Updated Action Alert: Mobilize to Tell Sec. Napolitano We Need Family Unity, Not Separation (10/15, New Location)

Join the entire Western region of the United States on October 15 at 5 p.m. in Santa Clara to send a message to Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, to stop expanding, supporting, and enforcing policies that hurt family unity and go against american values of justice and fairness.

San José, CA – DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano will receive an award and speak on the future of immigration enforcement in this country at Santa Clara University on October 15. The bay area’s diverse communities, their families and supporters from Southern California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho will hold a procession and rally to denounce the detrimental impact of the Administration’s immigration enforcement programs, which have separated ten of thousands of families and instilled fear in our communities. Americans everywhere demand reform, not raids and deportations.

WHAT: Day of action in support of a just and humane immigration reform and an end to the separation of families.

WHO: Junghee Lee of Korean Resource Center will participate in press conference and evening rally where she will be joined by families impacted by immigration laws and civic, faith, and community leaders. Community member and DREAM student Ju Young Hong of Oakland will share his testimony at the rally.

Supporting organizations include National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Korean Resource Center, Silicon Valley Alliance for Immigration Reform, CET, PACT, Sacred Heart Community Center, SEIU Local 1877, SIREN, SAHE, SCU MEChA, SCU La Raza Lawyers, UFCW Local 5, Catholic Charities, Asian Law Alliance, Voluntarios de la Comunidad, Laborers Local 270, Reform Immigration FOR America, PUEBLO from Oregon, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamérica.

WHEN: Thursday, October 15, 2009 – Activities throughout the day.

11:30 am: Press Conference at Somos Mayfair to call on DHS Secretary Napolitano to halt raids, deportations, 287(g) agreements, E-Verify program. Program includes testimonies from elected officials and families directly by the broken immigration system.

5:00 pm: Community Unity Procession and Rally at Lafayette Park in Santa Clara University while Sec. Napolitano is speaking.

WHERE: Press Conference at Somos Mayfair, 370-B S. King Rd. San José, CA 95116
Lafayette Park (corner of Lewis and El Camino Real), Santa Clara, CA 95053

WHY: Families are being torn apart because our nation’s leaders have not made it a priority to find a practical and fair solution to our nation’s broken immigration laws. Raiding, deporting, and breaking families apart does not solve our nation’s immigration problem but creates a system that is incompatible with our nation’s values of fairness and justice. Immigrant families have shown that they care about their nation’s problems and will hold our elected officials accountable for the lack of progress on immigration reform legislation.

Join us on October 15 and please contact us for more details on getting involved at (323) 937-3703 or opark@nakasec.org.