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WHEN Meeting to Focus on 'Dream Act'12:25PM / Monday, May 04, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The next membership meeting of WHEN! will take place on May 6 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, 67 East St.
After the usual business reports, immigrant students from Berkshire Community College will talk about their experiences as legal immigrants.
These students will explain in some detail the "Dream Act" that is now before Congress. The act is bipartisan legislation that addresses the tragedy of young people who grew up in the Unites States, graduated from high school, but whose future is circumscribed by our current immigration laws.
The Dream Act would permit certain immigrant students to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent status and become eligible for U. S. citizenship if they go to college. The measure would also eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status.
In Massachusetts, it would make BCC affordable for many more students. Advocates say the bill is significant because it could make the difference between offering hope and encouraging a higher drop out rate.
Mayor James M. Ruberto has frequently stated the importance of education for minorities and immigrants. In his 2007 inaugural address, he pledged support for education for Pittsfield’s immigrant population.
"Immigrants have always been an important part of Pittsfield and they provide the hope for the future. This pledge confirms our recognition for the need to respect and celebrate diversity in our community and in all communities," he said then.
All WHEN! members and the public are encouraged to attend the meeting; child care will be provided. For more information: www.PittsfieldWHEN.org. |
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Support the revised (SAVE) Act as it targets employers with stiff penalties for hiring illegal aliens, secures the northern and southern border by adding 8,000 new border patrol agents and increases interior enforcement by allowing for additional federal district court judges and provides more resources for law enforcement officers. In this package E-Verify would be mandatory, in-perpetuity driving illegal labor from the workplace. Rep. Heath Schuler's e-verification program, would require federal agencies, contractors and employers to verify the eligibility of --ALL EMPLOYEES--within one to four years, depending on the size of the company. Using this procedure, identity fraud wrought through fake social security numbers and bogus ID's would be reduced significantly.
This is not about discrimination because E-verify is activated after someone has been hired,” Shuler said. “This helps to ensure that local officials can identify who they arrest. Interior enforcement is crucial.” It's essential that Americans back him and his sponsors when the act is introduced in the next few weeks. This is namely after Sen. Harry Reid(D-NV) and speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) silently neutralized E-Verify, plus 48 other members of the Senate. We cannot trust these pro-illegal immigrant--PARIAH--cheap labor--BUSINESS politicians. With over 12 million Americans out of work and large numbers of new veterans entering the workplace, nor can our own kids get Summer jobs. We just cannot accept any legalization of 13 to 20 million foreign nationals and the huge costs sustaining them. Offer your support to Rep.Shuler (D-NC) on his gov website. Phone: 828-252-1651 Learn more at NUMBERSUSA
Enforce the 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli bill, the Immigration Reform & Control Act as enacted. | | from: Brittanicus | on: 05-04-2009 12:00AM
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