Three days after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators outlined a framework for a new immigration process and 2 days after President Obama stated his intentions on this critical issue, the United Farm Workers, the UFW Foundation and their members held news conferences in the Central Coast and Central Valley. The events were held to enlist community support behind convincing Congress to move swiftly forward on a new immigration process that brings long-overdue recognition to hard working, tax-paying immigrant farm workers.
The UFW takes heart from three commitments that were firmly articulated by President Obama in his Las Vegas address yesterday. We applaud the President for insisting "on a clear and unequivocal roadmap to citizenship," for vowing to proceed with an administration bill "if Congress does not act in short order," and for not agreeing to grower calls for a new agricultural guest worker visa program lacking strong labor protections.
Please join the workers who spoke up at yesterday's news conferences and millions of concerned citizens across the country by sending an email to your senator today and asking him/her to support our efforts to make a new immigration process a reality in 2013.
Farm worker Odilia Chavez said, "I am very encouraged by President Obama's speech and the senators' proposal for comprehensive immigration reform...I have been living in the US for 13 years and have worked in the fields, paid my taxes and engaged in civic participation. I will do everything possible to urge the congress and President Obama to fulfill comprehensive immigration reform. I am hopeful that with the new proposals that are being put forward by them, this will happen in 2013."
Farm worker Adelina Contreras said, "I am very excited about the announcement the president made...I hope that soon we will have immigration reform for the millions of people that are undocumented living in this country."
Three days after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators outlined a framework for a new immigration process and 2 days after President Obama stated his intentions on this critical issue, the United Farm Workers, the UFW Foundation and their members held news conferences in the Central Coast and Central Valley. The events were held to enlist community support behind convincing Congress to move swiftly forward on a new immigration process that brings long-overdue recognition to hard working, tax-paying immigrant farm workers.
