin American politics for both popular press and academic journals. She is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations.

 

For more information about her confirmation by the U.S. Senate, visit:

 

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/nom_confc.htm

La Mesa Redonda Propone Mapa Legislativo a Junta de Paterson, NJ

EnglishWashington, DC (30 de noviembre, 2011) .— En una audiencia pública llevada a cabo ayer 29 de noviembre del 2011 en el Passaic County Administration Building en Paterson, NJ, La Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana (DANR),  la única organización sin fines de lucro, no partidista, con sede en Washington, D. C. abogando y representando los intereses socioeconómicos y políticos de los más de dos millones de dominicanos en los Estados Unidos, sometió  un mapa de los seis barrios de Paterson a la Comisión Local de Redistribución de  Distritos. DANR Proposed Ward Boundaries for the City of Paterson

Dr. María Teresa Feliciano, la Presidente de DANR presentó el mapa durante la primera audiencia de la Comisión, compuesta por los Comisionados de la Junta de  Elecciones John Currie (D), Arthur G. Soto (R), Eugene Liss (R), y  Lauren Murphy (D), así como también Paterson City Cleck Jane Williams.

Presidente Feliciano se dirigió a los miembros de la comisión sobre el aumento de la población Latina en la ciudad de Paterson y la necesidad de que el nuevo mapa de la ciudad refleje este cambio demográfico, como lo indica el Censo 2010.

Tambien testificaron Alba Mota, en representacion del Concilio Nacional Dominico Americano (Testimony of Alba Mota-Paterson, NJ), Yohany Mendez, Rhina Tavarez y Joel Martinez.

A continuación una transcripción del testimonio  de Dr. María Teresa Feliciano, grabado por Latino Vision://latinovisiontv.com/:

Testimony of DANR President Maria Teresa Feliciano:

President of The Dominican American National Roundtable

Hearing of the Paterson Ward Commission

Passaic County Administration Building

401 Grand Street Paterson, NJ 07505

Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 1:00PM

Members of the Paterson Ward Commission:

On behalf of the Dominican American National Roundtable, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee regarding the redistricting of Paterson’ Six Wards.

The Dominican American National Roundtable is a national organization founded in 1997 with the mission of representing and advocating for the educational, economic and civil rights of the over 2 million Dominicans in the United States.  Including the large population of Dominicans in the City of Paterson, which ranks fifth, among the 10 largest Dominican populations in the United States.

We understand that the issue before this Commission is the redistricting of Paterson’ Six Wards, that demographic changes reported by the 2010 Census may be accurately reflected, communities of interest be kept together, and all Patersonians be properly represented.

This process must take place of course, observing the following state mandated guiding criteria:

Wards should be as compact as reasonably possible;

Contiguity must be striven for;

US Census Tract Boundaries must be respected wherever possible;

Physical Ward Boundaries such as rivers, railroads, major roadways, major land formations, etc. should be respected;

We request that the commission consider the following, in its quest to design maps that would lead to accurate representation of all Patersonians.

According to the 2010 US Census, there are 50.5 million Hispanics in the United States, composing 16 percent of the total population. Hispanics increased by 15.2 million (or 43%) between 2000 and 2010, which accounted for over half of the total population growth that occurred in the U.S. over the past 10 years. New Jersey is one of the states showing a large increase in Hispanic population, bringing it to –%. Paterson, specifically, lost 3,023 in its general population, but gained 4,767 Hispanics from 2000 to 2010.

The 2010 data regarding Hispanic residents revealed that the City of Paterson is currently 57.6% Latino, 31.7% Black, 12.6% White and 8.1% Other.

At the end of the redistricting process, the map of Paterson’ Six Wards must reflect its population.

In observing the current map of the city, it is of concern to see that the map of the 4th Ward effectively divides the Riverside, a community of interest, in the middle. It places ½ in the 3rd Ward and ½ in the 4th Ward.

We propose a map of the 4th Ward that will keep this community of interest together. A map that takes into consideration, and respects the following areas of service and interest:

1.              Socio-economic status

2.              Mail delivery routes

3.              Recycling schedules

4.              Transportation routes

5.              Public works service schedules

6.              Bunker Hill Special Improvement District

7.              Zip codes (07524 & 07514)

As a result of changing the boundaries of the 4th Ward, and accommodating the changes in population, the remaining wards’ boundaries are also adjusted and submitted.

We look forward to working with the Committee to contribute in your effort to make sure that Paterson achieves a fair and constitutional redistricting.

Thank you,

Dr. Maria Teresa Feliciano, President

Dominican American National Roundtable

About DANR

The Dominican-American National Roundtable (DANR) is a non-partisan, non-profit corporation seeking to bring together the different voices of all people of Dominican origin in the United States.  DANR is a national forum for analysis, planning, and action to advance the educational, economic, legal, social, cultural, and political interests of Dominican Americans. It aims to ensure for U. S. Dominicans the full exercise of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America.  With those objectives in mind, DANR is committed to enriching the quality of life in the United States by highlighting the contributions of Dominicans to the larger American society (www.danr.org).

DANR on the News: President Talks About Redistricting and DANR Goals for 2011 on Bronxnet

Washington, DC (September 3, 2011).–Early this year, Bronxnet Community Television Network’s Host Daren Jaime sits down with Maria Teresa Feliciano, newly elected President of the Dominican American National Roundtable about redistricting and the goals for the DANR for 2011.

Interview is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMofjrmVAN8

Preliminary list of  articles and tv coverage on DANR and its National Redistricting Project

Dr. Maria Teresa Feliciano, New President of the Dominican American National Roundtable. Message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVy_t7yT1dw

http://www.eagletribune.com/opinion/x357285689/Column-Latino-population-growth-requires-Latino-representation

http://www.eagletribune.com/opinion/x349136852/Editorial-Redistricting- proposal-ignores-Lawrence-history/print

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x927317294/Proposal-would-create-Latino-heavy-legislative-districts-and-make-targets-out-of-Baddour-and-Finegold

http://hanleytimes.com/?p=7598

http://thepereznotes.blogspot.com/2010/11/nestor-montilla-on-perez-notes.html

http://primermomento.com/?p=91204

http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/128848/organización-promueve-talento-dominicano-en-el-congresoXX

http://quisqueyainternacional.net/blog/2011/09/02/dominicanos-fuerza-politica-latina-en-n-york/

http://losbodegueros.com/index/2011/08/21/dominicanos-se-consolidan-como-fuerza-politica-latina-en-nueva-york/

http://www.cibaoaldia.com/grupo-dominicano-contempla-ganancia-en-distribucion-de-distritos-legislativos/

http://www.acento.com.do/index.php/news/6665/56/Dominicanos-en-NY-son-una-fuerza-politica-creciente-segun-The-Huffington-Post.html

http://latinovisiontv.com/noticias/comunicado-de-prensa/nombran-al-asambleista-del-estado-de-new-york-nelson-l-castro-co-presidente-de14va-cumbre-nacional-de-danr.html

http://ramonanibaltv.blogspot.com/2011/09/grupo-dominicano-contempla-ganancia-en.html

http://listin.com.do/las-mundiales/2011/8/25/201063/Dominicanos-son-el-primer-grupo-extranjero-de-Puerto-Rico-con-68000

Pdf and transcript of Frank Lombardi’s article “In line for nation’s 1st Dominican Rep?” published today Thursday, August 4, 2001 by the New York Daily News.

Daily News article -In line for nation’s 1st Dominican rep? by Frank Lombardi

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/uptown/2011/09/01/2011-09-01_dominican_group_eyes_gains_in_redistricting.html#ixzz1WkJDANcZ

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/09/pro-dominican-redistricting-for-ny-14

The Dominican American National Roundtable & Its National Dominican American Council Join Coalition Opposing Alabama’s HB 56

Spanish Version

Washington, DC (August 13, 2011).–The Dominican American National Roundtable has joined a coalition of more than 90 advocacy groups opposing Alabama’s new anti-immigrant law, HB 56, which would inflict widespread harm across the state and the diverse coalition of groups opposing HB 56.

Nine amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs were filed last week in the civil rights coalition lawsuit challenging the law in U.S. district court. The briefs demonstrate that the Alabama law interferes with U.S. diplomatic interests and encourages discrimination. Civil rights and education groups contend that the law will adversely impact victims of crimes, students with limited English proficiency, Alabama educators, and others. The law is set to take effect on September 1.

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The coalition asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama last month to block the law from taking effect. The court has consolidated the coalition’s lawsuit with a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, which accuses the state of undermining federal immigration priorities, and a lawsuit filed by state religious leaders, which alleges that the law criminalizes their ability to worship by making it a potential crime to be a Good Samaritan to an undocumented immigrant.

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HB 56 allows law enforcement officials to check individuals’ immigration status, makes it a crime to knowingly transport or house an undocumented immigrant, and requires school officials to determine the immigration status of students and their parents, among other provisions.

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Amicus curiae briefs are legal briefs filed by individuals or organizations with a strong interest in a matter at issue. The briefs filed in Alabama focus on a number of issues related to the new law.

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■ The following nations joined Mexico’s amicus curiae brief opposing the law: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

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■ The following organizations signed a brief describing how the law will discourage the reporting of domestic violence and other violent crimes: Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Legal Momentum; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; the Victim Rights Law Center; Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual (ALAS); American Friends Service Committee; Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Arte Sana; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance; California Women’s Law Center; Break the Chain Campaign; Casa de Esperanza (Minnesota); Casa de Maryland, Inc.; Central American Resource Center; Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE);  Coalition of Labor Union Women; Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST); Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc.; Counsel of Mexican Federations in North America/Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamericana; Family Values @ Work Consortium; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA); Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Nancy Kelly; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies; National Association of Social Workers and the Alabama Chapter of NASW; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; National Women’s Law Center; Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence; New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.; 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women; Raksha; South Asian Americans Leading Together; University of Cincinnati College of Law Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Voces de La Frontera; Washington Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE); West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

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■ The following organizations signed a brief describing the law’s negative impact on individuals’ civil rights: the Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Alabama Council on Human Relations; Alabama New South Coalition; the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Alabama NOW; Birmingham Peace Project; Dominican American National Roundtable; the National Dominican American Council; Equality Alabama; Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund; Hispanic Federation; Immigration Equality; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; the Montgomery Improvement Association; the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials; National Council of La Raza; National Employment Law Project; National Guestworker Alliance; National Immigration Law Project of the National Lawyers Guild; National Lawyers Guild; New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice; Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund; Society of American Law Teachers; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Southern Coalition for Social Justice; and United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.

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■ The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers signed a brief describing the threat posed to individuals’ constitutionally protected rights against prolonged detention, the fact that the law will deputize Alabama police officers as immigration agents in conflict with federal law, and the law’s overall negative impact in criminal justice matters.

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■ The Alabama Education Association and the National Education Association signed a brief describing the law’s negative impact on Alabama educators, students, and families.

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■ The following organizations signed briefs citing the law’s adverse impact on students who have limited English proficiency or are English language-learners: Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, Hispanic College Fund; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); and Multicultural Education, Training & Advocacy, Inc.  The brief asserts that HB 56 seeks to deter immigrant children from attending school because it requires educators to ascertain their families’ immigration status.

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■ The Anti-Defamation League signed a brief describing the law’s impact on victims of hate crimes.

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■ The following organizations signed a brief describing the law’s adverse impact on housing in Alabama: Central Alabama Fair Housing Center; Fair Housing Center of North Alabama; South Alabama Center for Fair Housing; and National Fair Housing Alliance.

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■ The American Immigration Lawyers Association signed a brief describing how the law is incompatible with existing federal immigration law.

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“The diversity of these amici briefs shows the staggering reach of HB 56 and the dire consequences its implementation would have on students, survivors of crime, and people of color all across the state,” said Linton Joaquin, NILC general counsel.

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“We are pleased to see so many groups voice their opposition to a law that undermines the core American values of fairness and equality,” said Mary Bauer, SPLC legal director. “These briefs show this law will wreak havoc across the state and trample the rights of countless residents – regardless of immigration status.”

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Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “The outpouring of these briefs shows broad support for the lawsuits challenging this unconstitutional law. They condemn the Alabama law because it violates core civil rights and interferes with our government’s ability to protect our national interests on immigration and foreign relations.”

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The amicus briefs are available from NILC upon request.

Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana y El Concilio Nacional Dominico Americano Se Unen a Coalición Contra la ley Anti inmigrantes HB 56 de Alabama

English Version

Washington, DC (August 13, 2011).– La Mesa Redonda Dominico Americana (DANR) y su Concilio Nacional Dominico Americano (NDAC) se unieron a una coalición de más de 90 organizaciones que se oponen a la Ley Anti-inmigrantes H56 de Alabama, que ocasionaría estragos en todo el estado y a la diversa coalición de grupos en oposición.

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Nueve Amicus Curiae (“amigos del tribunal”) se presentaron la semana pasada en la demanda de la coalición por derechos civiles retando la ley en el U.S. District Court. Los documentos demuestran que la ley de Alabama interfiere con intereses diplomáticos de los Estados Unidos y fomenta la discriminación. Los grupos de derechos civiles y educación sostienen que la ley podría impactar negativamente las víctimas de crimen, los estudiantes con conocimiento limitado del inglés, los educadores de Alabama, y otros. La ley entrará en vigor el 1 de septiembre.

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La coalición pidió a la U.S. District Court del Northern District de Alabama el mes pasado bloquear que la ley entre en vigor.  El Tribunal ha consolidado la demanda de la coalición con la  demanda del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos, que acusa al estado de socavar las prioridades federales de inmigración, y una demanda interpuesta por líderes religiosos, que alega que la ley criminaliza su capacidad para rendir culto al convertir en posible delito el ser un buen Samaritano a un inmigrante indocumentado.

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La ley HB 56 permite a la uniformada investigar estatus migratorio de individuos, convierte en un crimen transportar o alojar en su casa un inmigrante indocumentado, y requiere que funcionarios escolares determinen el estatus migratorio de los alumnos y sus padres, entre otras disposiciones.

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Amicus  Curiae son documentos jurídicos con ponencias presentadas por individuos u organizaciones con un fuerte interés en el asunto de que se traten. Los documentos jurídicos presentados en Alabama se centran en una serie de aspectos de la nueva ley.

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■ Las siguientes naciones se unieron al Amicus Curiae de Méjico en oposición a la ley: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, República Dominicana, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Perú, y Uruguay.

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■ Las siguientes organizaciones firmaron un documento describiendo cómo la ley procura desalentar la denuncia de la violencia doméstica y otros crímenes violentos: Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Legal Momentum; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; the Victim Rights Law Center; Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual (ALAS); American Friends Service Committee; Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Arte Sana; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance; California Women’s Law Center; Break the Chain Campaign; Casa de Esperanza (Minnesota); Casa de Maryland, Inc.; Central American Resource Center; Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE);  Coalition of Labor Union Women; Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST); Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc.; Counsel of Mexican Federations in North America/Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamericana; Family Values @ Work Consortium; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA); Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Nancy Kelly; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies; National Association of Social Workers and the Alabama Chapter of NASW; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; National Women’s Law Center; Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence; New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.; 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women; Raksha; South Asian Americans Leading Together; University of Cincinnati College of Law Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Voces de La Frontera; Washington Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE); West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence; y Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

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■ Las siguientes organizaciones firmaron un documento describiendo el impacto negativo de la ley sobre los derechos civiles personales: the Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Alabama Council on Human Relations; Alabama New South Coalition; the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Alabama NOW; Birmingham Peace Project; Dominican American National Roundtable; the National Dominican American Council; Equality Alabama; Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund; Hispanic Federation; Immigration Equality; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; the Montgomery Improvement Association; the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials; National Council of La Raza; National Employment Law Project; National Guestworker Alliance; National Immigration Law Project of the National Lawyers Guild; National Lawyers Guild; New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice; Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund; Society of American Law Teachers; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Southern Coalition for Social Justice; y United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.

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■ La National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers firmo un documento describiendo la amenaza que representa para las personas con derechos constitucionalmente protegidos contra detención prolongada, el hecho de que la ley deputiza a los policías de Alabama como agentes de inmigración, en conflicto con la ley federal, y el impacto negativo global de la ley en materia de justicia penal.

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■ La Alabama Education Association y la National Education Association firmaron un documento describiendo el impacto negativo de la ley en educadores, estudiantes y familias de Alabama.

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■ Las siguientes organizaciones firmaron un documento citando las consecuencias negativas de la ley para estudiantes con conocimiento limitado del inglés o aprendiendo Inglés: Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, Hispanic College Fund; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); y Multicultural Education, Training & Advocacy, Inc.  El documento establece que la ley HB 56 procura desanimar a los hijos de inmigrantes de asistir a escuelas porque exige que los educadores confirmen el status migratorio de sus familias.

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■ The Anti-Defamation League firmó un documento describiendo el impacto de la ley sobre las víctimas de los crímenes de odio.

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■ Las siguientes organizaciones firmaron un documento describiendo los efectos negativos de la ley sobre la vivienda en Alabama: Central Alabama Fair Housing Center; Fair Housing Center of North Alabama; South Alabama Center for Fair Housing; y National Fair Housing Alliance.

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■ La Asociación Americana de Abogados de Inmigración firmó un documento jurídico describiendo cómo la ley es incompatible con las actuales leyes federales de inmigración.

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“La diversidad de los amici curiae muestra el enorme alcance de HB 56 y las terribles consecuencias que su aplicación tendría sobre estudiantes, victimas de crimen y personas de color en todo el estado,” dijo Linton Joaquín, Abogado de NILC.

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“Nos complace ver tantos grupos expresar su oposición a una ley que socava los valores estadounidenses fundamentales de equidad e igualdad”, dijo María Bauer, directora jurídica de SPLC. “Estos documentos muestran que esta ley causará estragos en todo el estado y pisoteara los derechos de innumerables residentes -sin importar su estatus migratorio”.

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Cecillia Wang, directora del Proyecto de Derechos del Immigrante de la  ACLU dijo “la efusión de estos documentos juridicos muestran el amplio apoyo a la demanda de  impugno de esta ley inconstitucional. Condenan la ley de Alabama porque viola los derechos civiles básicos e interfiere con la capacidad del gobierno de proteger nuestros intereses nacionales en materia de inmigración y relaciones exteriores.”

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El amicus curiae esta disponible a petición del NILC.

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Sobre DANR

La Mesa Redonda Dominico-Americana (DANR), fundada en el 1997, es la única corporación 501(c) (3) no-partidista, sin fines de lucro y con sede en Washington, DC, con la misión de investigar y abogar a favor del desarrollo y fortalecimiento socio-económico y político de los hispanos y dominicanos en los Estados Unidos de América y sus territorios, incluyendo Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes Americanas.

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Sobre NDAC

El Concilio Nacional Dominico-Americano (NDAC) es el órgano cívico de apoderamiento y participación de la Mesa Redonda Nacional Dominico-Americana (DANR) compuesto por más de 120  concilios locales operando en los Estados Unidos con la función de determinar la agenda nacional en la convención anual y abogar por la prosperidad e intereses de nuestras comunidades en áreas concernientes al desarrollo humano en general, incluyendo educación, desarrollo económico, salud, inmigración y apoderamiento político.

English Version

The Dominican American National Roundtable & Its National Dominican American Council Join Coalition Opposing Alabama’s HB 56

Washington, DC (August 13, 2011_.–The Dominican American National Roundtable has joined a coalition of more than 90 advocacy groups opposing Alabama’s new anti-immigrant law, HB 56, which would inflict widespread harm across the state and the diverse coalition of groups opposing HB 56.

Nine amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs were filed last week in the civil rights coalition lawsuit challenging the law in U.S. district court. The briefs demonstrate that the Alabama law interferes with U.S. diplomatic interests and encourages discrimination. Civil rights and education groups contend that the law will adversely impact victims of crimes, students with limited English proficiency, Alabama educators, and others. The law is set to take effect on September 1.

The coalition asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama last month to block the law from taking effect. The court has consolidated the coalition’s lawsuit with a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, which accuses the state of undermining federal immigration priorities, and a lawsuit filed by state religious leaders, which alleges that the law criminalizes their ability to worship by making it a potential crime to be a Good Samaritan to an undocumented immigrant.

HB 56 allows law enforcement officials to check individuals’ immigration status, makes it a crime to knowingly transport or house an undocumented immigrant, and requires school officials to determine the immigration status of students and their parents, among other provisions.

Amicus curiae briefs are legal briefs filed by individuals or organizations with a strong interest in a matter at issue. The briefs filed in Alabama focus on a number of issues related to the new law.

■ The following nations joined Mexico’s amicus curiae brief opposing the law: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

■ The following organizations signed a brief describing how the law will discourage the reporting of domestic violence and other violent crimes: Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Legal Momentum; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; the Victim Rights Law Center; Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual (ALAS); American Friends Service Committee; Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Arte Sana; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance; California Women’s Law Center; Break the Chain Campaign; Casa de Esperanza (Minnesota); Casa de Maryland, Inc.; Central American Resource Center; Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE);  Coalition of Labor Union Women; Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST); Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc.; Counsel of Mexican Federations in North America/Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamericana; Family Values @ Work Consortium; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA); Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Nancy Kelly; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies; National Association of Social Workers and the Alabama Chapter of NASW; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; National Women’s Law Center; Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence; New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.; 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women; Raksha; South Asian Americans Leading Together; University of Cincinnati College of Law Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Voces de La Frontera; Washington Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE); West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

■ The following organizations signed a brief describing the law’s negative impact on individuals’ civil rights: the Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Alabama Council on Human Relations; Alabama New South Coalition; the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Alabama NOW; Birmingham Peace Project; Dominican American National Roundtable; the National Dominican American Council; Equality Alabama; Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund; Hispanic Federation; Immigration Equality; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; the Montgomery Improvement Association; the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials; National Council of La Raza; National Employment Law Project; National Guestworker Alliance; National Immigration Law Project of the National Lawyers Guild; National Lawyers Guild; New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice; Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund; Society of American Law Teachers; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Southern Coalition for Social Justice; and United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.

■ The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers signed a brief describing the threat posed to individuals’ constitutionally protected rights against prolonged detention, the fact that the law will deputize Alabama police officers as immigration agents in conflict with federal law, and the law’s overall negative impact in criminal justice matters.

■ The Alabama Education Association and the National Education Association signed a brief describing the law’s negative impact on Alabama educators, students, and families.

■ The following organizations signed briefs citing the law’s adverse impact on students who have limited English proficiency or are English language-learners: Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, Hispanic College Fund; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); and Multicultural Education, Training & Advocacy, Inc.  The brief asserts that HB 56 seeks to deter immigrant children from attending school because it requires educators to ascertain their families’ immigration status.

■ The Anti-Defamation League signed a brief describing the law’s impact on victims of hate crimes.

■ The following organizations signed a brief describing the law’s adverse impact on housing in Alabama: Central Alabama Fair Housing Center; Fair Housing Center of North Alabama; South Alabama Center for Fair Housing; and National Fair Housing Alliance.

■ The American Immigration Lawyers Association signed a brief describing how the law is incompatible with existing federal immigration law.

“The diversity of these amici briefs shows the staggering reach of HB 56 and the dire consequences its implementation would have on students, survivors of crime, and people of color all across the state,” said Linton Joaquin, NILC general counsel.

“We are pleased to see so many groups voice their opposition to a law that undermines the core American values of fairness and equality,” said Mary Bauer, SPLC legal director. “These briefs show this law will wreak havoc across the state and trample the rights of countless residents – regardless of immigration status.”

Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “The outpouring of these briefs shows broad support for the lawsuits challenging this unconstitutional law. They condemn the Alabama law because it violates core civil rights and interferes with our government’s ability to protect our national interests on immigration and foreign relations.”

The amicus briefs are available from NILC upon request.

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