Migrant Justice takes it to DC: Joining our voices for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

"Whether licenses or citizenship, our drive is not a piece of paper; it's our rights and dignity."
- Alberto Madrigal, Migrant Justice member

February 12, 2013, Washington DC

A delegation of 10 Migrant Justice members and a representative from the Vermont Workers' Center traveled to a groundbreaking gathering of over 300 immigrant worker leaders across the country in Washington, D.C on February 12th and 13th.

The gathering took place under the banner United Workers Congress, which is a national network of grassroots immigrant worker organizations who are excluded from fundamental human and workers' rights.
The mission was to build a more unified movement for immigration reform that creates a path to Citizenship for the entire 11 million undocumented people in this country, and upholds fundamental human rights for all.

Migrant Justice created this photo slideshow to bring you there:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/migrantjustice/sets/72157632865902182/show/

What did we do while we were there?

Tuesday 2/12-- Hundreds of immigrant workers gathered to work towards an agreement on four broad principals for fair and comprehensive immigration reform (shared below in our TAKE ACTION).

Wednesday 2/13--Hundreds took the message to the capital and focused in on the 1st Senate Judiciary Hearing on immigration reform that Senator Leahy chaired. When the conversation turned towards increasing border militarization and enforcement the Vermont delegation all stood up together in their Migrant Justice t-shirts--turning their backs on the committee--wearing signs reading 'Human Rights' and 'Migrant Justice' written on Vermont license plates. Just as Senator Leahy asked us to sit down, to our suprise, he ordered that 3 Migrant Justice farmworker members be removed by Capitol Police who then escorted them out of the hearing. All 3 members were detained and later released only to learn that their message was heard loud and clear:

We want a path to citizenship for the 11 million (which include many of our farmworker friends, neighbors and family members in Vermont) and will not put up with more criminalizing and dehumanizing enforcement measures!

Join us:

TAKE ACTION for Human Rights for the 11 million!

Call upon Senators Leahy and Sanders to commit to comprehensive immigration reform that respects and fulfills the human rights of all people living and working in the United States

http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4023/c/117/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5732