Senate "Gang of 8" releases framework for CIR - organizations respond

Democratic Senators Dick Durbin (c.) and Chuck Schumer (r.) are among a bipartisan group of legislators leading the comprehensive immigration reform negotiations. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Today, the bipartisan group of Senators released their framework for immigration reform. It includes few details, but has both promising and alarming elements.

Here we provide links to the full text of the framework, as well as links to articles that provide feedback and critiques of the framework. We invite our supporters to read over the framework and responses in an effort to become well informed advocates for a better immigration system.

The New York Times provides the full text of the 5-page framework on it’s website today: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/23/us/politics/28immigration-principles-document.html?ref=politics

The Border Network for Human Rights weighs in on the framework in terms of human rights: “The principles… represent a mixed bag of immigration policies, with some representing rational, humane and overdue ideas while at the same time representing serious threats to human rights and core American values.” Read the entire statement here: http://www.bnhr.org/news/bnhr-response-to-senators-immigration-reform-principles

Scott Nicol chairs the Sierra Club’s Borderlands Team and reminds us of the struggle against the border wall and the damage that the wall did to our communities, environment and brothers and sisters crossing the border. Read his opinion piece on the Rio Grande Guardian’s website: http://www.riograndeguardian.com/green_story.asp?story_no=19

The American Civil Liberties Union writes from the perspective of the protection of our basic civil liberties. Their press release explains how the framework “rightly includes the creation of a roadmap to citizenship, but also includes provisions that endanger everyone’s civil liberties and do nothing to reverse the recent extraordinary and unwarranted increase in wasteful spending on border security.” Read the full press release here: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-says-roadmap-citizenship-must-protect-civil-liberties

All statements recognize that this is just the beginning of the dialogue. We as active citizens and impacted individuals will play a role in shaping the final immigration reform bill by the means at our disposal. We will meet with our legislators, make calls to Congress, march in the streets and protest the bad parts of the proposals and bills. This is just the beginning of our work this year for CIR. Join the movement and sign up for immigration alerts at www.lupenet.org today!