A New Form of Manifest Destiny ~ A Student with no Hope commits Suicide.

By Shirl Mora James

Lead Co-President of the National Tequila Party Movement

Civil Rights and Immigration Lawyer

Courtesy of KGBT Action 4 News

With a heavy heart, I write this article today as the Tears for Joaquin Luna stream down my cheeks. The National Tequila Party mourns for our young brother and sends our deepest condolences to his family. The anger that wells up in my soul is almost unbearable as I ponder why a brilliant eighteen old student, Joaquin Luna, took his own life. This is the most tragic story that I have seen lately in which an aspiring engineer, Joaquin Luna, shot himself because he did not have a piece of paper that would allow him the possibility for a better tomorrow. According to news reports, Joaquin took his life because as an American without U.S. status, i.e., his dreams of a bright tomorrow as an engineer would not be realized.

Joaquin Luna committed suicide because of his status as a Latino-American immigrant without U.S. legal residency. I know that as Americans of the U.S., we are kind-hearted, welcoming, compassionate and accepting people. However, currently in the United States of America, we are living in an abyss of hate against immigrants which was created to promote some ones’ political gains. How quickly, the politicians forget that they too are children of immigrants that come over to the United States unlawfully. Their ancestors came here, killed our Native brothers and sisters, and stole their land and then called their genocide ‘Manifest Destiny’. Today, we have a new form of ‘Manifest Destiny’ and it’s called the denial of the passage of the DREAM ACT.

As I look across this nation, I wondered how this great country could allow the constant bullying of Latino-American students without U.S. statuses which continue to minimize and beat down our Latino-American children. It is time to lay the blame for this tragedy where it belongs. Our U.S. Senators who voted against the passage of the DREAM Act in December 2010, you all have Joaquin Luna’s blood on your hands and you will need to explain to your Maker why you failed this young man. This also includes all the anti-immigrant GOP presidential candidates, you too all, have the blood of Joaquin on your hands. I wonder what Jesus will say to all the anti-immigrant politicians that failed Joaquin. The hate that these so-called Christian politicians spew against Joaquin and others that are similarly-situated is unacceptable and deplorable!

Our promise to Joaquin’s memory, we as Latina/os will not support any politician who did not support Joaquin Luna. Please go and register to VOTE and help the rest of your family and friends to register to VOTE. VOTE to HONOR the memory of Joaquin Luna and to create the Hope for the rest of our Latina/o DREAMERs who need a status adjustment to fulfill their Dreams. As Latinas, as women, as grandmothers, as mothers, as aunts, as sisters, as nieces and as cousins, we stand up today and scream NO MAS!

With great Sympathy, as the lead Co-President and on behalf of the National Tequila Party, we send our prayers and your deepest condolences to Joaquin’s family and friends. We encourage you to reach out to Joaquin’s family and send them a contribution in honor of their son and to help with funeral costs. The contact for the family is Marie Mendoza, she’s Joaquin’s cousin at: telephone number: 956-862-2407. Joaquin’s services are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, November 29, 2011, they will hold services at Rick Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission, Texas.

dejar Alabama ahora!

Vamos a Alabama sufrir por lo que están haciendo en contra de usted!
A todos mi hermana y hermano de los inmigrantes ..... dejar Alabama ahora!

Por favor, volver a publicar!

Register to VOTE online

If you want to be a voter, you’ve gotta register. Here’s all the info and a tool to get it done.  DO it now!!!!!

National Tequila Party Movement Comes to Nebraska

The National Tequila Party ~ Nebraska Chapter is registering voters at El Grito Celebration in Omaha, NE today from 6 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.  We will registering voters tomorrow, too.

AZ appeals immigration case to Supreme Court--not surprising

The Obama administration won all the rulings both from a federal judge in Phoenix and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, putting the Arizona policing measure on hold.  However, the State of Arizona now appeals the lastest immigration ruling aganist them to Supreme Court.

Hate Crime committed against Hispanic man near Lexington, NE at Johnson Lake

On July 28, 2011, Gosper County Sheriff Dennis Ocken stated that Billy Rios, a 29 year old Hispanic man, was the victim in a Hate Crime at Johnson Lake.  The victim of this violence, Billy Rios, received a broken eye socket, fractured skull and a knife wound.  After the Sheriff office's investigation of the vicious assault, Sheriff Ocken stated, “We are right now looking at it as being a racially motivated and domestically motivated assault.”

Tequila Party's focus

"Tequila Party NE" is non-partisan group of Latina/os --we don't care how people vote, we just want them as registered voters and going to go to the polls.

The National Tequila Party's focus is registering as many of the nation's 21 million voting-age Latina/os as it can, targeting young voters in presidential battleground states.

Tequila Party comes to Nebraska

Nebraska Tequila Party's first meeting will be at 1028 G Street, Lincoln, NE in the conference room at 4 p.m. on July 20th....All is welcome!!!! 


For more info just email me at equalityne@gmail.com !!!!

A fine example of the racism that is the root of anti-immigrant legislation

http://youtu.be/-AYrvLWZ9m0

Picnic for Nebraska’s Future-Let's Celebrate our Victories!

Picnic for Nebraska’s Future
TAKE ACTION…Through a Picnic!
Support the DREAM Act for Nebraska’s future
Come celebrate the courage of Nebraska DREAMERS
Challenge Congress to create sensible & humane immigration laws
Join us!

Change Takes Courage Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 6 pm on Centennial Mall, Lincoln (North of the State Capitol between L and M streets)

Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket!

Sponsored by: NAACP – Lincoln, Nebraska Equality Coalition, Nebraska Appleseed, and Progressive Student Coalition

America & Dreamers win another one!!!!

One more WIN....

 

www.latimes.com

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to California's policy of granting reduced, in-state tuition at its colleges and universities to graduates of its high schools who are undocumented immigrants.

 

Supreme Court allows California to grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants

Arizona immigration employment law upheld by the Supremes

The law imposes severe penalties on businesses that hire illegal immigrants.  Justice Roberts stated in the first part of the opinion, joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Anthony Kennedy and Samuel Alito, upholding the law as not explicitly preempted.

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2011/05/supreme-court-upholds-arizona-immigration-employment-law.php

What's really going on...follow the money!

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE CALL- today at noon

Immigration Action Roundtables | The White House

www.whitehouse.gov

WhiteHouse.gov is the official web site for the White House and President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. This site is a source for information about the President, White House news and policies, White House history, and the federal government.

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE CALL: WHAT: Conference Call with Stakeholders on President Obama's Immigration Speech and Next Steps

WHEN: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - 1PM ET/12PM CT/11AM MT/10AM PT

HOW: (800) 398-9367 Code: White House Immigration Call
...
Stephanie Valencia Ramirez
Associate Director
White House | Office of Public Engagement
svalencia@who.eop.gov
www.whitehouse.gov/hispanicSee More

Nebraska's DREAMERS request our support

Open letter from Nebraska DREAMERS (NEDA):

Dear NEDA Allies & Friends:

Today, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and others will hold a press conference to announce the re-introduction of the DREAM Act and we need your support in getting this piece of legislation to pass the senate floor.

The DREAM Act stands for the Developmental Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, a bipartisan bill that would allow undocumented students to be put on a path to citizenship by attending college and/or joining the military while meeting specific requirements. The bill was previously stalled in the senate by a shortage of 6 votes. Our Nebraska senators both Democrat Ben Nelson and Republican Mike Johanns voted against the bill. This is our chance to mend the mistakes of the past. We strongly believe this time around we have a better chance of getting this bill through.  It includes the largest number of original cosponsors we have ever had (32); all of the Majority leadership (Reid, Durbin, Schumer, and Murray), the Chairs of all of the relevant Committees (Leahy, Levin, and Lieberman), and all 10 Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee.

We ask that you help us by signing the National 2011 DREAM Act petition, e-mailing, calling our Nebraska senators and representatives and asking for their support. We ask that you help us in this fight for equal opportunity for young people. Help give immigrant youth the right to an education and the privilege to serve the U.S. armed forces. This is a guaranteed investment for the country. The DREAM Act will bring a boost to the economy and it is crucial to competing with other nations. The country needs more professionals now that the ‘Baby Boomers’ are at the age of retirement. We need to fill those positions with capable young people. We must stop criminalizing the undiscovered talent living in the shadows and living in fear of deportation.

Thank you for your support,

Nebraska Dream Alliance

NEDA2011mail@gmail.com

here is a link to Senator Dick Durbin’s live press conference at 10am ET/9 am CT : http://durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hot-topics?ContentRecord_id=43eaa136-a3de-4d72-bc1b-12c3000f0ae9 attachments: a one-page summary of the bill to be introduced

DREAM Act is alive again---Watch the Breaking News

Watch the DREAM Act Introduction
Press Conference LIVE Above
Video feed will begin at
10:15 AM ET May 11th, 2011

The DREAM Act would allow a select group of immigrant students with great potential to contribute more fully to America. These young people were brought to the U.S. as children and should not be punished for their parents’ mistakes. The DREAM Act would give these students a chance to earn legal status if they:

• Came to the U.S. as children (15 or under)
• Are long-term U.S. residents (continuous physical presence for at least five years)
• Have good moral character
• Graduate from high school or obtain a GED
• Complete two years of college or military service in good standing

The DREAM Act would benefit the U.S. Armed Forces. Tens of thousands of highly-qualified, well-educated young people would enlist in the Armed Forces if the DREAM Act becomes law. The Defense Department’s FY 2010-12 Strategic Plan includes the DREAM Act as a means to help “shape and maintain a mission-ready All Volunteer Force.” Defense Secretary Gates, who supports the DREAM Act, says it “will result in improved recruitment results and attendant gains in unit manning and military performance.” General Colin Powell has also endorsed the DREAM Act, saying, “Immigration is what’s keeping this country’s lifeblood moving forward.”

The DREAM Act would stimulate the American economy. A UCLA study concluded that DREAM Act participants could contribute $1.4-$3.6 trillion to the U.S. economy during their working lives. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who supports the DREAM Act, says, “They are just the kind of immigrants we need to help solve our unemployment problem. It is senseless for us to chase out the home-grown talent that has the potential to contribute so significantly to our society.”

The DREAM Act includes important restrictions to prevent abuse. DREAM Act participants are not eligible for Pell and other federal grants and are subject to tough criminal penalties for fraud. DREAM Act applicants must apply within one year of obtaining a high school degree/GED or the bill’s enactment; and must prove eligibility by a preponderance of the evidence. To be eligible, an individual must submit biometric information; undergo background checks and a medical exam; register for the Selective Service; demonstrate the ability to read, write, and speak English; and demonstrate knowledge of the history and government of the U.S. An individual cannot qualify if he or she is ineligible for immigration relief on criminal or national security grounds.

The DREAM Act has broad bipartisan support in Congress and from the American people. In the 111th Congress, the DREAM Act passed the House and received a strong bipartisan majority vote from 55 Senators. According to a recent poll by Opinion Research Corporation, 70% of likely voters favor the DREAM Act, including 60% of Republicans.

The DREAM Act is supported by labor, business, education, civil rights and religious groups, including the AFL-CIO, the National PTA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies like Microsoft and Pfizer, and dozens of colleges and universities.


http://durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hot-topics?ID=43eaa136-a3de-4d72-bc1b-12c3000f0ae9

Passing the DREAM Act - Hot Topics - Home - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin

Watch the DREAM Act Introduction
Press Conference LIVE Above
Video feed will begin at
9:15 AM CT May 11th, 2011

Click on link:  Passing the DREAM Act - Hot Topics - Home - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin

NY Times Lets Racist Groups Distance Themselves From Racist Founder

"Posted by  Micah Uetricht

April 27th, 2011

Last week Nick Mendoza debunked Dr. John Tanton’s original reasons for pushing an anti-immigrant/environmentalist agenda when he founded three highly influential national anti-immigrant groups, as described in a recent New York Times profile. But beyond Tanton’s bogus green/xenophobic link, the piece itself is problematic. The Times should have taken a closer look at some of Tanton’s organizations’ recent reports and staff members’ statements. They reveal that these groups have always staked a far-right position on immigration that includes dehumanization of immigrants and offensive characterizations of Latinos. The failure of the paper of record to take these groups to task for their blatant racism shows how far to the right the public discourse on immigration has shifted.

Julie Hollar, managing editor of Extra! Magazine at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, calls the Times’ coverage “completely irresponsible” in an interview with Campus Progress. “If media are going to use these groups as sources, the public has a right to be informed, every time they're quoted, about their racism,” she says.
“The Times probably saw this as a ‘balanced’ way of being critical of Tanton without invoking the ire of the right,” Hollar says. “The debate always tends to boil down to questions about ‘enforcement’ or ‘amnesty,’ and the sources tend to be anti-immigration groups like [the Center for Immigration Studies]versus business groups. What gets lost is the voices of immigrant rights groups and, most importantly, immigrants themselves—which also goes a long way to explaining the ease with which the right has succeeded in dehumanizing and demonizing immigrants in this country.”
Throughout the article, staff members of the three groups—the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), NumbersUSA, and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS)—repeatedly distance themselves from Dr. Tanton’s overtly racist statements.
“The fear was that one ugly person could tar the larger movement, and sadly, ironically, it turned out that person was John Tanton,” former FAIR deputy director Patrick Burns was quoted as saying.

• But Tanton isn’t the only one who spouted views that might tar the movement. The groups’ current work all reflects racism not far from Tanton’s. Some examples include:
• Mark Krikorian, current executive director of CIS, wrote in the National Review last year that “Haiti’s so screwed up because it wasn’t colonized long enough.”
• CIS issued a 2008 study that bizarrely blame immigrants for global warming.  
• Former FAIR President Dan Stein in 1997 said, “Immigrants don't come all church-loving, freedom-loving, God-fearing … Many of them hate America, hate everything that the United States stands for. Talk to some of these Central Americans."
• In another National Review post Krikorian insinuated that there was a tie between the collapse of Washington Mutual bank in 2008 and their recognition as a top employer for Latinos.

These are not reasonable statements made by reasonable organizations. But a reader would not get that sense from the New York Times profile. It mentions the Southern Poverty Law Center’s designation of FAIR as a hate group (SPLC also dubbed Tanton’s “journal” The Social Contract a hate group) in passing and includes brief quotes from the pro-immigrant organizations America’s Voice and the Center for New Community, but has almost nothing critical to say about Tanton’s three organizations as they exist today.
Instead, staffers are repeatedly given the space to distance the organizations’ contemporary actions from the racism of their creator.
Roger Conner, FAIR’s first director, is quoted as saying, “My biggest regret is I looked at what he was doing, rolled my eyes and said, ‘That’s John.’ ”
The reader gets the sense that crass, overt racism is something FAIR, CIS, and NumbersUSA have put behind them—now, they rationally argue for increased restriction on immigration simply because they believe it to be a sensible policy solution.
This is because these organizations are often seen as credible sources on immigration rather than extremists, a fact reflected in their constant . Here are a couple of recent examples of the group’s citation by legitimate news sources:

• Earlier this month, for example, in an article in the Chicago Tribune about the children of immigrants whose lives are devastated by the deportation of a parent, a Center for Immigration Studies staff member is repeatedly quoted while his organization is described as one that simply “advocates tougher immigration controls.”
• On Friday, the Christian Science Monitor quoted CIS’s Krikorian in an article about Georgia’s recent anti-immigrant, SB1070-like bill, describing his organization as “a nonpartisan Washington think tank that highlights the consequences of legal and illegal immigration.”
• Last month, the New York Times quoted Krikorian for an article on “maternity tourists” from China, also simply referring to CIS as a group that “advocates tougher immigration controls.”

Tanton is an incredibly influential force in the national immigration debate who has repeatedly expressed openly racist sentiments in reference to immigrants, and his New York Times profileexposes this to the world. But the organizations he founded should not be let off the hook. Their racist rhetoric is usually a bit less crass than Tanton’s, but they're still incredibly bigoted."

Micah Uetricht is a staff writer with Campus Progress. You can follow him on Twitter @micahuetricht.
http://campusprogress.org/articles/ny_times_lets_racist_groups_distance_themselves_from_racist_founder1/

Midlands Voices: Debate over immigration needs compassion, mercy!

By The Rev. Howard Dotson
The writer, of Omaha, is faith community liaison for Equality Nebraska.
We need to reframe this current immigration debate so it is more grounded in compassion and mercy. Instead of using the term “illegals,” I invite us to consider using the term “economic refugees.”
In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean has to steal bread in order to feed his daughter. Which is more criminal, that he stole the bread, or the social conditions that necessitated that he do so? Many of our Latino neighbors who are here could not wait 20 years to feed their children.
We need to fully understand the poverty and social forces that drive economic refugees north in search of their daily bread. Grounded in our family values, can’t we appreciate a parent trying to provide for his or her babies?
The terms we use and how we use them can dehumanize others. We shouldn’t lose sight of our common humanity.
In a tolerance index composed by the Daily Beast, the state of Nebraska ranked 47th in the nation, lower than even Arizona. Several bills introduced by Sen. Charlie Janssen in this immigration reform debate have had a very deleterious impact on the quality of life not just for Latinos but our communities as a whole.
In a state that struggles to retain its population and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, this is a misguided debate that could result in severe long-term negative economic consequences. What happens to our economy when Latinos decide they have had enough and take their purchasing power to a state that is higher up on the tolerance scale?
According to a study by the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the annual Latino contribution to our economy amounts to $1.8 billion and 17,000 jobs. In this fragile national economy, we cannot afford to further alienate and marginalize our Latino neighbors who are here to work hard and provide for their families. We really cannot afford to lose their valuable contributions to our economy.
Why do politicians like Sen. Janssen continue to introduce this kind of legislation when they know that the federal courts have consistently struck down these laws as unconstitutional? Per the Supremacy Clause in our Constitution, immigration enforcement is solely a federal responsibility.
What are the true motives behind this legislative agenda? Who is forced to bear the cross while our local and state politicians enact these nativist laws in order to raise the heat on our leaders in Washington? Can our consciences bear the collateral damage of unintended consequences?
At a recent immigration forum hosted by the UNL journalism department, I asked Sen. Janssen how he could he align himself with Kris Kobach in light of who he represents. Wherever Kobach goes with his legislation in hand, acts of intolerance and hate follow.
FBI crime statistics reveal that hate crimes against Latinos have spiked across the nation. There was even a hate crime against a Latino in, of all places, New York City — the city of immigrants.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) wrote a paper, “When Kobach Comes to Town,” that underscores the community impact that this nativist legislation has had on communities like Fremont, Neb. The group that Kobach has worked for — FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) — has been registered by SPLC as a hate group.
In the documentary “9500 Liberty,” the leaders of FAIR take pride in having written the Prince William County, Va., ordinance, which is the local version of Arizona S.B. 1070. FAIR also drafted the Arizona and the Fremont ordinances. Do the residents of Fremont realize who is representing their city in federal court?
As this immigration debate continues, please join me in praying that we stay grounded in compassion, family values and reason. The stakes are too high for us to repeat the same patterns of intolerance that many of our German, Irish, Italian and Polish ancestors experienced when they came here. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now.
Let’s stay focused on our common humanity and find meaningful solutions through federal immigration reform.

Nebraska Immigration Forum 2011

Please join me in a community conversation about immigration challenges and opportunities.

Nebraska Immigration Forum 2011

 

April 18th at 5:30p.m.

UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications
Andersen Hall, Room 15

16th & Q Streets, Lincoln NE

P.S.  Please prepare questions regarding the collateral damage to Nebraska and its residents because of Janssen's proposed bills targeting the immigrant community.

 

Rise Up and Go Vote

Why was an innocent, 4-year-old American girl, deported?

Why was 4-year-old American girl deported?

www.cnn.com

Under our system, two things are crystal clear: Law enforcement agencies are required to treat children with more care than adults, and U.S. citizens have certain rights that are not to be abridged -- including the right to due process.

We are here and soon we will have Justice

Hispanics are on track to exceed 50 million, or roughly 1 in 6 Americans; among U.S. children, Hispanics are now roughly 1 in 4.

Shame On You!"

Dedicated to all the anti-immigrant politicians, SHAME on YOU - who issued your ancestors a visa, certainly not the First Americans?


YouTube - Indigo Girls - Shame On You (Alt Version)

Hispanic Republicans and Conservatives for the DREAM Act

Hispanic Republicans and Conservatives for the DREAM Act

BREAKING NEWS – A Resounding defeat for Az Senate President Russell Pearce | Immigration Clearinghouse

YES!!!!!! Finally some sanity in Arizona!!!

BREAKING NEWS – A Resounding defeat for Az Senate President Russell Pearce Immigration Clearinghouse

NE State-funded prenatal care bill debated - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

"Simply put, our unborn babies deserve the opportunity to obtain the necessary prenatal care regardless of the status or wealth of their mother." Shirley Mora James.

State-funded prenatal care bill debated - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

Kansas State Rep Virgil Peck - Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell - March 15, 2011

Kansas State Rep. Virgil Peck promotes the murder of immigrants-----he needs to be impreached.

See for yourself: YouTube - Kansas State Rep Virgil Peck - Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell - March 15, 2011

Arizona-style immigration bill likely not going anywhere

Arizona-style immigration bill likely not going anywhere

Debate on immigrants shelved - Omaha.com

Debate on immigrants shelved - Omaha.com

Lincoln Police Chief Casady: Immigration bill will cost too much to enforce « Immigration 2011 | UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Lincoln Police Chief Casady: Immigration bill will cost too much to enforce « Immigration 2011 | UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Judiciary Committee meeting regarding our issues is scheduled on March 2, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1113.

The Judiciary Committee meeting regarding our issues is scheduled on March 2, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1113.

Come and join in on the Coalition's actions on March 2nd at the State Capitol in Room 1113.

Below please find the list of bills and resolutions that the Judiciary Committee will hear that day:

LR39 Council - Provide the Nebraska Legislature recommends certain basic principles as a guide for state and federal immigration policy and call upon Congress to enact reforms - SUPPORT

LB48 Janssen - Adopt the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act - OPPOSE

LR28 Fulton - Encourage all municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies to participate in the Secure Communities program by the year 2012 - OPPOSE

LB569 Coash - Require employers to e-verify the immigration status of new employees - OPPOSE

PLEASE write letters to the committee members of the Judiciary and respectfully request them to kill LB-48, LB-569, & LR-28 and SUPPORT Senator Brenda Council's resolution LR-39.

Equality Nebraska Coalition: Judiciary Committee meeting is Scheduled for March...

Equality Nebraska Coalition: Judiciary Committee meeting is Scheduled for March...: "Dear Coalition Members: IT is time again to push back against social injustice and together we will stand united against ignorance and into..."

Immigration activist is arrested for walking into Senate building, told he's 'not welcome'

Immigration activist is arrested for walking into Senate building, told he's 'not welcome'

Arizona Introduces “Omnibus” Immigration Bill

The Bill, SB-1611 would bar children from K-12 education if they couldn’t produce a U.S.-issued birth certificate or naturalization document and forbid undocumented immigrants from driving in the state or accessing public benefits. Individuals who are caught driving will face a month of jail time and forfeit the car.

SB-1611 also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor if a public employee failed to report violations of national immigration laws—such a violation is currently a Class 2 misdemeanor. Identity theft would result in 180 days of jail time. SB 1611 would also bar undocumented immigrants from enrolling in community colleges, entirely. It also requires Arizona businesses to use E-Verify.

Click on :Arizona Introduces “Omnibus” Immigration Bill - COLORLINES

Judiciary Committee members

Sen. Brad Ashford
District 20
Room #1103
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2622
Email: bashford@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Colby Coash
District 27
Room #2028
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2632
Email: ccoash@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Brenda Council
District 11
Room #1120
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2612
Email: bcouncil@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Burke Harr
District 08
Room #1115
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2722
Email: bharr@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Tyson Larson
District 40
Room #1019
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2801
Email: tlarson@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Steve Lathrop
District 12
Room #2000
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2623
Email: slathrop@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh
District 18
Room #1021
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2618
Email: slautenbaugh@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Amanda McGill
District 26
Room #1212
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2610
Email: amcgill@leg.ne.gov

Our media response to LB-48

Our media response to Janssen:

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Senator_Janssen_Expects_His_Immigration_Bill_To_Die_In_Committee_116579693.html

Judiciary Committee meeting is Scheduled for March 2 at 1:30 p.m.

Dear Coalition Members:

IT is time again to push back against social injustice and together we will stand united against ignorance and intolerance.

The Judiciary Committee meeting regarding our issues is scheduled on March 2, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1113.

Come and join in on the Coalition's actions on March 2nd at the State Capitol in Room 1113.

Below please find the list of bills and resolutions that the Judiciary Committee will hear that day:

LR39 Council - Provide the Nebraska Legislature recommends certain basic principles as a guide for state and federal immigration policy and call upon Congress to enact reforms - SUPPORT

LB48 Janssen - Adopt the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act - OPPOSE

LR28 Fulton - Encourage all municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies to participate in the Secure Communities program by the year 2012 - OPPOSE

LB569 Coash - Require employers to e-verify the immigration status of new employees - OPPOSE

PLEASE write letters to the committee members of the Judiciary and respectfully request them to kill LB-48, LB-569, & LR-28 and SUPPORT Senator Brenda Council's resolution LR-39.

Also please, ask your friends and family to do the same.

Together We Stand As Nebraskans,
Shirl for the Coalition

Senator Janssen Expects His Immigration Bill To Die In Committee

Senator Janssen Expects His Immigration Bill To Die In Committee

Our new Allies - Somo Republicans ~ Kudos to Bob!

In-state tuition law does NOT hurts students here illegally!

In-state tuition law does NOT hurts students here illegally!  For example: "Alaide Vilchis and Andrea Pardo-Spalding, both 24, came to the United States as 14-year-olds. Vilchis went on to graduate from the University of Kansas and Pardo-Spalding from Kansas State. They both met and married U.S. citizens while attending college and are now legal residents on a path to citizenship, they said. Vilchis works as a medical assistant and is applying for graduate school. Pardo-Spalding runs a home-based design business.
Vilchis said she got a tax ID number from the Internal Revenue Service and has always paid taxes on her earnings, even though she was ineligible for a refund.

Of Kobach's assertion that there's no path for illegal immigrants to become legal, she said, "That's absolutely not true.... How do you explain me?""

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/09/1712349/kobach-law-hurts-students-here.html#ixzz1DaRNGLN8

A Special thanks to those opposing LB-657!

A Big Thanks to all the individuals who opposed LB-657 today at the Education Committee Hearing....A Special Thanks to Rebecca, Darcy, the DREAMERs, Senator DiAnna Schimek, UNL Professor Miguel, Bob from Somos Republicans, UNL MASA Students, Rev. Howard, the Catholics, the Lutherans, civil rights leader Lela Shanks, UNL Administration, UNL ASUN student organization, Appleseed and many others!!!!

Education Committee Hearing

The Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee Hearing is scheduled to hear LB-657 (Janssen’s anti-NE DREAM Act bill) on Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1525. 

Please oppose LB-657 by writing letters

Please write letters to Education Committee opposing LB-657 

Nebraska Legislature Education Committee Members

Sen. Greg Adams- Chair - District 24 - Room #1107

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2756

Email: gadams@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Bill Avery - District 28 - Room #1114

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2633

Email: bavery@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Abbie Cornett - District 45 - Room #1116

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2615

Email: acornett@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Brenda Council - District 11 - Room #1120

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2612

Email: bcouncil@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Ken Haar -District 21 - Room #1017

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2673

Email: khaar@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Gwen Howard - District 09 - Room #1124

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2723

Email: ghoward@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Ken Schilz - District 47 - Room #1202

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2616

Email: kschilz@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Kate Sullivan - District 41 - Room #1118

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

Phone: (402) 471-2631

Email: ksullivan@leg.ne.gov

William Bratton: Immigration reform vital to community safety and trust.

By William Bratton, a former Los Angeles police chief and former New York City police commissioner.

"On March 12, 2009, Juan Garcia, a 53-year-old homeless man, was brutally murdered in an alley just west of downtown Los Angeles. At first, the police were stumped; there were no known witnesses and few clues. A 43-year-old undocumented immigrant who witnessed the crime finally came forward and told the homicide detectives what he saw.
Because of his help, a suspect was identified and arrested a few days later while hiding in Skid Row. Because the witness was not afraid to contact the police, an accused murderer was taken off the streets. Stories like this are repeated daily in Los Angeles.
Keeping America’s neighborhoods safe requires our police forces to have the trust and help of everyone in our communities. My nearly 40 years in law enforcement and my experience as police commissioner in Boston and New York City, and most recently as chief in Los Angeles, have taught me this.
With the strong influence of community policing and its philosophy of partnership, problem-solving and prevention, beginning in the 1990s, we finally began to push down our horrific crime rates that had steadily risen during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Police officers can’t prevent or solve crimes if victims or witnesses are unwilling to talk to them because of the fear of being deported. That basic fact led to the implementation almost 30 years ago of the LAPD’s policy on immigrants, which has come to be known as Special Order 40.
Created and endorsed strongly by the late LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, the philosophy that underlies that policy is simple: Criminals are the biggest benefactors when immigrants fear the police. We can’t solve crimes that aren’t reported because the victims are afraid to come forward to the police.
The LAPD does not focus its enforcement efforts on individuals whose only violation is illegal entry. Those individuals are the ones most often preyed upon by violent gang members, and they need to be assured that the LAPD can be trusted to take their crime reports or witness statements without fear that an officer will ask them their immigration status. Special Order 40 provides that assurance.
The idea of engaging all members of the public in reporting crime and identifying criminals helps us not only with short-term and medium-term goals of reducing crime but also with improving relations with community members. We all have an interest in helping our young people develop into healthy, educated and law-abiding adults.
Breeding fear and distrust of authorities among some of our children could increase rates of crime, violence and disorder as those children grow up to become fearful and distrustful adolescents and adults. That is why the LAPD has not participated in 287(g), the federal government program that gives local law enforcement agencies the powers of federal immigration agents by entering into agreements with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Americans want a national solution to our immigration dilemma, as do law enforcement officials across this nation. But the solution isn’t turning every local police department into an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, nor is it a state initiative like Legislative Bill 48 in Nebraska, which would duplicate many aspects of the comprehensive Arizona immigration laws.
The Police Foundation published a report in April 2009, “The Role of Local Police: Striking a Balance Between Immigration Enforcement and Civil Liberties.” The report confirms that when local police enforce immigration laws, this undermines their core public safety mission, diverts scarce resources, increases their exposure to liability and litigation, and exacerbates fear in communities which are already distrustful of police.
The report concluded that to optimize public safety, the federal government must enact comprehensive immigration reform. I agree.
Working with victims and witnesses of crimes closes cases faster and protects all of our families by getting criminals off the street. We must pass immigration reform and bring our neighbors out of the shadows so they can get the police service they need and deserve. When officers can speak freely with victims and witnesses, it goes a long way toward making every American neighborhood much safer.
We must have new and effective national immigration policies, not a hodgepodge of state laws that weaken — rather than strengthen — the strong partnerships between local police and the diverse communities they serve and protect."


KUDOS to Howard!

Equality Nebraska Coalition Meeting

We are having our 1st full meeting regarding LB-657 on:

January 31st at 6 p.m.
At the Clyde Malone Community Center,
2032 "U" Street, Lincoln, NE.

Equality Nebraska Coalition

ATTENTION - Unity Rally postponed until 1-27-11

The UNITY RALLY is postponed again, due to snow and ice hazardous travel conditions expected tomorrow.

The RALLY is now rescheduled for THURSDAY, 1/27/11. Please join us on Thursday the 27th to show that Nebraska values do not support an Arizona-style law in Nebraska. 

UNITY RALLY FOR THE GOOD LIFE

What Happens in Arizona Stops in Arizona

THURS. 1/27/11 at 12:10 p.m.

West side of the State Capitol

14th & Lincoln Mall

President and First Lady Honors MLK

"President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a special event at the Stuart Hobson Middle School today. The couple and their two children helped decorate the school's lunchroom as part of their day of service to honor the memory of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King."

Obama Honors MLK

Peacemaking Workshop XXIV in Lincoln on Janaury 16th

Peacemaking Workshop XXIV
An ecumenical gathering - Sunday, January 16 - 1:30 PM
First United Methodist Church
2723 N. 50th St. Lincoln, NE 68504
402-466-1906

PLEASE Attend and find out more about the immigration in Nebraska

Archbishop George Lucas writes on immigration

Catholic Teaching Should Guide Our Approach to Immigration

Click on this lick for more info:   Immigration

Sheriff says that AZ has become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

"Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik offered an emotional, angry assessment of the state of America in the wake of the shootings in Arizona, saying that two of his close friends -- Ms. Giffords and Judge John Roll - were among the victims.

Mr. Dupnik called the shooting a "very sad day for Tucson" and a "horrendous, horrendous, senseless, unbelievable crime." And then he blamed the crime on the rhetoric -- presumably political rhetoric -- in the country.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government," he said. "The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital. 

We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.""

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/live-blog-representative-giffords-shot/?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig

Live update on Arizona shooting.

Live update on Arizona shooting.

Live Blog: Representative Giffords Shot - NYTimes.com

Live Blog: Representative Giffords Shot - NYTimes.com

U. S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords is in surgery after being shot in the head at a public event in Tucson, Ariz. today. At least five people were killed in the shooting incident, including a federal judge.

U. S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords is in surgery after being shot in the head at a public event in Tucson, Ariz. today. At least five people were killed in the shooting incident, including a federal judge.

AZ Rep. Giffords was expected to be a leading voice on immigration and LGBT issues in the new Congress, the xenophobes/homophobes are now killing our leaders......it's time to push back! 

RIP - U.S. federal judge, John Roll, who had been involved in immigration cases and had received death threats, was among those killed.

Civil Rights Groups Announce Coalition to Protect American Citizenship

Civil Rights Groups Announce Coalition to Protect American Citizenship

Republicans That Would Be Deported If The 14th Amendment Was Repealed

"If the 14th Amendment would have been repealed years ago — it would have canceled Michele Malkin’s citizenship as well as Bobby Jindal’s – both are ‘anchor babies‘ — which is a derogatory term used by those opposing immigration reform. Governor Jindal’s camp denies claims that he’s an ‘anchor baby’ however it’s reported that his parents conceived while here in America on a student visa."  click link below for more info

Republicans That Would Be Deported If The 14th Amendment Was Repealed

NE proposed Immigration Bill = LB 48

LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SECOND LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 48
Introduced by Janssen, 15.
Read first time January 06, 2011


Please click the link below for a copy of LB 48

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Intro/LB48.pdf

Senator introduces Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act | News 5 | News, Weather, Sports for Hastings | Kearney | Grand Island | Nebraska | Coverage You Can Count On | Local News

Senator introduces Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act | News 5 | News, Weather, Sports for Hastings | Kearney | Grand Island | Nebraska | Coverage You Can Count On | Local News

UNITY Rally for the Good Life 1/11/11

Join us on the West side of the Capitol at noon on the 11th. 

Help send a strong signal to the nation that Nebraska values do not support an Arizona-style law in our state.