PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: September 4, 2009

Contact: Ruben Campillo (NC),

704-309-9388, rcampillo@reformimmigrationforamerica.org

Douglas Rivlin (Washington),

202-441-0680 rivlin@immigrationforum.org

Charlotte, NC – During the last week of summer recess for Members of Congress from North Carolina, a series of events for their staffs and for the Members themselves focused on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform during this session of Congress.  Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC-2), Rep. David Price (D-NC-4), and Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC-13) met personally with immigrant, faith, business, and community leaders who urged them to work on passage of immigration reform legislation when they return to Washington after Labor Day.  Staff members for Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC-12) and Senator Kay Hagan (D) also met with a cross section of North Carolinians and heard the same message, that reform will help the North Carolina economy, will reunite families, and will promote immigrant integration across the state.

The quiet, substantive exchanges between voters and their elected representatives in town hall-style meetings, community gatherings, and in office meetings were in sharp contrast to the raucous town hall meetings on health care reform that have attracted so much media attention.

The North Carolina events were part of a series of more than 130 events across the country during the congressional recess by supporters of comprehensive immigration reform – measures that would include a way for immigrants in the country illegally to legalize their status – by the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign (www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org or www.reformamigratoriaporamerica.org), a coalition of faith, labor, business, civil rights, progressive, and immigrant advocates active in more than 20 states.  President Obama has repeatedly expressed his interest in seeing immigration reform legislation move forward later this year and pass early next year. Various bills have already been introduced and comprehensive packages of reforms are expected to emerge this fall.

“We were able to demonstrate support across diverse sectors from the grassroots to community leaders and across different parts of the state for immigration reform,” said Ruben Campillo, North Carolina Director of the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign, who is based in Charlotte.  “But the one theme the lawmakers heading back to Washington heard over and over again was ‘urgency.’ We need them to get to work as soon as possible.”

Reps. Price and Miller met with voters and advocates at the annual Fiesta del Pueblo cultural festival in Raleigh last weekend, a two-day event that draws as many as 30,000 people to celebrate Latino culture.  Rep. Etheridge met with a group of leaders in his Raleigh office this week and Senator Hagan’s Deputy State Director met with immigrants and faith leaders for about two hours at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro yesterday evening (photos).  The District Director for Rep. Watt participated in a town hall style meeting held at a public library in Charlotte on September 1.

In 2008, North Carolina’s Latino and immigrant voters were part of President Obama’s narrow win in the state.  The President beat Sen. John McCain by 14,000 votes, receiving nearly 26,000 more votes than McCain from Latino voters according to research conducted by demographer Rob Paral.

Campillo, the state organizer, said, “Immigration is in the on-deck circle now and we’re waiting for our turn at bat,” referring to the other legislative matters like health care reform that are tops of the agenda for both houses of Congress upon their return.  “But the campaign for reform is building momentum, the need for reform is as great as ever, and the community is watching Congress very closely for signs of progress on immigration reform.”

# # #

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN: The Reform Immigration FOR America campaign is a coalition of more than 600 faith, labor, business, progressive, civil rights, and immigration reform groups that have joined together to get comprehensive immigration reform passed.  Individuals interested in receiving text message updates from the campaign can text the word “Justice” (or “Justicia,” for replies in Spanish) to 69866. For more information on the campaign please visit www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org or www.reformamigratoriaproamerica.org