International Migrant Rights Day-

DRUM joins National Alliance of Latino and Caribbean Communities                                                                    to Meet with Senator Schumer’s Office for Just Immigration Reform

PRESS RELEASE

December 21, 2009

Contact:  Monami Maulik (347) 385-9113

          

        New York- On International Migrant Rights Day, December 18th, members of DRUM- Desis Rising Up & Moving met with Senator Charles Schumer's office to press for just immigration reform in 2010.  DRUM was invited by member groups of NALACC (National Alliance for Latin American and Caribbean Communities) and met with Leon Fresco, Schumer's head legislative staff member in Washington D.C. who is drafting the immigration bill to be released in January.  This meeting also came three days after House of Representative member, Luis Gutierrez, released his immigration bill in the House, called ASAP.  Everyone understands that this bill will not reach the floor for a vote because of its very progressive starting point, but is being used as a strategy by Gutierrez to set a high pro-immigrant standard for all future immigration bills in Congress.

           DRUM member Afroza Khanam, a Bangladeshi retail store worker from Queens, and Executive Director, Monami Maulik, discussed our needs from an immigration bill.  DRUM told the Senator that we agree with most of Rep. Luis Gutierrez's recently released immigration bill.  Many elements of that bill are a good starting point for Senator Schumer to achieve in his bill.

Afroza Khanam spoke saying, "I have been undocumented in the U.S. for 18 years. I know the hardship of working for 13 hours a day for only $30 because I do not have papers.  This bad economy is even worse for immigrants. If you legalize undocumented workers, all workers will benefit with better standards." She stated that the six year waiting period suggested even in the best-scenario Gutierrez bill is a long time to wait for a greencard.  Mr. Fresco explained that this is a practical necessity because there are 4-6 million greencard applicants outside the U.S. still waiting.  An immigration law must allow them to be approved first before those who were undocumented in the U.S. can receive their greencard.  He stated that if this provision were not in the bill, most Republicans and some Democrats would not vote for the bill.

         The group also discussed some likely details of other aspects of Schumer's bill including criminal alien deportation, guest worker programs, and the use of the term "illegal".  In the fall of 2009, Senator Schumer angered immigrant groups by releasing a statement that encouraged immigrants to be called "illegal" rather than undocumented.  Latino groups joined DRUM in denouncing this use of hateful language by Senator Schumer.

       Over 40 DRUM members met at our monthly membership meeting to discuss the strategy for immigration reform.  DRUM created a chart of Luis Gutierrez's bill for our members to understand its details.  DRUM members decided to send over 500 post-cards to Senator Schumer in the next month as he write his legislation.  "This is the time Schumer must hear from us as South Asians.  Staying silent as a community will only hurt our interests. We must stop talking among ourselves and speak to our elected officials starting now., says Executive Director Monami Maulik.  DRUM is sending a national South Asian post-card and encouraging other South Asian groups in New York to do the same.