California Dream Network at "Right to Dream" Rally

Immigrant students and their allies gathered dowtown Los Angeles today to call on President Obama to stop deporting immigrant families and provide real administrative relief. Members of CHIRLA's California Dream Network joined the "Right to Dream" rally and press conference at Pershing Square.

California Dream Network at "Right to Dream" Campaign Launch

Join immigrant students and allies this Thursday at Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles at 10 a.m. to launch the National "Right to Dream" Campaign. Immigrant students will be calling on President Obama to stop deporting students and families and to advance real immigration relief. In 24 cities, students will gather and read a "Declaration of Dreams". CHIRLA's California Dream Network will join other networks in solidarity. Hope to see you there. See inside for details.

ACTION Requested: Dangerous Amendments to Women's Protection

Women and victims of violence need you today: Call your House Representative at (202)225-3121 and tell him/her to oppose harmful provisions to the Violence Against Women Re-authorization Act of 2012 (VAWA - Bill Number: HR4970).

Call Today - the House vote is this Wednesday!

Mujeres y víctimas de crímenes necesitan de tu ayuda ahora mismo: Llama a tu Representante Congresional al (202)225-3121 y dile que se oponga a los cambios destructivos a la Reautorización de la Ley Violencia en Contra de las Mujeres del 2012 (VAWA - Número de la Propuesta es HR4970).

¡Llama ahora porque el voto de la Cámara Baja es este miércoles!

Photos: Domestic Workers Mother's Day Action

CHIRLA members participate in a press event hosted by the Southern California Domestic Workers Coalition. CHIRLA's Household Workers program was well represented with a speaker and featured in a Cuentame video produced to impact public opinion about the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, AB889.

The activity was held at the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO building. Flowers, giant balloons, giant postcards, and baby carriages were taken along a caravan. Participants went to visit six state senators to deliver the flowers and other items to remind them that household workers are moms too, but are often ignored as humans and treated inhumanely.

Pictures here: CHIRLA Facebook

Video: Don't Ignore Us, Protect Our Rights

A wonderfully-written video produced by the Cuentame's Latino Voces in collaboration with member organizations of the California Domestic Workers Coalition. All household workers featured in the video are CHIRLA members. Together, we are working to educate Californians that AB889, the CA Domestic Bill of Rights, is great for workers, great for our economy, and great for California. Watch video after this break.

Compartimos este video que fue generosamente producido por Cuentame's Latino Voces en colaboración con organizaciones miebros de la Coalición de Trabajadoras Domesticas de California. En este video, las tres trabajadoras que son entrevistadas son miembros de CHIRLA. Juntos estamos luchando para educar al público de California para que apoyen el avance de la propuesta AB889, el Acta de Derechos de Trabajadoras Domésticas de California.

I'm the American Dream - Angelica Salas

Angelica Salas has been part of CHIRLA's family for more than 16 years.

Before CHIRLA, Angelica was already a survivor and a fighter for immigrant rights.

An immigrant and a thankful daughter, Angelica is part of the American Dream. Her moving story is well told in this video special by Univision.

Saying Goodbye on Mother's Day

On Wednesday, CHIRLA hosted members of the press to hear the stories of two moms who are about to be deported. Both women have US-born children and both do not have a criminal background. One of the moms, Carmen, must leave by June 17 and the other mom, Maria, must take care of a wheelchair-bound young man who suffers from daily seizures. More Photos inside.

May Day Voices - Bamby Salcedo, LGBT Community

As part of this year's May Day pre-march rally on May 1, 2012, allies and supporters, including leaders of the faith community, unions, students, families, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, spoke about why they were marching. A very memorable, and well-received speech, was that of Bamby Salcedo, leader in the transgender community, an immigrant herself, and a member of the BIENESTAR family. Here's a recollection of her powerful words. We thank you, Bamby.

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My name is Bamby Salcedo and I am here on behalf of the Queer Contingency.

It is important that we do recognize and understand that Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans people are also part of the whole. We do have families, we do get affected by all of the situations that happen in our society. It is important that we are united, that we come together and we as a community demand dignity for our communities.

CHIRLA on May Day 2012

CHIRLA, in collaboration with the Multicultural Immigrant Worker Organizing Network (MIWON), ANSWER Coalition, Center for Community Change, CARECEN, California Dream Network, Clean Carwash Campaign, Comisión Binacional de Organizaciones, COFEM, Filipino Workers Center, Full Immigrant Rights Coalition, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional, IDEPSCA, KIWA, LIUNA, LACFL/AFL-CIO, May Day Queer Contingent, NDLON, National Lawyers Guild, SEIU/ULTCW, and Vamos Unidos USA, is helping coordinate the traditional May 1 workers march downtown Los Angeles.

Statement: The "Secure Communities" Emperor Has No Clothes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2012

The “Secure Communities” Emperor Has No Clothes

Announced changes to flawed deportation program insufficient and deceptive

Los Angeles - The same week as the nation’s highest court hears oral arguments on the legality of SB1070, and three weeks after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a timid review of the program, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced minor modifications to the deeply flawed “Secure Communities” program (S-Comm). A DHS-sponsored Taskforce on Secure Communities released a stinging report of the program in November 2011. The modifications, which come after two years of mounting opposition to S-Comm from state and local officials, congressional representatives, advocates, and faith groups, were quickly denounced by advocates as inadequate to address the program’s failings. The following is a statement of Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

“ICE’s response to the strong and mounting criticism of its star deportation program, S-Comm, offers more of the same rhetoric that only ICE can accept as truth. On the ground, S-Comm has proven to be a seriously flawed dragnet that promotes racial profiling in line with the “attrition through enforcement” philosophy of the masterminds behind Arizona’s SB1070 and its copycat bills.

Far from targeting the “worst of the worst”, S-Comm catches anyone who happens to fit into ICE’s amorphously defined ‘priorities’. Deplorably, it is local and state police departments that have been relegated to the unenviable role of faux immigrant wardens undermining the trust of the community, a key element to fight crime, protect victims and witnesses, and protect the community’s overall safety.

CHIRLA

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles