Los Angeles, CA – The Western Regional Conference will bring together local and regional coalitions, organizations, activists, workers, union leaders and organizers, teachers, students and youth leaders, immigrant leaders, Mexican Federation club leaders and individuals who played pivotal roles in mobilizing millions of people into the streets during the past four months against the Sensenbrenner bill, H.R. 4437, and who also now oppose the current Senate Hagel-Martinez compromise bill, S. 2611.

The conference attendees—estimated to be between 250 and 300 people—will come together to share experiences, analyze the current legislation in Congress and the political situation throughout the country, and strategize for the next several months. Plans will also be made for a national conference in July 2006 with other coalitions that have also worked to defend the rights of targeted families, demanded full and immediate legalization, and have opposed border walls and the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Below are the particulars on this historic organizing conference:

Who – March 25th Coalition members and supporters (hosted by the Human Rights Committee of UTLA)

What – March 25th Coalition Western Regional Conference

Where – United Teachers of Los Angeles, 3303 W. Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. Click here for a map.

When – Saturday, June 17, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Why – There are several reasons for the conference:

• Organize the grassroots forces that realize that Hagel-Martinez Immigration Bill (S.2611) is fundamentally anti-immigrant, pro- corporate and cannot be reformed.

• Plan out a course of action for California, the Southwest and Northwest for the summer of 2006 and beyond.

• Plan collectively the next national mass mobilization.

• Help plan for a National Immigrants Rights Conference in July 2006.

• Build a genuine grassroots progressive network of activists, undocumented workers, community, union members, clergy, and students

• Educate ourselves about current issues, legislation, and the national movement in favor of immigrants.

• While all are invited, we encourage delegates from coalitions, organizations, unions, workplace, churches and student groups. Visual – Individual and group pictures/videos with the March 25th Coalition

FYI – Organizations leading this movement include: California Coalition for Immigrant's Rights and Against Raids, Centro CSO, Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, MAPA Youth Leadership, and Federacion de Casas y Clubes Guanajuatenses del Estado de California.

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The March 25th Coalition is comprised of many groups, including but not limited to, labor, community-based, and immigrant rights organizations. Jesse Diaz, Nativo Lopez, Javier Rodriguez, Jorge Rodriguez and Gloria Saucedo are the official spokespersons. The Coalition has called on religious, labor, and community groups, as well as the immigrant communities nationally, to participate in recent pro-immigrant rallies and marches; these include the following: Great March of March 25, April 10th National Day of Action, and the May 1st “Day Without Immigrants” Great American Boycott.

“We galvanized the nation into a fight against the criminalization of undocumented labor and the American people. Now, the fight must continue against the militarization of the border, the erosion of civil and constitutional rights, guest worker programs which give employers the right to control immigration status, and any bill that does not grant full and total legalization to all undocumented workers. We will not allow families to be separated.” – Statement by the March 25th Coalition