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News release

Moms Call for Inclusive Immigration Reform that Strengthens Families, Aligns with Our Nation’s Values

January 29, 2013
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Las Vegas, NV - MomsRising today applauded President Obama for making immigration reform one of his top legislative priorities, and congratulated the bipartisan group of senators who drafted a framework for improving our immigration system that recognizes the need for continued collaboration to make our immigration policies more fair, just and reasonable.
 
“We are ready to advocate for legislation that would strengthen our families, our communities, and our national economy; and that includes a roadmap to citizenship for all aspiring citizens,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director of MomsRising, a national grassroots organization with more than one million members working to increase family economic security.
 
Immigration reform is especially critical for immigrant mothers who work hard to contribute to our communities and care for their families, but who live in fear that any day they could be separated from their children.
 
An estimated five million children in our country live in fear of being separated from their parents. Currently more than 5,100 children are in foster care after having been being separated from their parents.
 
“Congress must come together to develop policies that are good for all our families,  and recognize the damaging effects of separating American children from their parents or forcing them to start over in a country that is not their own,” said Mary Olivella, Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Campaign Initiatives for MomsRising.
 
“We need an immigration reform that is inclusive and aligns with the values of our nation while addressing the complex realities of hard-working families in the United States,” concluded Olivella, who attended the event in Las Vegas where President Obama made his announcement.
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.