Your Action is Needed Today!
Please read and submit your comment.

On April 2, USCIS issued a long awaited proposed regulation that, if implemented, would allow the stateside processing of waivers to the 3- and 10-year bar to re-entry for the immediate familymembers of United States Citizens.  Immigrant advocacy groups have called this the ‘Family Unity Waiver’.

Click here to see the proposed rule.

These changes could have the impact of keeping tens of thousands offamilies together during an administrative process that could take months or longer to complete, and family members would be able to avoid certain hardships under current regulations that force them to return to their countries of origin.  The proposal would have the added benefit of relieving administrative and budgetary burdens on federal agencies, and remove an important disincentive for family members to come forward for fear that they may be separated from loved ones for prolonged periods of time.

Your comment to support this rule change is needed today!

Instructions

• Go to:  http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=USCIS-2012-0003-0001
• Copy and paste the sample letter below into the “Type Comment Field”
• Include your Name and address on the left hand side.
• Hit submit

**Let us know you submitted a comment! Hit “Like” on our Facebook post or Tweet us!

[SAMPLE LETTER]

Dear Director Mayorkas:

The three- and ten-year bars are tearing many families apart. I applaud the Department of Homeland Security for recognizing that these bars are creating terrible hardship for families. Korean Americans and Asian Americans understand the cruel pain of family separation as they experience the longest wait times to reunite with their loved ones and many live in households with individuals with mixed immigration statuses.

I urge the Department to adopt this proposal along with the following improvements: 1) Embrace all families separated by the bars, including sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and immigrant visa-eligible family members of lawful permanent residents; 2) Ensure confidentiality in processing of waivers.Families must have the security that stateside processing will support family unity. The Department must ensure that applications remain confidential and not trigger removal proceedings; and 3) Make the standards clear. The “extreme hardship’ standard should be clearly defined, be evenly applied, and include the financial and emotional effects of separation.

Thank you.

[Your Name]

On April 25th, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a landmark case challenging Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070. Join us and other immigrant rights, labor and civil rights leaders and organizations who stand united in protecting immigrant families and standing against state-sponsored racial profiling.

What you can do:

• Sign up and join NAKASEC on April 25th for a rally in front of the US Supreme Court (rally starts at 11 am — a delegation of Asian Americans will gather in front of the Barnes & Noble at Union Station by 10:15 am and walk over to the Supreme Court together)
• Light a candle and join the vigil for justice and the American Dream

Resources:

• Explanation of the implications of the upcoming Supreme Court Case (original source by the National Immigration Law Center) – Download (Korean and English)

Contact Joyce Yin at 202-299-9540 (jyin@nakasec.org) for more information!

Download Flyer

Ueen Joung (Cindy) Chang has been behind bars for twenty days after she was stopped at an immigration checkpoint in Arizona on her way to a friend’s wedding. Cindy is a DREAM Act eligible student who has been in the United States since she was seven, volunteers with the homeless, and serves as a Sunday school teacher at her church. She is facing imminent deportation to South Korea.

4 Things You Can do!

1. Sign the petition at http://chn.ge/GSEK8b
   
2. Call ICE now and demand that they release Cindy from detention. Leave a message if forwarded to voicemail.

   DHS head Janet Napolitano: 202-282-8495
   ICE head John Morton: 202-732-3000
   ICE field office director Katrina Kane: 602-766-7028

   Sample Script: “Hi, I am calling to ask that Ueen Joung Chang (A#073-547-961) be released from detention. She is a DREAM Act-eligible student and Sunday school teacher and has lived in the United States since she was seven. Please release her from detention.”

3. ‘Like’ the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/freecindy

4. Help spread the word by forwarding this email, tweeting, and posting on Facebook

   Sample tweet:  Sign & Retweet! 4 things you can do for DREAMer, Ueen Joung (Cindy) Chang bit.ly/GXZo6g #aapi #p2 #dreamact

   Sample Facebook post: Free Cindy! 4 things you can do for DREAMer, Ueen Joung (Cindy) Chang bit.ly/GXZo6g #aapi #p2 #dreamact

If you would like to get involved, please contact Anoop Prasad, Staff Attorney for Immigrant Rights at the Asian Law Caucus (anoopp@asianlawcaucus.org | 415-848-7722), Karen Ng, Community Advocate – Immigration at the Asian Law Caucus (karenn@asianlawcaucus.org | 415-896-1701 x116) or Joyce Yin, Program Associate at NAKASEC (jyin@nakasec.org | 202-299-9540).

At any moment, the Department of Homeland Security will announce a second round of supposed reforms to the broken ‘Secure Communities’ program. Since its authorization in 2008, S-Comm has continued to be marked by disorganization, inconsistency and secrecy. When thousands of internal documents were released last year, it became clear that the Department of Homeland Security had misled Congress, local lawmakers and the American public about its intentions, and continues to do so today.

However it doesn’t appear that things will change with the release of these upcoming reforms. With the timing of the forthcoming announcement coming in advance of the release of the Office of Inspector General report on S-Comm, it appears that these ‘reforms’ are to take some of the pressure off of ICE before the report is released.

The bottom line is that S-Comm is too broken to be fixed. It continues to tear apart thousands of families and causes victims and witnesses of crimes to live in fear rather than contact the police. For this reason, this is why legislators, law enforcement and communities across the country have rejected the program and why we demand that the program be terminated rather than ‘reformed.’

Join us in urging the White House to ‘end, not mend’ S-Comm! Here is what you can do:

1. CALL: Take 3 minutes to send a clear message to the White House.

• Call 202-456-1111
  
  Script: “My name is [insert name]. I am calling from [insert city, state]. I know that the Administration is announcing changes to the “Secure Communities” deportation program any day now. I want to ask the Administration to “end, not mend” this controversial program. S-Comm has damaged public safety, created fear in our communities, and deported thousands of our family members and friends. We urge the President to abandon his legacy of deportation and end the program immediately.”

2. SIGN THE PETITION: Click Here > END S-COMM, DON’T MEND IT!

3. TWEET : “Break ICE’s hold on our community! http://chn.ge/end-scomm Demand the @WhiteHouse to END #SComm, Don’t just mend it!”

4. SHARE IN FACEBOOK : Ask your friends to join us and advocates across the country!

• ​Download the “End, Not Mend S-Comm” poster here and make it your facebook profile.

5. SIGN THE PETITION: Click Here > END S-COMM, DON’T MEND IT!

ACT NOW!

Additional Materials:

• Background on S-Comm: http://altopolimigra.com/s-comm-shadow-report/
• Previous cosmetic “reforms” : http://uncoverthetruth.org/resources/docs-reports/briefing-guide-to-ices-minor-secure-communities-modifications/

현재 미 의회에서는 어려운 가운데서도 열심히 일하는 저소득층 가정을 위한 자녀 세액 공제를 제한하는 법안이 논의되고 있습니다. 종업원 세금 감면 연장을 위한 기금을 확보하기 위해 부자증세를 통해 백만장자들이 공평한 세금을 납부하도록 하는 대신 의회는 세금 혜택이 필요한 저소득 가정에게 경제적 부담을 지도록 하려는 것입니다. 이 법안은 사회보장번호가 있는 사람에 한해 자녀 세액 공제를 받을 수 있도록 제한하여 개인납세자번호(ITIN)을 통해 세금보고를 하는 이민자들은 자녀 세액 공제 혜택을 받을 수 없게 합니다.이 법안이 통과되면 이에 해당하는 가정은 평균 1천 8백 달러의 세금 크레딧을 받지 못하게 되며 이로 인해 자녀 양육에 필수적인 지출을 줄일 수 밖에 없을 것입니다.

• 상원의장 해리 리드 의원에게 866-572-7042로 전화하여 다음과 같이 말씀하십시오: 어린이들을 보호하기 위해 지도력을 발휘해준 것에 감사합니다. 자녀 세금 공제의 자격조건을 제한하는 것에 계속 반대해 주십시오.
• 재무위원장 맥스 바커스 의원에게 866-974-8813으로 전화하여 다음과 같이 말씀하십시오: 어린이들을 보호해 주십시오. 자녀 세금 공제의 자격조건을 제한하는 것을 반대해 주십시오.
• 또한, 202-224-3121로 전화하신 후 조세 개편 위원회 위원들과 연결하여 자녀 세금 공제의 자격 조건을 변경하는 것에 반대의사를 전해 주십시오.

우리의 국회의원들이 아동세금공제 자격을 변경하지 않도록 함께 합시다.

On Twitter? RT!

Tweet: @SenatorReid Reject changes to Child Tax Credit & protect low-income immigrant families bit.ly/CTCaction #InvestInKids #nakasec

• For many immigrant families, $1,800 means the difference between rent or eviction. What does $1,800 mean to you. #InvestInKids
• ACTC gives tax credits of ~$1,800 to 2 mil immigrant families. Congress wants to get rid of it, send millions into poverty. #InvestInKids
• What does $1,800 mean to your family? For millions of immigrants it means the difference between living in poverty … or not. #InvestInKids
• Tell us what $1,800 means to you and your family. We’ll deliver your messages to Congress next week. #InvestInKids

문의: 유재은, jyoo@nakasec.org or 202-299-9540.

Click here to view in Korean (우리말)

Right now, legislators are considering a bill that would restrict access to the critical Child Tax Credit – a credit designed to keep hardworking low-income families from falling into poverty. Rather than ask millionaires to pay their fair share, Congress is putting the burden on families who can least afford it in order to fund the payroll tax extension.

The proposal requires the use of a Social Security Number in order to receive the Child Tax Credit. Taxpaying immigrants who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) would no longer be eligible. If passed, these families could lose an average of $1,800 of much-needed tax credits, forcing parents to cut back on essential care for their children.

JOIN US this Wednesday and Thursday (2/1 & 2/2) for national call-in actions! Make calls to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Caucus and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to protect hardworking immigrant families!:

Call Senator Reid at 866-572-7042 and say:

•    Thank you for your leadership in protecting children
•    Please continue your opposition to any restriction to eligibility for the Child Tax Credit

Call Senator Baucus at 866-974-8813 and say:

•    Protect children
•    Oppose any restriction to eligibility for the Child Tax Credit

You can also dial (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to members of the tax package conference to let them know that you oppose changes in eligibility for the Child Tax Credit:

Suggested Script–

“My name is _________. I am a constituent calling from _______. I urge you to oppose any changes in eligibility for the Child Tax Credit. Children in low-income families should not be a source of revenue for the payroll tax cut. No compromises!”

Let’s work together to keep our legislators accountable and ensure that no changes are made to the Child Tax Credit eligibility.

On Twitter? RT!

Tweet: @SenatorReid Reject changes to Child Tax Credit & protect low-income immigrant families bit.ly/CTCaction #InvestInKids #nakasec

• For many immigrant families, $1,800 means the difference between rent or eviction. What does $1,800 mean to you. #InvestInKids
• ACTC gives tax credits of ~$1,800 to 2 mil immigrant families. Congress wants to get rid of it, send millions into poverty. #InvestInKids
• What does $1,800 mean to your family? For millions of immigrants it means the difference between living in poverty … or not. #InvestInKids
• Tell us what $1,800 means to you and your family. We’ll deliver your messages to Congress next week. #InvestInKids

If you have any questions, please contact Joyce Yin at jyin@nakasec.org or 202-299-9540.

Celebrate Family Unity

Join a Conference Call for
Asian American & Pacific Islander Communities

Featuring Congressman Mike Honda

Monday, April 18^th
1 p.m. PST / 4 p.m. EST / 10 am HAST

Participate in a call with Rep. Honda, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Immigration Task Force, and leaders of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Let’s mobilize for family-based immigration reforms!

For the call-in number, click here (http://bit.ly/idZKYP) and
RSVP by Friday, April 15th at
1 p.m. PST / 4 p.m. EST / at 10 am HAST

Questions must be sent with your RSVP prior to joining the call.

당신이 할 수 있는 다섯 가지 일. 수지와 그녀의 어린 동생, 안젤라, 스칼렛, 주, 최 선생님의 두 아들, 데이빗, 사라. 그리고 지금 이 순간도 희망을 꿈꾸고 있을 수만 명의 학생들을 위해 당신이 할 수 있는 다섯 가지 일이 바로 여기 있습니다.

1. 당신의 상원의원에게 전화하세요 – 1-866-996-5161

당신의 상원의원이 이미 지지 의사를 밝혔나요? 그렇다면 전화를 걸어 지지 의사에 대한 감사의 인사를 전하세요.  그리고 아직 드림 법안에 대해 지지 의사를 밝히지 않은 동료 의원들을 설득해주시기를 다시 한 번 부탁하세요!

2. 상원 의원을 대상으로 전화하세요 – 1-866-587-3023 (국회의사당 전화 교환국)

민주당

공화당

3. 트위터 연결망을 통해 널리 알려 주세요 —-  5 simple ways for you to support #dreamact! Our moment of hope is now (via @nakasec) http://bit.ly/eajJYR #p2 #ri4A #aapi

4. 여러분의 사연이 필요 합니다. 드림 법안을 지지하는 이유를 간단히 적어 저희에게 보내주십시오.  드림 법안을 지지하는 이유를 간략하게 적어 저희에게 보내주십시오. (보내실 곳은 jyoo@nakasec.org 보내실 때 본인의 이름과 사시는 주를 알려 주시면 감사하겠습니다.  아니면 익명으로 사연을 보내 주셔도 됩니다.) 우리는 이렇게 전국적으로 드림 법안을 지지하는 목소리가 있다는 것을 연방의원과 대중에게 알리고자 합니다.

5. 이 전단을 다운로드 하세요 그리고 유인물을 나누어주거나, 승인 받은 게시판에 게시하거나, 또, 다른 이들에게 나누어주십시오!

문의 및 정보 또는 참여: 올리비아 박323.937.3703 x. 201 [opark@nakasec.org]

********************

드디어! 2010년 12월 7일 수요일, 드림 법안이 연방 하원 표결을 통과함으로써 우리는 역사적인 승리의 순간을 맞이하였습니다.

무슨 일이 있어났나요? 하원 투표가 이루어진 다음 날 상원에서는 다소 혼란이 있었지만, 해리리드 연방 상원 다수당 의장이 드림 법안 표결을 연기하였습니다.

지금 우리는 상원 의원들의 지지를 촉구 할 수 있는 시간을 좀 벌었습니다.  그리고 다음 2주 안에 하원을 통과한 드림 법안 개정안이 상원에서 표결 될 것 입니다!

최선을 다해 끝가지 노력 합시다! 지난 월요일 이후, 전국에서 100,000건의 전화걸기가 펼쳐 졌습니다! 하원과 상원 투표 전 24시간 동안 전국적으로77,773건의 전화를 걸었습니다! 이 힘으로 하원에서 성공적으로 통과 될 수 있었습니다! 계속해서 드림법안 통과를 위해 노력 합시다!

On Saturday, October 2, NAKASEC will be joining the One Nation movement in Washington D.C. and in California! Join us and thousands of others as we hit the streets to put America back to work and pull America back together.

Tell your friends about the march! See what is happening in your state! Download these cool promotional materials. Join the conversation on twitter with the hashtag #ONWT.