We Are America Alliance

For Immediate Release May 8, 2006 Press Conference

Alliance of key immigrant, grassroots, labor, local, and national organizations join together to produce a million new citizens and voters between now and Election Day 2006, conduct advocacy drives, and organize future rallies

On Wednesday, May 10th, the newly forming "We Are America Alliance" will announce its Millions for Change and Democracy action plan for the coming weeks and months. The Alliance is made up of grassroots, statewide, and national organizations from across the country (see initial list of convening organizations below).

The Alliance will coordinate activities in order to: 1) produce a million new voters and citizens between now and Election Day 2006; 2) press the nation's lawmakers to stop the punitive and harsh HR 4437, and 3) enact real comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for the nation's undocumented immigrants, reunites families, respects civil rights, and protects workers.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 11:00 a.m. Eastern WHERE: Holiday Inn on The Hill Federal Ballroom415 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001

WHO: Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Jaime Contreras, President, National Capital Immigration Coalition; Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA); EunSook Lee, Executive Director, NAKASEC National Korean American Service & Education Consortium; Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director, Center for Community Change;

Contacts: Germonique Jones, Center for Community Change, (202) 339-9331 or 202-494-9876;
Cheryl Aguilar (en español), Center for Community Change (202) 339-9316 or (202) 360-7867 (mobile); Eliza Leighton, National Capital Immigration Coalition/Casa of Maryland, (301) 431-4185 x264 or (240) 354-0765; Avril Smith, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), (202) 730-7480 or (202) 285-8761; Marie Watteau (en español), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), (202) 842-9882

The first coordinated activity is scheduled for May 17th. With the Senate expected to take up immigration reform that week, grassroots advocates will descend on Washington, D.C. from across the country in support of real comprehensive immigration reform. A rally the same day is expected to78draw five to ten thousand participants. Those from around the nation who cannot make it to Washington, DC that week will be making visits to lawmakers in their home states and districts.

Beginning on July 1st, the "We Are America Alliance" will begin Democracy Summer to help a million eligible individuals become citizens and voters. On Labor Day Weekend, regional immigration reform mobilizations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. are expected to attract a million people. During the months of September and October, many of the organizations and networks that make up the Alliance will be mobilizing eligible voters to participate in the November elections.

Over the past several months, millions of immigrants have come out of the shadows to make their voices heard in the national immigration reform debate. A movement has been born. In addition to keeping the pressure on the policy makers to enact real comprehensive immigration reform, the next step is to ensure that eligible immigrants and their allies hold elected officials accountable at the ballot box.

Convening Organizations

We Are America Alliance

* Center for Community Change (www.communitychange.org)
* FIRM (Fair Immigration Reform Movement) (www.fairimmigration.org)
* Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) (www.chirla.org )
* Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) (www.icirr.org )
* Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition (www.miracoalition.org)
* National Association for Latin and Caribbean Communities (NALACC) (www.nalacc.org)
* National Capital Immigration Coalition (www.ncic-metro.org)
* National Day Laborer Organizing Network (www.ndlon.org )
* National Korean American Social & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) (www.nakasec.org)
* New American Opportunity Campaign (NAOC)/Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) (www.cirnow.org)
* New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) (www.thenyic.org )
* Piñeros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United) (Woodburn, OR) (www.pcun.org )
* Service Employees International Union (SEIU) (www.seiu.org )
* UNITE HERE! (www.unitehere.org)