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Immigration Family Economic Security

Let's Make Sure Our Hardest Workers Aren't Excluded From Immigration Reform

June 24, 2013
Pablo Alvarado's picture
Pablo Alvarado
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Please join this urgent action to help ensure day laborers have an avenue to legalization!

As you know, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network's (NDLON’s) top legislative priority is to ensure that day laborers are not excluded from eventual legalization. Toward that end, NDLON is strongly supporting Maryland Senator Ben Cardin’s Amendment (#1294) to add a Community Service component to the Senate bill's legalization program.

The bill now requires applicants to demonstrate employment history 6 years after receiving provisional status and again at 10 years. This means many immigrants will be excluded and many more will endure terrible working conditions to avoid becoming ineligible. Having a community service alternative will protect working people, encourage community engagement, and ensure an open path exists.

While we are guarding against negative amendments on the Senate bill, here is our opportunity to make it better.

But we have to act fast. Please do the following:

1) Post and distribute this PETITION: http://bit.ly/support1294
2) Call your Senator and tell them:
"We support Cardin’s amendment #1294 because community service should be part of the legalization program."

The stories featured in this op-ed and the contributions shown in this video demonstrate the important role of community service and civic engagement. Share these stories with your Senators. Let’s make this happen.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.

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