Open Letter to the Immigrant Rights Movement: Our Families Can’t Wait

Dear Friends and Allies in the Immigrant Rights Movement,

We are writing this letter to open a dialogue about the direction and strategy of the immigration reform campaign in the New Year. For us, this is not a question of ideology, but our own and our families’ lives. We hope that this letter will agitate your thinking and that we can move together in a new direction in 2014.

First, we want to recognize the collective work of our movement last year. From lobbying members of Congress, to infiltrating detention centers, to stopping individual deportations, we have each done our part to make this movement stronger and to advance the rights of the immigrant community. We want to thank you, every person and organization, that has dedicated themselves to this cause.

Despite all the hard work that we did last year, we cannot ignore that we did not win a legislative policy change. In the same year we lived through close to 370,000 undocumented immigrants being deported by the Obama administration. We saw toddlers carry signs asking for their parents to be released from detention; we saw families taken in the middle of the night after a simple knock at the door; we saw ICE taking parents while working, and then labeling them as felons. Their only crime was to work to provide food for their family. As leaders, we need to have the humility to reassess our strategy and make changes when something is not working.

How did we get to this point where we haven’t passed immigration reform? Entering 2013, we felt confident. We were all on a high from the 2012 elections. We were sure that the Tea Party’s defeats, including Mitt Romney’s loss due to his “self deportation” stance, would finally move the Republican Party to act on immigration legislation. Like you, we, DREAMers, undocumented youth-led and parent-led organizations, remember feeling confident that we could achieve immigration reform with a path to citizenship for all eleven million undocumented immigrants.

While the Senate immigration bill was not perfect, we were hopeful that its passage meant we were halfway there and that a bipartisan deal was taking shape in Congress. The logic at the time was that passing the Senate Bill would increase momentum to pass it in the House. This, however, did not happen.

Looking for a way to keep the pressure, a number of organizations asked Democrat leadership to introduce H.R. 15 in the House with the hopes that it would pressure Speaker Boehner to allow a vote or introduce his own legislation. While we thank these organizations for doing what they thought was right at the time, unfortunately, it was a miscalculation. Speaker Boehner refused to bring the Senate bill to the floor, and no Republican had the courage to introduce their own bills. Despite all of our efforts, we didn't have the power to get the Speaker to bring up the Senate bill.

Democrat leadership, meanwhile, has established hard lines like “citizenship or nothing,” making it politically impossible for both parties to come to the table on a real solution. Blaming Republicans for killing CIR became good propaganda for the Democratic Party, and alienated the few Republicans who were interested in moving legislation forward.

At the end of the year, as Congressmen went home for recess, we were left with nothing for our families. What could we tell the people in deportation who kept calling us, even on Christmas Eve? Tens of thousands of parents across the country spent their Christmas behind bars in cold jail cells in detention centers, the hopes of immigration reform fading from their hearts. Tens of thousands of peoples tried to make the best of Christmas, but couldn’t really smile because a loved one was missing. People like the Zuniga family, whose son Joel was deported. Joel’s mom Marypaz said the food didn't taste the same and she didn’t feel like putting up Christmas lights this year. People like Naira, who’s husband Ardany was deported in the middle of the night the week before Christmas. While a group of us held vigil outside of Florence detention center, ICE snuck Ardany out the back to deport him. Naira was left with her 2 year old son and newborn daughter, fighting back the tears so that the children could enjoy Christmas morning.

Lupita Arreola, Erika’s mother, Mario Montoya, Reyna’s father, Mario Andrade and Hareth’s father are all still in deportation proceedings. How many more will it take before we stop this? How many more families will be torn apart? How many more children traumatized?

We don’t know what’s going to happen in 2014, but we know that the status quo is unbearable. We cannot stand by and watch another 2 million people get deported while we try to pass an ideal immigration reform.

As people who are directly affected, we ask you to revisit your strategy:

1. Focus on a practical legislative solution for immediate relief for families, even if it doesn't include a special path to citizenship. Our families and communities need relief now, not ideological hard lines.

2. Allow bills that are already amenable to citizenship for Dreamers and legalization for parents without blocking existing citizenship channels. We will not accept a proposal that blocks, bans or bars citizenship.

3. Use our power and political capital to call on Democrats and the President to expand administrative relief and stop unjust deportations. NDLON has already laid out what this could look like http://goo.gl/DZjaeN

4. Focus on advancing substantive policy this year, not on advancing the electoral efforts of the Democratic Party. Let go of HR 15 and SB 744 and focus on winnable pieces of legislation in the House. No, we will not take ‘just anything.’ We want to see the Republicans proposals on the table and then we will decide if its good for our community or not.

As undocumented advocates, we do want citizenship rights. We believe that this is our country, and our family’s home. We do want to be able to vote and voice our opinions. We cannot, however, wait for that to happen while our families are being persecuted. Walking away with nothing is not an option for us; “citizenship-or-nothing” is not an option. We can’t ask our communities to wait for “citizenship” while we see our mothers, our fathers and our children being taken from our homes by immigration. We can’t wait while we see our families being taken into detention centers for months and even years while our children are being traumatized.

Through this letter we are asking that you stand with us. Fight with us for immediate relief for our families. Let’s together hold President Obama accountable for every deported parent. Let’s find a way to work with both parties to find an immediate solution, even if it’s a solution that doesn't include a “special” pathway to citizenship.

Together lets achieve a level of peace for our families and our communities, a peace that will allow us to live free from persecution, that will allow us to live, work, travel like a human being. We want our mothers to see their parents, to be able to hug them and not arrive to visit their grave. We want to be able to drive without the panic of seeing a police officer in our rearview mirror. We want to be able to live knowing that we will come home and see our children at the end of the day.

Once we achieve this level of relief/stability, there is no question that we will keep fighting for more- for what rightly belongs to our families. Our families are not conformist. Our mothers crossed borders, risked their lives for something better. We need to survive but will never settle, we will always fight for the betterment of our families.

Sincerely,

Jose Patiño, Dreamer, Dream is Now

Erika Andiola, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition

Cesar Vargas, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition

Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition

Reyna Montoya, Dreamer, Father is in deportation

Maria Castro, Fighting for Undocumented Mother

Ola Kaso, Dreamer, The Dream is Now

Alejandro Morales, DREAMer, The Dream is Now

Dulce Matuz, President/Chair of Arizona DREAM Act Coalition

Prerna Lal, Board Director, Immigration Equality

Tania Unzueta, Undocumented Organizer

Giancarlo Tello, DREAMer, New Jersey Dream Act Coalition

Marco A. Malagon, President/Co-Founder, North Texas Dream Team

Jesus Iñiguez, Undocumented & Unafraid, DreamersAdrift.com

Sagar Patagundi, Undocumented & Co-Founder Kentucky Dream Coalition

Irvin Camacho, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Dreamers

Juan Deoses, Undocumented Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers In Action

Julio Zuniga, Dreamer, deported Dreamer brother

Hareth Andrade, Virginia Dreamer, Father in Deportation Proceedings

Lucy Allain

Guadalupe Arreola, Undocumented Mother, President - Arizona Original Dreamers

Alejandra Saucedo, DREAMers' Moms National Network

Rosario Reyes, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers

Raul Leon, Undocumented Father in deportation, Arizona Original Dreamers

Mario Montoya, AZ Dreamer Dad, Parents and Youth in Action

Juana Torres Paura, Original Dreamers Moms

Rocio Andiola, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Orginal Dreamers

Diana Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers

Maria de los Angeles Diaz Ochoa, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers

Alma Vega, Arizona Original Dreamers

Yanet Rodriguez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers

Fatima Ramirez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers

Rossy Sandoval, AZ Dreamer Mom, Parents and Youth in Action

Rocio Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers

Claudia Rodriguez, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers

Carmen Irene, Padres y Jóvenes en Acción

Eva Maria, DREAMers' Moms Virginia

Delia Patiño, Dreamer Mom

Maria Campos, DREAMers Moms USA

Carolina Canizales, Undocumented Dreamer

Celso Mireles, DACAmented Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition

Ileana Salinas, DACAmented & AZ Worker Rights Center

Sigifredo Pizana, Dreamer

Lily Marín

William Palacios, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition

Nora Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos

Alan Salinas, Operations Manager, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition

Isaias Vasquez, Dreamer

Excy Guardado, University Student, Dreamers of Virginia

Ivan Godinez Reyes, Dream Act OK Tulsa

Lizardo Buleje, DACAmented

Belen Sisa, Dreamer

Pedro Gutierrez Santaman

Juana Pinyol, Undocumented/Board Member, Hudson Valley Community Coalition

Adriana Garcia, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Team Awesome

Hina Naveed, Dreamer, Staten Island DREAM Coalition

Francisco Luna, UndocuQueer, Arizona Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project

Erick Garcia, Undocumented & Technology Director, DREAM Action Coalition

Bibiana Vazquez, DREAMer, Arizona Dream Act Coalition

Viridiana Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer/Co-Founder of Team Awesome Arizona

Ignacio Frias, DACAmented

Ana Aguayo, Dreamer/Interim Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center

Ana Patiño, Dreamer

Camila Quariwarmi Munayki, Writer, Artist Painter, Activist

Alex Aldana, Movement Organizer and Jota Strategist, East Bay Immigrant Youth Coalition, San Francisco Undocuworkforce

Ramiro Luna, DREAMer & Veteran Activist, North Texas DREAM Team

Jessica Rubio, Undocumented Community Organizer, Team Awesome

Yovany Diaz, Activist, Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance

Carla Chavarria, Dreamer/Business Owner, IDREAM

Ernestor De La Rosa, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Sunflower Community Action

Francisco Salcido, DREAMer & Community Organizer

Lilly Romo, Undocumented, Phoenix DREAMers

Alina Cortes, Military DREAMer, DREAM Army

Aldo Gonzalez, Organizer, Team Awesome

Cairo Mendes, Organizer/Dreamer, Student Immigrant Movement

Carlos Vargas, DREAMer, Staten Island Dream Coalition

Yajaira Saavedra, New York City

Maxima Guerrero, AZ Dreamer

Abraham Ponce, Online Coordinator, NTDT

Jesus Gutierrez, Voces of Norristown

Alfredo Garcia, President, Council for Minority Student Affairs

Lenka Mendoza, Coordinadora, Dreamers Families in Aciton & Dreamers Moms USA

Lupita Nino, NTDT and Dreamers Moms USA

Carlos Zuniga, DACAmented

Ruben Castilla Herrera, Organizer, Ohio Action Circle

Jenny Derksen from Ohio

Yuridia Arreola, Volunteer, Team Awesome

Ainee Athar, Undocumented Youth

Jorge Salazar, Dreamer Organizer

The Arizona DREAM Act Coalition

The Arkansas Natural DREAMers

DREAM Army

DREAM Bar Association

Peter Lin-Marcus, Supporter/Ally

Ang Sherpa, friend is in deportation

Jose Machado, Immigrants rights leader from Florida

Ingrid Vaca, Secretaria General, Dreamers Families in Action & Dreamers Moms USA

Yesenia Garcia, Dreamer from New Jersey

Eduardo L., DREAMer, Scholarships A-Z

Elizabeth Lara, Undocumented & Unafraid, Co-Founder of the Yakima County Dream Team

Alfredo Gutierrez, Author, To Sin Against Hope

Myra Kingsley, Reverend

Alison Gamez from Arizona

Sharon Zapata from Arizona

Gilbert Santiago, US Citizen from Maryland

Philip (Felipe) Reina from Arizona

Monica Ferraro, US Citizen from Arizona

Geoffrey Kachiolwa, Organizing Director, Justice Without Borders (Arizona Chapter)

Bette DeGraw from Arizona

Adelina Rangel de Sanchez, Bakersfield Coalition Pathway to Citizenship

Felipe Herrador from California

Doris Province from Arizona

Luz Hilda Campos, Undocumented Community Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers in Action

Ofelia Canez from Arizona

Robert Ressler Dreamer Supporter from Texas

Irina Hiza Dreamer Supporter from Louisiana

Benigno Pena, Concilio de Inmigración

Mark Mendoza in Solidarity from Ohio

Tim Campbell, Immigrant Hope - Atlanta

Join us and add your signature by Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

Note: Include how you want to be identified in the "Why are you signing?" field.

eg. Jose Alvarez, DACAmented, father in deportation

Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition

English Español Open Letter to the Immigrant Rights Movement: Our Families Can’t Wait Dear Friends and Allies in the Immigrant Rights Movement, We are writing this letter to open a dialogue about the direction and strategy of the immigration reform campaign in the New Year. For us, this is not a question of ideology, but our own and our families’ lives. We hope that this letter will agitate your thinking and that we can move together in a new direction in 2014. First, we want to recognize the collective work of our movement last year. From lobbying members of Congress, to infiltrating detention centers, to stopping individual deportations, we have each done our part to make this movement stronger and to advance the rights of the immigrant community. We want to thank you, every person and organization, that has dedicated themselves to this cause. Despite all the hard work that we did last year, we cannot ignore that we did not win a legislative policy change. In the same year we lived through close to 370,000 undocumented immigrants being deported by the Obama administration. We saw toddlers carry signs asking for their parents to be released from detention; we saw families taken in the middle of the night after a simple knock at the door; we saw ICE taking parents while working, and then labeling them as felons. Their only crime was to work to provide food for their family. As leaders, we need to have the humility to reassess our strategy and make changes when something is not working. How did we get to this point where we haven’t passed immigration reform? Entering 2013, we felt confident. We were all on a high from the 2012 elections. We were sure that the Tea Party’s defeats, including Mitt Romney’s loss due to his “self deportation” stance, would finally move the Republican Party to act on immigration legislation. Like you, we, DREAMers, undocumented youth-led and parent-led organizations, remember feeling confident that we could achieve immigration reform with a path to citizenship for all eleven million undocumented immigrants. While the Senate immigration bill was not perfect, we were hopeful that its passage meant we were halfway there and that a bipartisan deal was taking shape in Congress. The logic at the time was that passing the Senate Bill would increase momentum to pass it in the House. This, however, did not happen. Looking for a way to keep the pressure, a number of organizations asked Democrat leadership to introduce H.R. 15 in the House with the hopes that it would pressure Speaker Boehner to allow a vote or introduce his own legislation. While we thank these organizations for doing what they thought was right at the time, unfortunately, it was a miscalculation. Speaker Boehner refused to bring the Senate bill to the floor, and no Republican had the courage to introduce their own bills. Despite all of our efforts, we didn't have the power to get the Speaker to bring up the Senate bill. Democrat leadership, meanwhile, has established hard lines like “citizenship or nothing,” making it politically impossible for both parties to come to the table on a real solution. Blaming Republicans for killing CIR became good propaganda for the Democratic Party, and alienated the few Republicans who were interested in moving legislation forward. At the end of the year, as Congressmen went home for recess, we were left with nothing for our families. What could we tell the people in deportation who kept calling us, even on Christmas Eve? Tens of thousands of parents across the country spent their Christmas behind bars in cold jail cells in detention centers, the hopes of immigration reform fading from their hearts. Tens of thousands of peoples tried to make the best of Christmas, but couldn’t really smile because a loved one was missing. People like the Zuniga family, whose son Joel was deported. Joel’s mom Marypaz said the food didn't taste the same and she didn’t feel like putting up Christmas lights this year. People like Naira, who’s husband Ardany was deported in the middle of the night the week before Christmas. While a group of us held vigil outside of Florence detention center, ICE snuck Ardany out the back to deport him. Naira was left with her 2 year old son and newborn daughter, fighting back the tears so that the children could enjoy Christmas morning. Lupita Arreola, Erika’s mother, Mario Montoya, Reyna’s father, Mario Andrade and Hareth’s father are all still in deportation proceedings. How many more will it take before we stop this? How many more families will be torn apart? How many more children traumatized? We don’t know what’s going to happen in 2014, but we know that the status quo is unbearable. We cannot stand by and watch another 2 million people get deported while we try to pass an ideal immigration reform. As people who are directly affected, we ask you to revisit your strategy: 1. Focus on a practical legislative solution for immediate relief for families, even if it doesn't include a special path to citizenship. Our families and communities need relief now, not ideological hard lines. 2. Allow bills that are already amenable to citizenship for Dreamers and legalization for parents without blocking existing citizenship channels. We will not accept a proposal that blocks, bans or bars citizenship. 3. Use our power and political capital to call on Democrats and the President to expand administrative relief and stop unjust deportations. NDLON has already laid out what this could look like http://goo.gl/DZjaeN 4. Focus on advancing substantive policy this year, not on advancing the electoral efforts of the Democratic Party. Let go of HR 15 and SB 744 and focus on winnable pieces of legislation in the House. No, we will not take ‘just anything.’ We want to see the Republicans proposals on the table and then we will decide if its good for our community or not. As undocumented advocates, we do want citizenship rights. We believe that this is our country, and our family’s home. We do want to be able to vote and voice our opinions. We cannot, however, wait for that to happen while our families are being persecuted. Walking away with nothing is not an option for us; “citizenship-or-nothing” is not an option. We can’t ask our communities to wait for “citizenship” while we see our mothers, our fathers and our children being taken from our homes by immigration. We can’t wait while we see our families being taken into detention centers for months and even years while our children are being traumatized. Through this letter we are asking that you stand with us. Fight with us for immediate relief for our families. Let’s together hold President Obama accountable for every deported parent. Let’s find a way to work with both parties to find an immediate solution, even if it’s a solution that doesn't include a “special” pathway to citizenship. Together lets achieve a level of peace for our families and our communities, a peace that will allow us to live free from persecution, that will allow us to live, work, travel like a human being. We want our mothers to see their parents, to be able to hug them and not arrive to visit their grave. We want to be able to drive without the panic of seeing a police officer in our rearview mirror. We want to be able to live knowing that we will come home and see our children at the end of the day. Once we achieve this level of relief/stability, there is no question that we will keep fighting for more- for what rightly belongs to our families. Our families are not conformist. Our mothers crossed borders, risked their lives for something better. We need to survive but will never settle, we will always fight for the betterment of our families. Sincerely, Jose Patiño, Dreamer, Dream is Now Erika Andiola, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition Cesar Vargas, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition Reyna Montoya, Dreamer, Father is in deportation Maria Castro, Fighting for Undocumented Mother Ola Kaso, Dreamer, The Dream is Now Alejandro Morales, DREAMer, The Dream is Now Dulce Matuz, President/Chair of Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Prerna Lal, Board Director, Immigration Equality Tania Unzueta, Undocumented Organizer Giancarlo Tello, DREAMer, New Jersey Dream Act Coalition Marco A. Malagon, President/Co-Founder, North Texas Dream Team Jesus Iñiguez, Undocumented & Unafraid, DreamersAdrift.com Sagar Patagundi, Undocumented & Co-Founder Kentucky Dream Coalition Irvin Camacho, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Dreamers Juan Deoses, Undocumented Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers In Action Julio Zuniga, Dreamer, deported Dreamer brother Hareth Andrade, Virginia Dreamer, Father in Deportation Proceedings Lucy Allain Guadalupe Arreola, Undocumented Mother, President - Arizona Original Dreamers Alejandra Saucedo, DREAMers' Moms National Network Rosario Reyes, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers Raul Leon, Undocumented Father in deportation, Arizona Original Dreamers Mario Montoya, AZ Dreamer Dad, Parents and Youth in Action Juana Torres Paura, Original Dreamers Moms Rocio Andiola, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Orginal Dreamers Diana Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Maria de los Angeles Diaz Ochoa, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers Alma Vega, Arizona Original Dreamers Yanet Rodriguez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers Fatima Ramirez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers Rossy Sandoval, AZ Dreamer Mom, Parents and Youth in Action Rocio Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Claudia Rodriguez, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Carmen Irene, Padres y Jóvenes en Acción Eva Maria, DREAMers' Moms Virginia Delia Patiño, Dreamer Mom Maria Campos, DREAMers Moms USA Carolina Canizales, Undocumented Dreamer Celso Mireles, DACAmented Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Ileana Salinas, DACAmented & AZ Worker Rights Center Sigifredo Pizana, Dreamer Lily Marín William Palacios, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Nora Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos Alan Salinas, Operations Manager, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Isaias Vasquez, Dreamer Excy Guardado, University Student, Dreamers of Virginia Ivan Godinez Reyes, Dream Act OK Tulsa Lizardo Buleje, DACAmented Belen Sisa, Dreamer Pedro Gutierrez Santaman Juana Pinyol, Undocumented/Board Member, Hudson Valley Community Coalition Adriana Garcia, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Team Awesome Hina Naveed, Dreamer, Staten Island DREAM Coalition Francisco Luna, UndocuQueer, Arizona Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project Erick Garcia, Undocumented & Technology Director, DREAM Action Coalition Bibiana Vazquez, DREAMer, Arizona Dream Act Coalition Viridiana Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer/Co-Founder of Team Awesome Arizona Ignacio Frias, DACAmented Ana Aguayo, Dreamer/Interim Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center Ana Patiño, Dreamer Camila Quariwarmi Munayki, Writer, Artist Painter, Activist Alex Aldana, Movement Organizer and Jota Strategist, East Bay Immigrant Youth Coalition, San Francisco Undocuworkforce Ramiro Luna, DREAMer & Veteran Activist, North Texas DREAM Team Jessica Rubio, Undocumented Community Organizer, Team Awesome Yovany Diaz, Activist, Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance Carla Chavarria, Dreamer/Business Owner, IDREAM Ernestor De La Rosa, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Sunflower Community Action Francisco Salcido, DREAMer & Community Organizer Lilly Romo, Undocumented, Phoenix DREAMers Alina Cortes, Military DREAMer, DREAM Army Aldo Gonzalez, Organizer, Team Awesome Cairo Mendes, Organizer/Dreamer, Student Immigrant Movement Carlos Vargas, DREAMer, Staten Island Dream Coalition Yajaira Saavedra, New York City Maxima Guerrero, AZ Dreamer Abraham Ponce, Online Coordinator, NTDT Jesus Gutierrez, Voces of Norristown Alfredo Garcia, President, Council for Minority Student Affairs Lenka Mendoza, Coordinadora, Dreamers Families in Aciton & Dreamers Moms USA Lupita Nino, NTDT and Dreamers Moms USA Carlos Zuniga, DACAmented Ruben Castilla Herrera, Organizer, Ohio Action Circle Jenny Derksen from Ohio Yuridia Arreola, Volunteer, Team Awesome Ainee Athar, Undocumented Youth Jorge Salazar, Dreamer Organizer The Arizona DREAM Act Coalition The Arkansas Natural DREAMers DREAM Army DREAM Bar Association Peter Lin-Marcus, Supporter/Ally Ang Sherpa, friend is in deportation Jose Machado, Immigrants rights leader from Florida Ingrid Vaca, Secretaria General, Dreamers Families in Action & Dreamers Moms USA Yesenia Garcia, Dreamer from New Jersey Eduardo L., DREAMer, Scholarships A-Z Elizabeth Lara, Undocumented & Unafraid, Co-Founder of the Yakima County Dream Team Alfredo Gutierrez, Author, To Sin Against Hope Myra Kingsley, Reverend Alison Gamez from Arizona Sharon Zapata from Arizona Gilbert Santiago, US Citizen from Maryland Philip (Felipe) Reina from Arizona Monica Ferraro, US Citizen from Arizona Geoffrey Kachiolwa, Organizing Director, Justice Without Borders (Arizona Chapter) Bette DeGraw from Arizona Adelina Rangel de Sanchez, Bakersfield Coalition Pathway to Citizenship Felipe Herrador from California Doris Province from Arizona Luz Hilda Campos, Undocumented Community Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers in Action Ofelia Canez from Arizona Robert Ressler Dreamer Supporter from Texas Irina Hiza Dreamer Supporter from Louisiana Benigno Pena, Concilio de Inmigración Mark Mendoza in Solidarity from Ohio Tim Campbell, Immigrant Hope - Atlanta Join us and add your signature by Wednesday, January 15, 2014. Note: Include how you want to be identified in the "Why are you signing?" field. eg. Jose Alvarez, DACAmented, father in deportation Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition Carta Abierta Dirigida al Movimiento Pro-Inmigrante: Nuestras Familias Ya No Pueden Esperar Estimados amigos y aliados en el movimiento pro-inmigrante, Escribimos esta carta abierta para abrir el dialogo sobre la dirección y la estrategia de la campaña para una reforma migratoria en el año nuevo. Para nosotros esto no es una cuestión de ideología, sino nuestras vidas y la de nuestras familias. Esperamos que esta carta estimule su pensamiento y que podamos avanzar juntos en una nueva dirección este 2014. Primeramente, queremos reconocer el trabajo colectivo de nuestro movimiento el año pasado. Desde cabildear para presionar a miembros del Congreso, infiltrar centros de detenciones hasta detener deportaciones individuales, hemos hecho nuestra parte para fortalecer este movimiento y para promover los derechos de la comunidad inmigrante. Queremos agradecerle a cada uno de ustedes y a cada organización que se ha dedicado a esta causa. A pesar del gran trabajo que hicimos el año pasado, no podemos pasar por alto que no ganamos un cambio de política legislativa. En el mismo año hemos vivido cerca de 370,000 deportaciones de nuestra comunidad indocumentada por la administración de Obama. Vimos niños llevar carteles pidiendo que sus padres fueran puestos en libertad; videos de familias cuyos parientes fueron tomados a la mitad de la noche después de un simple golpe en la puerta; a ICE venir a sitios de trabajo y llevarse a padres de familia, cuyo único delito era llevar alimentos a la mesa y aun así fueron etiquetados como delincuentes. Como lideres, tenemos que luchar por nuestras familias, pero también tenemos que tener la humildad de re-evaluar nuestra estrategia y hacer cambios cuando algo no está funcionando. Para nosotros, los riesgos son demasiado altos. ¿Como sucedió esto? Entrando el 2013, nos sentimos confiados. Todos estábamos en lo más alto por las elecciones del 2012. Estábamos seguros que la derrota del Tea Party, incluyendo la derrota de Mitt Romney debido a su postura de “auto deportación”, serian suficiente para que el Partido Republicano actuara en una legislación de inmigración. Al igual que ustedes, nosotros, Soñadores, organizaciones lideradas por jóvenes indocumentados y padres de familia indocumentados, recordamos sentirnos seguros de que podríamos lograr una reforma migratoria con un camino a la ciudadanía para los once millones de inmigrantes indocumentados. Si bien el proyecto del Senado no era perfecto, teníamos la esperanza que su aprobación significaba que estábamos a la mitad de camino y que un acuerdo bipartidista que se estaba formando en el Congreso. La lógica en ese momento era que la aprobación del proyecto de ley del Senado aumentaría el empuje para que la Cámara de Representantes lo aprobara. Sin embargo, esto no sucedió. Buscando una manera de mantener la presión, un número de organizaciones pidió al liderazgo demócrata que introdujera la H.R. 15 en la Cámara de Representantes con la esperanza de que iba a presionar al Presidente de la Cámara, John Boehner, para permitir un voto o introducir su propia legislación. Mientras agradecemos a estas organizaciones por hacer lo que ellos pensaron que era correcto en su momento, desafortunadamente, fue un error de cálculo. El Presidente de la Cámara Boehner se negó a llevar el proyecto de ley del Senado al Pleno de la Cámara y ningún Republicano tuvo el valor de introducir su propia propuesta de ley. A pesar de nuestros esfuerzos, no tuvimos el suficiente poder para obtener que el Presidente de la Cámara introdujera el proyecto de ley del Senado. El liderazgo Demócrata estableció una postura muy dura, como la “ciudadanía o nada”, por lo que es políticamente imposible que ambos partidos lleguen a la mesa con una solución real. Culpar a los Republicanos por matar la reforma migratoria (CIR) se convirtió en buena propaganda para el partido Demócrata y alejo a los pocos Republicanos que estaban interesados en avanzar una legislación. Al final del año, y así mientras los congresistas se iban a casa de vacaciones, nos quedamos sin nada para nuestras familias. ¿Que podemos decir a la gente que estaba apunto de ser deportada y que seguía llamándonos, incluso en Nochebuena? Decenas de miles de padres en todo el país pasaron su Navidad tras las rejas en celdas frías en los centros de detención y con la esperanza de una reforma migratoria desapareciendo de sus corazones. Decenas de miles de personas trataron de sacarle lo mejor a la Navidad, pero realmente no podían estar felices cuando un ser querido faltaba en la mesa. Gente como la familia Zúñiga, cuyo hijo Joel fue deportado. Marypaz, madre de Joel, dijo que la comida no le supo igual y ni siquiera sintió las ganas de colgar luces de navidad este año. Gente como Naira, cuyo esposo Ardany fue deportado a la mitad de la noche una semana antes de Navidad. Mientras un grupo de nosotros mantenía una vigilia afuera del centro de detención de Florence, ICE sacó a Ardany a escondidas por una puerta trasera para deportarlo. Naira se queda con su hijo de 2 años y un niña recién nacida, reteniendo las lagrimás para que sus hijos puedan disfrutar la mañana de Navidad. Lupita Arreola, la madre de Erika, Mario Montoya, el padre de Reyna, Mario Andrade, el padre de Haret, todos todavía están en proceso de deportación. ¿Cuantos más faltan para qué detengamos esto?¿Cuantas familias más serán separadas? ¿Cuántos niños más traumatizados? No sabemos que va suceder este 2014, pero sabemos que la situación actual es insoportable. No podemos esperar y ver que deporten a otros 2 millones de personas, mientras tratamos de pasar una reforma migratoria ideal. Como personas que se ven directamente afectadas, pedimos que reconsideren su estrategia: 1. Enfocarse en una solución legislativa practica para el alivio inmediato para las familias, aunque no incluya una ruta de acceso directo a la ciudadanía. Nuestras familias y comunidades necesitan alivio ahora, no posturas duras. 2. Permitir propuestas legislativas que ya son susceptibles a la ciudadanía para los soñadores y legalización para los padres sin bloquear los caminos hacia la ciudadanía existentes. No aceptaremos una propuesta que bloquea o prohibe la ciudadanía. 3. Utilizar nuestro poder y capital político para pedir a los Demócratas y al Presidente que amplie el alivio administrativo y detenga las deportaciones injustas. NDLON ya ha establecido como se veria esto http://goo.gl/DZjaeN 4. Enfocarse en el avance de la política sustantiva de este año, y no en la promoción de los esfuerzos electorales del partido Demócrata. Dejar ir la HR 15 y SB 744 y enfocarse en partes de la legislación que son ganables en la Cámara de Representantes. No, No vamos a tomar 'cualquier cosa.' Queremos ver las propuestas de los Republicanos en la mesa y luego decidiremos si es bueno para nuestra comunidad o no. Nosotros como activistas indocumentados, por supuesto que queremos los derechos que otorga una ciudadanía. Creemos que este es nuestro país y el hogar de nuestras familias. Claro que queremos votar y expresar nuestras opiniones. Sin embargo no podemos esperar a que eso suceda mientras nuestras familias están siendo perseguidas. Retirarnos sin nada no es una opción para nosotros; “ciudadanía o nada” no es una opción. No podemos pedirle a nuestra comunidad que espere por la “ciudadanía”, mientras miramos como inmigración se lleva a nuestras madres, nuestros padres y nuestros hijos de sus propias casas. No podemos esperar mientras vemos a nuestros familiares ser encarcelados en centros de detención por meses y a veces hasta por años, mientras nuestros hijos están siendo traumatizados. Mediante esta carta estamos pidiendo que se unan a nosotros. Luchen junto a nosotros y pidamos un alivio inmediato para nuestras familias. Juntos pidámosle cuentas al Presidente Obama por cada padre deportado. Encontremos una manera de trabajar con ambos partidos para encontrar una solución inmediata, incluso si es una solución que no incluya un camino “especial” a la ciudadanía. Juntos vamos a lograr un nivel de paz para nuestras familias y nuestras comunidades, una paz que nos permita vivir libres de persecución, que nos permitirá vivir, trabajar, viajar como seres humanos. Queremos que nuestras madres vuelvan a ver a sus padres, que los vuelvan abrazar y no regresar solo para visitar sus tumbas. Queremos ser capaces de conducir sin entrar en pánico cuando veamos a un oficial de policía en el espejo retrovisor. Queremos ser capaces de vivir sabiendo que vamos a volver a casa y ver a nuestros hijos al final del día. Una vez conseguido este nivel de alivio/estabilidad, no hay duda de que vamos a seguir luchando por más, por lo que por justicia pertenece a nuestras familias. Nuestras familias no son conformistas. Nuestras madres cruzaron fronteras, arriesgaron su vida por algo mejor. Tenemos que sobrevivir, pero nunca nos conformamos, siempre vamos a luchar por el bien de nuestras familias. Sinceramente, Jose Patiño, Dreamer, Dream is Now Erika Andiola, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition Cesar Vargas, Dreamer & Co-Director, Dream Action Coalition Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition Reyna Montoya, Dreamer, Father is in deportation Maria Castro, Fighting for Undocumented Mother Ola Kaso, Dreamer, The Dream is Now Alejandro Morales, DREAMer, The Dream is Now Dulce Matuz, President/Chair of Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Prerna Lal, Board Director, Immigration Equality Tania Unzueta, Undocumented Organizer Giancarlo Tello, DREAMer, New Jersey Dream Act Coalition Marco A. Malagon, President/Co-Founder, North Texas Dream Team Jesus Iñiguez, Undocumented & Unafraid, DreamersAdrift.com Sagar Patagundi, Undocumented & Co-Founder Kentucky Dream Coalition Irvin Camacho, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Dreamers Juan Deoses, Undocumented Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers In Action Julio Zuniga, Dreamer, deported Dreamer brother Hareth Andrade, Virginia Dreamer, Father in Deportation Proceedings Lucy Allain Guadalupe Arreola, Undocumented Mother, President - Arizona Original Dreamers Alejandra Saucedo, DREAMers' Moms National Network Rosario Reyes, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers Raul Leon, Undocumented Father in deportation, Arizona Original Dreamers Mario Montoya, AZ Dreamer Dad, Parents and Youth in Action Juana Torres Paura, Original Dreamers Moms Rocio Andiola, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Orginal Dreamers Diana Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Maria de los Angeles Diaz Ochoa, Undocumented Parent, Arizona Original Dreamers Alma Vega, Arizona Original Dreamers Yanet Rodriguez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers Fatima Ramirez, Dreamer, Arizona Original Dreamers Rossy Sandoval, AZ Dreamer Mom, Parents and Youth in Action Rocio Duran, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Claudia Rodriguez, Undocumented Mother, Arizona Original Dreamers Carmen Irene, Padres y Jóvenes en Acción Eva Maria, DREAMers' Moms Virginia Delia Patiño, Dreamer Mom Maria Campos, DREAMers Moms USA Carolina Canizales, Undocumented Dreamer Celso Mireles, DACAmented Dreamer & Co-Founder of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Ileana Salinas, DACAmented & AZ Worker Rights Center Sigifredo Pizana, Dreamer Lily Marín William Palacios, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Nora Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos Alan Salinas, Operations Manager, Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Isaias Vasquez, Dreamer Excy Guardado, University Student, Dreamers of Virginia Ivan Godinez Reyes, Dream Act OK Tulsa Lizardo Buleje, DACAmented Belen Sisa, Dreamer Pedro Gutierrez Santaman Juana Pinyol, Undocumented/Board Member, Hudson Valley Community Coalition Adriana Garcia, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Team Awesome Hina Naveed, Dreamer, Staten Island DREAM Coalition Francisco Luna, UndocuQueer, Arizona Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project Erick Garcia, Undocumented & Technology Director, DREAM Action Coalition Bibiana Vazquez, DREAMer, Arizona Dream Act Coalition Viridiana Hernandez, Undocumented Community Organizer/Co-Founder of Team Awesome Arizona Ignacio Frias, DACAmented Ana Aguayo, Dreamer/Interim Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center Ana Patiño, Dreamer Camila Quariwarmi Munayki, Writer, Artist Painter, Activist Alex Aldana, Movement Organizer and Jota Strategist, East Bay Immigrant Youth Coalition, San Francisco Undocuworkforce Ramiro Luna, DREAMer & Veteran Activist, North Texas DREAM Team Jessica Rubio, Undocumented Community Organizer, Team Awesome Yovany Diaz, Activist, Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance Carla Chavarria, Dreamer/Business Owner, IDREAM Ernestor De La Rosa, DREAMer & Community Organizer, Sunflower Community Action Francisco Salcido, DREAMer & Community Organizer Lilly Romo, Undocumented, Phoenix DREAMers Alina Cortes, Military DREAMer, DREAM Army Aldo Gonzalez, Organizer, Team Awesome Cairo Mendes, Organizer/Dreamer, Student Immigrant Movement Carlos Vargas, DREAMer, Staten Island Dream Coalition Yajaira Saavedra, New York City Maxima Guerrero, AZ Dreamer Abraham Ponce, Online Coordinator, NTDT Jesus Gutierrez, Voces of Norristown Alfredo Garcia, President, Council for Minority Student Affairs Lenka Mendoza, Coordinadora, Dreamers Families in Aciton & Dreamers Moms USA Lupita Nino, NTDT and Dreamers Moms USA Carlos Zuniga, DACAmented Ruben Castilla Herrera, Organizer, Ohio Action Circle Jenny Derksen from Ohio Yuridia Arreola, Volunteer, Team Awesome Ainee Athar, Undocumented Youth Jorge Salazar, Dreamer Organizer The Arizona DREAM Act Coalition The Arkansas Natural DREAMers DREAM Army DREAM Bar Association Peter Lin-Marcus, Supporter/Ally Ang Sherpa, friend is in deportation Jose Machado, Immigrants rights leader from Florida Ingrid Vaca, Secretaria General, Dreamers Families in Action & Dreamers Moms USA Yesenia Garcia, Dreamer from New Jersey Eduardo L., DREAMer, Scholarships A-Z Elizabeth Lara, Undocumented & Unafraid, Co-Founder of the Yakima County Dream Team Alfredo Gutierrez, Author, To Sin Against Hope Myra Kingsley, Reverend Alison Gamez from Arizona Sharon Zapata from Arizona Gilbert Santiago, US Citizen from Maryland Philip (Felipe) Reina from Arizona Monica Ferraro, US Citizen from Arizona Geoffrey Kachiolwa, Organizing Director, Justice Without Borders (Arizona Chapter) Bette DeGraw from Arizona Adelina Rangel de Sanchez, Bakersfield Coalition Pathway to Citizenship Felipe Herrador from California Doris Province from Arizona Luz Hilda Campos, Undocumented Community Organizer, New Mexico Dreamers in Action Ofelia Canez from Arizona Robert Ressler Dreamer Supporter from Texas Irina Hiza Dreamer Supporter from Louisiana Benigno Pena, Concilio de Inmigración Mark Mendoza en solidaridad desde Ohio Tim Campbell, Immigrant Hope - Atlanta Unanse a nosotros y agregen su firma antes del Miercoles 15 de Enero, 2014. Nota: Por favor en el espacio denominado "Porque esta firmando?" incluya como quiere ser identificado y si pertenece a alguna organizacion. ejemplo: Jose Alvarez, DACAmented, Padre en peligro de deportacion Yadira Garcia, Dreamer & Co-Fundadora del Arizona Dream Act Coalition
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