Category: DACA - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

A Call for Action on DACA - What You Can Do Now

11/18/2022

A Call for Action on DACA (it's easy!)

Civil Rights Forum

There is currently some action in Congress that could help DACA individuals! Nearly 150 organizations have been urging Congress to pass the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 (H.R. 8433 / S. 4974) this year. If passed, this bill would make Green Cards available to approximately 8 million DACA holders and their families, TPS (Temporary Protected Status)-holders, and other long-time community members nationwide. This modest update to current U.S. registry law would also eliminate the need for future action by Congress, since it requires a 7 years presence for eligibility (instead of tying eligibility to a specific cutoff date as it is now).

Click this link which will allow you to make 3 automated phone calls to your US Senators and Congressperson: https://p2a.co/TnrHf6y

Tell them how important you think this registry is! We've made calling simple. Please take this action to help make the change we need.

Contact me with questions.

Allison Ambrose

Final DACA Rule to be released - No Hate in Our States

9/9/2022

Biden Administration Releases Final DACA Rule

Boundless Immigration, Inc

August 26, 2022

On Wednesday, the Biden administration released the final version of a rule to codify and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The rule, scheduled to be published on August 30, 2022 in the Federal Register, largely maintains the DACA program as it was created by an Obama-era memo in 2012. The rule should take effect October 31, 2022, presuming no legal challenges are launched against it.

DHS received over 16,000 public comments on the proposed rule that was released in September 2021. Many of these comments urged DHS, who proposed the new rule, to move the required entry date into the United States forward so that younger people who are otherwise eligible for DACA could apply for the program. However, the new rule maintains the requirement that the applicant must have entered the U.S. and resided in the country continuously since June 15, 2007.

In a change from the 2021 proposed rule, the final rule released Wednesday did not follow through with a plan to “decouple” work authorization (the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application) from the principal DACA application. Immigration advocates worried that making the application for work authorization optional would put applicants at risk of losing their work permits while waiting for the USCIS EAD backlog to clear.

Despite the new rule, the DACA program remains under threat in the Fifth Circuit federal appeals court, which could issue a decision on the legality of the program at any time.

Note: if you are interested in more information like this, sign up for BIT by Boundless. This is a weekly email regarding immigration issues.

PACG Webmaster

The Crisis at the Southern Border: Principles and Proposed Legislation - Updated

2/1/2020

The Crisis at the Southern Border:
Principles and Proposed Legislation

Representatives from various organizations in the Quad Cities have been meeting to address immigration issues. Our organizations include Progressive Action for the Common Good (Civil Rights Forum), One Human Family (Immigration Task Force), the Quad Cities Sanctuary Coalition, the Sanctuary Project of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Quad Cities Interfaith (Immigration Task Force), Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the Catholic Diocese of Davenport. Many of us are concerned about the humanitarian crisis at the border. We are opposed to locking up children and separating them from their adult family members.

Principles

Although we may differ on the problems we address and our proposed solutions, we agree on the following principles regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees who come across our southern border. We call upon all members of Congress and candidates for Congress to consider these principles when devising legislative approaches to fixing the humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

Children should not be locked up in detention centers.

Children should not be separated from their adult family members, or used as bait in immigration enforcement actions.

For-profit private prisons or detention centers should not be used to detain asylum seekers or refugees. Any immigrant in a detention facility should receive adequate food, water, medical care, soap, toothpaste, bedding and access to legal representation.

Asylum seekers and refugees should be protected from sexual abuse.

Alternatives to incarceration should be prioritized for families and other asylum seekers who pose no risk to the community. Bring back and expand the Family Case Management program started as a pilot program under the Obama administration.

Develop new ways to streamline processing of asylum seekers and refugees. Follow international and U.S. laws on treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and ensure they are treated fairly and receive due process.

Provide aid to countries like Guatemala and Honduras to help them address the problems that cause their citizens to flee their homes.

Proposed legislation on the crisis at the southern border:

Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2019 - Would establish immigration judges as independent judges so that they are not under the Department of Justice, which prosecutes immigration cases. https://www.aila.org/advo-media/press-releases/2019/aila-joins-senators-in-call-for-immigration-court

Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2019 - Would require legal counsel for indigent asylum seekers, children and other vulnerable groups who cannot afford a lawyer.
https://www.aila.org/advo-media/press-releases/2019/aila-joins-senators-in-call-for-immigration-court

Other legislative approaches to help resolve the crisis at the border:

Many problems combine to create what we call the border crisis. So, there is neither one cause nor one solution. Political attacks focused on fear of the other interfere with finding solutions. Attempts to enforce a narrow vision in response to the border crisis add to the complexity of the problem and may result in long-term undesired consequences. Legislative approaches to immigration must consider U.S. labor and security needs, the vast differences in the standard of living between the U.S. and other nations, and the level of violence in those nations.

Immigration and Refugee Policies that Reflect U.S. Labor Needs
U.S. labor needs are the main reason that our nation supports a population of ten million undocumented immigrants, many of whom have been here for 20 years or more. Legislative approaches that provide a measured response to labor needs, while also protecting our security needs, would be a start for addressing the crisis at the border. Iowa needs immigrant workers to address workforce shortages. Nationally, immigrant workers are needed to address the nation’s aging population and the decline in workers paying into our Social Security and Medicare programs.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) - A good place to start the movement to a sane immigration policy is Congressional establishment of a form of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA was started by the Obama Administration by executive order and ended by the Trump Administration by executive order. ICE is preparing now to deport these 700,000 young workers if the courts rule against them. DACA recipients were brought to this country as children and in the U.S. we do not punish children for the actions of their parents. And, the U.S. needs these young people in the workforce.

Farm Workforce Modernization Act - This bill, passed by the House with bi-partisan support, is significant because it is the first Congressional response to the labor needs of farmers and ranchers, including dairy and vegetable growers. It is not perfect legislation, and the American Farm Bureau wants to modify some provisions of it as it passes through the Senate; however, it reflects America’s need for workers. Meatpacking plants, which are vital to Iowa’s Ag sector and economy, continually advertise for workers with a starting salary of $16-17 per hour. Nationally, hand-planted and hand-harvested crop work pays two to three times the minimum wage. Even with such high wages, farmers and ranchers struggle to fill these difficult jobs in the absence of immigrant workers.

For further information:

National Immigration Forum: Working Paper: Addressing the Increase of Central American Migrants, updated May 2, 2019
https://immigrationforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Border-Solutions_Revised_Final.pdf

Migration Policy Institute: Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute, April 2019
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/policy-solutions-address-crisis-border-exist-require-will-staying-power

Bipartisan Policy Center: Policy Proposals to Address the Central American Migration Challenge, July 26, 2019
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/policy-proposals-to-address-the-central-american-migration-challenge/

Human Rights First: Testimony of Michael Breen, President and CEO, Human Rights First at the Hearing Entitled: “Kids in Cages: Inhumane Treatment at the Border” before the House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/MB-Written-Testimony-House-Kids-In-Cages.pdf

Note: There are many other pertinent articles at Human Rights First. https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/

American Civil Liberties Union: Immigrants’ Rights and Detention
https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention

NPR: ACLU: Administration Is Still Separating Migrant Families Despite Court Order to Stop,
July 30, 2019
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/746746147/aclu-administration-is-still-separating-migrant-families-despite-court-order-to-

Southern Poverty Law Center: No End in Sight, October 3, 2018
https://www.splcenter.org/20181003/no-end-sight

WOLA: Beyond the Wall: A Campaign Defending Human Rights and Migrants in the Trump Era and Migration & Border Security
https://www.wola.org/beyondthewall/
https://www.wola.org/program/migration-border-security/

Note: There are many useful resources at WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America), with up-to-date analyses of new Trump Administration policies. WOLA advocates for human rights in the Americas. https://www.wola.org/

Farm Progress: https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-policy/farmworker-bill-clears-house-way-senate
A brief, but balanced report on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Rally in Support of Asylum Seekers - After Action Report

12/7/2018

Rally in Support of Asylum Seekers - After Action Report

We had a good turnout at the rally in support of asylum seekers on Friday, November 30th at 4 pm. We also had great press coverage! Check it out at the following links:

KWQC

WHBF-TV/KGCW-TV/KJLB-TV

WQAD

Read this story at the Dispatch-Argus.

Thanks to all who came to a cold winter rally in support of Central American asylum seekers who were tear-gassed by our government. We are a land of immigrants, and we demand that our government and ICE treat asylum seekers humanely. We further demand that our government and ICE follow our own laws and international laws that give asylum seekers the right to apply for asylum.

We plan to follow up this rally with meetings with our Illinois and Iowa Senators and Representatives and local ICE officials.

The rally was organized by Aaron Wagner of Quad Cities Interfaith.

DACA Ends March 5th - Call to Protect the Dreamers!

2/11/2018

Urgent Action Needed to Protect the Dreamers - Call or Visit Your Members of Congress Every Week Until They Restore DACA or Pass the Dream Act

Call Members of Congress and tell them to pass the Dream Act of 2017 (S.1615/H.R.3440) or come up with a plan to restore DACA protections by March 5th. After that point, DACA will end. We also want them to work toward larger legislative reform of our immigration system in a humane and common-sense manner. However, that process may take longer than the few weeks remaining before DACA ends.

Background information: The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was rescinded by President Trump on Sept. 5th. On March 5th, DACA will end. Depending on when the DACA recipient last renewed their DACA status, they will lose their legal protections on the anniversary of their renewal. At that point they may lose their ability to work, attend college or graduate school, or drive a car (dependent upon any protections provided by their state).

We need to flood our Members of Congress with phone calls and meet with their offices. We need our U.S. Representatives and Senators to hear that we support our immigrant neighbors and vow to protect DACA!

For short talking points on DACA click here.
For detailed information on DACA click here.

Iowa:
Senator Chuck Grassley (202) 224-3744
Senator Joni Ernst (202) 224-3254
Representative Dave Loebsack (202) 225-6576
Illinois:
Senator Tammy Duckworth (202) 224-2854
Senator Dick Durbin (202) 224-2152
Representative Cheri Bustos (202) 225-5905

Sample Script: I’m [your name], your constituent from [City, State]. I stand in solidarity with undocumented youth, and support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA has provided the opportunity for nearly 800,000 young people to pursue their dreams They are contributing members of our country. I urge you to support the Dream Act of 2017 (S.1615/H.R.3440) and work toward larger legislative reform of our immigration system in a humane and common-sense manner. Thank you for passing the message along to my Senator/Representative.

Extra Credit – Ways to Do More to Protect the Dreamers:

Ask your friends/family to call their Members of Congress about DACA.
Come to the next PACG Civil Rights Forum meeting: Check our calendar or Weekly Email Update for next meeting date/time/place.
Visit the local office of your Senator or Representative. Call the local office to make sure someone will be there. Appearing in person to advocate for a cause is powerful. It is even better if you bring friends along. Make the visit short, respectful, and to the point. See the call to visit Senator Grassley's office to ask him to end his silence and to live up to Iowa values as an example.
Write a letter to the editor about DACA.

DACA - Right to Dream - February 10, 2018

2/2/2018

PACG encourages everyone interested in protecting Dreamers to attend this important, educational event.

LULAC Immigration Summit and Expo - Saturday, January 27, 2018

2/2/2018

LULAC Immigration Summit and Expo
Saturday, January 27th from 10 am to 2 pm

LULAC Center
4224 Ricker Hill Rd Davenport IA (map)

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) presents this important workshop. The PACG Civil Rights Forum is actively working on this event. Please join us!

Concerned Iowans Ask Senator Ernst to Support Dreamers

11/5/2017

On Wednesday, November 1st a group of Iowans visited Senator Ernst’s Davenport office to ask Senator Ernst to protect Iowa’s 3,000 DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients (also known as Dreamers). The visit was organized by the Civil Rights Forum of PACG.

Nancy R., who is a DACA recipient, shared her personal story. Without action in Congress Nancy, and thousands of others like her in Iowa, will lose her work permit, lose her driver’s license, lose her ability to earn a living and care for her U.S. citizen child, and will be at risk for deportation to a country that is not her home. Others in the group spoke passionately of our concern for the Dreamers. We also pointed out that Iowa needs the Dreamers – young, hard-working, law-abiding community members educated here who have jobs and businesses that contribute to Iowa’s economic growth. Although as non-citizens they receive no government benefits, they still pay taxes, including Social Security and Medicare taxes that benefit Iowa senior citizens.

We asked Senator Ernst to support the 2017 Dream Act, which protects current DACA recipients, allows more recent childhood arrivals to be protected, and provides a path (a very long path) to citizenship for them. As a nation of immigrants, we should continue to welcome all deserving immigrants, including the Dreamers, who only want to be part of this great country, the only home they have known.

Click here to learn more about DACA.

Click here to call your member of Congress and ask them to support the 2017 Dream Act.

Come to our next Civil Rights meeting on November 16, 5:15 pm, at the Spanish Mennonite Church in Moline to plan more actions to help DACA recipients.

Email Alta Price (altaprice@gmail.com) if you live in Iowa and would like to make a visit to Senator Grassley’s office or Representative Loebsack’s office about DACA.

Email Margie Mejia-Caraballo (margiemmc60@ymail.com) if you live in Illinois and want to visit Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, or Representative Bustos.

The photo shows the members of our group, minus the photographer, and Joe Krenzelok, the staffer we met with at the office (the tall young man on the right).

October 31st, 2017 - DACA Short Talking Points

10/31/2017

DACA Talking Points from Glenn Leach, Catholic Diocese of Davenport:

There is a lot of uninformed discussion about DACA. Unless you work with immigration law folks as I do, you may be a victim of bad information. Here are a couple of quick points about DACA:

1. DACA means Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a two-year (renewable) deferment of deportation for those who were brought to this country by their parents without any personal say in the matter. Those who met the requirements, which included freedom from any criminal activity, received only the privilege of not being deported immediately, and the opportunity to work in the US. Nothing else.

2. DACA recipients, as with all undocumented immigrants, are not entitled to welfare, school subsidies, Pell Grants, housing, “food stamps” or other benefits. Nothing. US born children of immigrants have the rights of all citizens, but DACA do not. They are only allowed to work and pay taxes.

3. DACA participation does not lead to citizenship. There is no line to get in or path to follow. Imagine growing up in the US, attending school, playing sports, being in the band and other activities along with everyone else. Upon graduation, citizens go on to further education, the military, or other careers. Those who are undocumented, without DACA, have nothing, no future. They cannot work and if they manage to pay their way through college as many do, still cannot legally work, despite degrees or other accomplishments.

4. Given the chance to work and to put themselves through school, many DACA recipients are now or are becoming nurses, paramedics, teachers, or US military personnel. All support Social Security and other benefits for U.S. born citizens through the taxes they pay (but cannot themselves receive benefits from them).

5. DACA is not “amnesty” as the participants committed no violation of law of themselves, receive no special benefits. It is also limited to a small percentage of people, and new arrivals cannot apply, so it is not a “draw” for more immigration.

We Are All Dreamers - A Rally in Support of DACA Recipients

9/17/2017

Many Quad Citians came out in support of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients on Saturday, September 16 at the Esperanza Center in Moline for the We Are All Dreamers Rally.

Television coverage from KWQC can be viewed here.

Alta Price spoke on behalf of PACG. Her remarks are below:

My name is Alta Price. I am the President of the Board of Directors of Progressive Action for the Common Good. We are also known as PACG, but I am going to use our full name because it explains what we do.

Progressive Action for the Common Good. We work for the Common Good of our cities, states, country, and world. The Common Good includes many different things that we work for – access to health care, a clean environment, and civil rights are some of them.

Immigration promotes the Common Good. Our country has been enriched by earlier immigrants, just as it is enriched by the Dreamers and other immigrants today.

Members of Progressive Action for the Common Good are Dreamers. We dream of social justice and a welcoming community that cares about everyone. But, as in our name, Progressive Action, we know we must take action to make our dreams come true. Dreams are important, but if you don’t take action to make your dreams come true, then I guess you’re just sleeping.

You have taken an action by attending this rally. We challenge each one of you to commit to taking three additional actions to help the DACA recipients. Be creative and practical when you choose your actions. And give yourself a deadline – 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months to do all 3 actions. But act soon, as the situation for DACA recipients is dire.

Here are 3 suggestions:

Call your members of Congress, both Senators and your Representative. It is easy to find their phone numbers online. It doesn’t matter if you call their local office or D.C. office. It is very simple. Dial the number. Tell the staff person that answers that you want your member of Congress to vote for the 2017 Dream Act. That’s it. Simple, but extremely effective.
After you’ve made your calls, ask your friends and family to call their members of Congress. If millions call, Congress will pass the 2017 Dream Act.
Join with others to strategize more actions. It can be a group of your friends, or join one of the organizations here today and help them work on helping DACA recipients and other immigrants. I would invite any of you to join with the Civil Rights Forum of PACG to work on DACA and other civil rights issues. We will be meeting at the Spanish Mennonite Church in Moline (613 3rd St, Moline) on Thursday, Sept 21 at 5 pm to figure out our next steps.

We are all Dreamers. But we must all take action if we want our dreams to come true, and if we want to help the Dreamers.

September 16, 2017