May 1 - Statewide Day of Action for Immigrant Justice

Please join us to stand up for Justice for Immigrants on Tuesday May 1st.

Participate in events in Raleigh and all around North Carolina.

Check out resources for taking action, including Know-Your-Rights info and our legal hotline. Click here for media information.

Espanol

May 1 in Raleigh: Legislative Day and Peaceful Demonstration

NC STATEWIDE DAY OF ACTION FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
Raleigh, NC

Latinos, Immigrants & Allies from Across the State Are Invited to Gather in Downtown Raleigh for 3rd Latino Day at the Legislature, and a Peaceful Demonstration for Justice for Immigrants

• 9:00 -Latino Day at the Legislature
• 4:00 -Peaceful Demonstration for Immigrant Justice

9:00 am: The 3rd Latino Day at the Legislature is an opportunity to meet with legislators and discuss critical state-level issues affecting U.S. Citizens and immigrants in the Latino community, including, education, health, workers’ rights, and civil rights. Since the first Latino Day at the Legislature, over 2,000 people have participated in the event by coming to the North Carolina General Assembly and demonstrating their deep investment in the future of North Carolina. The lobby day will begin in the NC General Assembly Auditorium (16 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC) with a welcome and orientation followed by remarks offered by legislators and allied community leaders and end with legislative visits. To date, confirmed speakers included the following:

• Speaker Joe Hackney (D-54th)
• Rep. Alma Adams (D-58th)
• Rep. Rick Glazier (D-45th)
• Rep. Ty Harrell (D-41st)
• Sen. Katie Dorsett (D-28th)
• Sen. Vernon Malone (D-14th)
• Matty Lazo-Chadderton, Director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, Office of the Pro Tempore, NC Senate
• Reverend William Barber, President, NC NAACP
• Bishop Michael F. Burbidge

5:00 pm: A Peaceful Demonstration for Immigrant Justice will be held that same day from 5-7pm at the State Capitol (5 E. Edenton, Raleigh, NC). Community members from across the state and throughout the Triangle will join together to call for humane and fair treatment for immigrant families in North Carolina. We are saying: Stop breaking up our families. Protect all workers. Protect our civil rights and our human rights. Enact a temporary moratorium on raids and deportations. And pass fair and humane immigration reform that offers a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, ensures equal rights and protections for all workers, reunites families separated by application backlogs, and respects the human rights and due process for immigrants going through the immigration system.

Click here for the flyer in English.
Click here for the flyer in Spanish.

1 de mayo - Dia Estatal de Accion por la Justicia de los Inmigrantes

Participa en los eventos en Raleigh y en muchos lugares en Carolina del Norte.

Revisa los recursos escritos para accion, incluyendo "Conoce Tus Derechos" y nuestra linea de emergencias legales.

Haga cliq para informacion para los medios de comunicacion.

Statewide Press Release/Media Advisory

Click here for the May 1 press release in English.
Click here for the May 1 media advisory in English.
Click here for the May 1 press release in Spanish.
Click here for the May 1 media advisory in Spanish.

Haga cliq para el comunicado de prensa del 1ro de mayo en espanol.
Haga cliq para el aviso de prensa del 1ro de mayo en espanol.
Haga cliq para el comunicado de prensa del 1ro de mayo en ingles.
Haga cliq para el aviso de prensa del 1ro de mayo en ingles.

Winston-Salem, NC - May 1 Vigil for Immigrant Justice

What: Witness by Persons of Faith for Justice for Immigrants
Where: Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730 Link Rd., Winston-Salem - outside
When: Tuesday, May 1st, 6:00-6:30
Program: To be determined (prayers, biblical readings, brief speeches, informative flyers)
Sponsored by St. Anne's Episcopal Church

• WEAR WHITE SHIRT
• BRING POSTER or BANNER EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR JUSTICE for IMMIGRANTS

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May 1 Events Around North Carolina

Local Events around North Carolina:

Details for:

• Andrews, NC
• Asheville: North Asheville or West Asheville/Hendersonville, NC
• Canton, NC
• Charlotte, NC
• Franklin, NC
• Hendersonville, NC
• Raleigh, NC
• Sylva, NC
• Winston-Salem, NC

Click here for the flyer for events in the Mountains.

Click here for the flyer for Charlotte.

Resources for Taking Action May 1, 2007

North Carolina Resources (see also National Resources below)

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LEGAL HOTLINE

For legal questions, referrals, or to report incidents or problems in

North Carolina related to actions for immigrant justice, please call the following:

919-843-0444 (4-8pm, May 1, 2007 only)

Problems after May 1:
919-856-2150 or 1-866-415-1389

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Bilingual: Know Your Rights When Taking Action! and May 1 Legal Hotline
Bilingue: ¡Conoces Tus Derechos Para el 1ro de mayo! y Linea Informativa Legal

Spanish and English Information about "Paros"/Work Stoppages

Information about Student Walk-outs in North Carolina, including Know Your Rights as a Student.

Student Walk-Outs Info in Spanish, Huelgas Estudiantiles y ¡SABE Sus Derechos como Un Estudiante!

Day of Action Toolkit from El Pueblo in English and Spanish - Dia de Accion Informacion Basica en Espanol y Ingles.


-----------National Resources:

• National Website with Student Walkout Information
• AILA's Know Your Rights during Immigrants' Mobilizations (English)
• English “Know Your Rights” (Nat'l Lawyers' Guild)
• Spanish Know Your Rights – ¡SABE Sus Derechos! (Nat'l Lawyers' Guild)
• Sample petition to employers, Chicago Workers' Collaborative and Interfaith Worker Justice, in English and Spanish
• Sample Letter to Employer, Letter to Tandum Staffing from the Chicago Workers' Collaborative
• Immigration Protests: What Every Worker Should Know, National Immigration Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union Immigrant Rights Project, and the National Employment Law Project (NELP): In English and Spanish.
  
• Know Your Rights Alerts, National Immigration Law Center. Click here.
• Know Your Rights - Can an Employer Fire an Employee Because the Employee Participated in an Immigration Rally? American Immigration Lawyers Association and the law firm of Dorsey and Whitney, LLP. Click here.
• Know Your Rights Pamphlets, National Lawyers Guild and American Civil Liberties Union Immigrant Rights Project. Click here.
• Know Your Rights if You Have Been Arrested or Detained by the U.S. Government, CASA of Maryland: in English and Spanish
• Interfaith Worker Justice Toolkit for Workers who are fired: 6-page PDF in English

Hendersonville, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Hendersonville, NC - May 1st Vigil

7:30pm: La Capilla Santa Maria, 2657 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville NC 28792.

Estamos sugiriendo que la gente se vista de blanco y lleve veladora.

Contact: Evelyn Alarcon, Latino Advocacy Coalition, Phone 828-693-1981 ext 2

Charlotte, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil, March, Rally

Charlotte, NC: Vigil from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the Plaza in front of the Government Center. This event is sponsored by Communities for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR). Organizers suggest that participants wear white and carry no flags or signs. For more information, call 704-531-3848.

Click here for the Flyer.

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Charlotte March and Rally for Immigrants & ALL Workers Rights!
4:00 pm, Central Ave & The Plaza, Charlotte, NC
http://ncpeacejustice.org/article.php?id=331

We will gather in front of the Harris Teeter to show our support for the Justice at Smithfield Campaign being waged by workers. They are calling on Harris Teeter to stop selling Smithfield products. Some of the Smithfield workers are in a rural prison in GA as a result of recent raids (see http://www.smithfieldjustice.com). We will than march to the vigil called by the local Latin@ community at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. 4th St.

May 1 is also significant to hold a rally against the war as it is the date in 2003 that Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" aboard an aircraft carrier for a staged photo-op. We also expect Bush to deliver his veto Tuesday of the Iraq War funding bill. The anti-war movement must be in the streets to sat NO MORE MONEY FOR WAR!Call for anti-war movement to support May Day 2007.

May 1st Charlotte Movement for Workers & Immigrants Rights www.may1charlotte.info
may1charlotte@gmail.com
704.492.8527

North Asheville, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

North Asheville, NC: Saint Eugene Catholic Church 7:30PM , May 1, 2007

We will follow-up this event with an immigrants' rights workshop May 6th 2-4 pm. North Asheville Library.

Hendersonville/West Asheville, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Hendersonville/West Asheville, NC: Calvary Baptist Church on Haywood Street 7:30PM, May 1, 2007

We will follow-up this event with an immigrants' rights workshop locally in the weeks after May 1. Please check back for details on the workshop.

Canton, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Canton, NC : Inmaculada Concepcion, May 1, 2007

We will follow-up this event with an immigrants' rights workshop locally in the weeks after May 1. Please check back for details on the workshop.

Andrews, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Andrews, NC : Iglesia Santo Redentor (en esta se reuniran las comunidades de Robbinsville y Murphy) 8:00pm-9:00pm , May 1, 2007
Church of the Redeemer, a gathering of the communities of Robbinsville and Murphy

We will follow-up this event with an immigrants' rights workshop locally in the weeks after May 1. Please check back for details on the workshop.

Franklin, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Franklin, NC - Iglesia San Francisco de Asis, 8:00pm-9:00pm, May 1, 2007

We will follow-up this event with an immigrants' rights workshop locally in the weeks after May

Sylva, NC - Immigrants' Rights Vigil

Iglesia Santa Maria, 8:00pm-9:00pm, May 1, 2007

We will follow-up this event with immigrants' rights workshops locally in the weeks after May 1. Please check back for details on the workshop.

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more soon
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NNIRR on Pres. Bush's Speech May 15th

May 15 Update from the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)

Bush's speech on immigration came after months of massive demonstrations and the start of the Senate consideration of its immigration bill. Bush threw out proposals and phrases to appease various quarters, of course leading with tough talk on the border. He covered a lot of ground -- saying that the U.S. is a welcoming and a lawful society, that everyone has value and dignity regardless of citizenship, that America has lost control of its border, that we need more detention facilities, and that we should embrace our "common identity" as Americans. A little something for everyone. He also called for "comprehensive" immigration reform and a way for undocumented already here to get legal status (but don't call it amnesty.) The Democrat's sad response to the Bush speech was made by Sen. Durbin of Illinois. His main point seemed to be that instead of now just saying that he would send the National Guard to the border, Bush should have already been doing more to shore up the Border Patrol and workplace enforcement.

Neither Bush nor the Democrats included any reference to legal immigration reform, addressing the backlogs and increasing opportunities for family reunification. Of course, there were no references to addressing the "roots" of migration.

The emphasis on border enforcement once again spotlights the problem nationally that the lives and safety of border communities and migrants have become trade offs in the push for "comprehensive" immigration reform. Many of the beltway advocates do not speak about the concerns of increased border militarization, or they themselves have advocated for "smart border enforcement" strategies that continue to emphasize the view migration across the border as a national security problem.

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Sending the National Guard to the border "to provide support" for the Border Patrol further jeopardizes the safety and security of border communities in the name of "national security."

The Bush proposal to put some 6,000 National Guard troops on the border violates the Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878. This law prohibits the U.S. military from operating within U.S. borders. The presence of the military in border communities heightens the perception that migrants or people who are suspected of being migrants, are "the enemy" and a military threat.

Immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border has already cost over $30 billion in the past 12 years. It has not deterred unauthorized border crossings and instead has caused a humanitarian crisis with the deaths of some 4,000 people in the desert. People risk crossing the border without formal immigration documents because they are seeking safety and relief from poverty and unemployment.

Current border enforcement has resulted in the detention and criminalization of tens of thousands of people at a significant daily cost to taxpayers. In his speech, President Bush proposed an expansion of detention facilities, another major cost for taxpayers and a boondoggle for the prison construction industry -- an investment that will have little impact on migration patterns.

President Bush proposed an expansion of the employer verification program -- an extension of the employer sanctions program enacted 20 years ago to penalize employers of undocumented workers and act as a deterrent to undocumented immigration. The program has been selectively enforced against employers, and has resulted in increased discrimination and abuse of immigrant workers. Employers have had greater leverage to threaten and intimidate immigrant workers, break organizing efforts, carry out unjust firings, and lower wages and work conditions for all working people. These abuses have affected the entire American workforce, particularly the most vulnerable workers toiling in low-wage jobs such as farmworkers, day laborers and domestic workers.

Guest worker programs, cited by Pres. Bush as another way to secure the border and serve the U.S. economy, have been condemned by labor and immigrant communities for their long record of violations of labor rights and standards, including blacklists and deportations of workers who protest. Ernesto Galarza, Cesar Chavez and other defenders of workplace rights won the abolition of the old Bracero guest worker program in 1964. They claimed the program created a vulnerable workforce in order to drive down wages and break union organizing efforts among immigrants and non-immigrants alike. Temporary, contract workers are prevented the option of putting down roots and becoming full and equal members of our communities.

In its 2003 report, "Human Rights and Human Security at Risk," the National Network recommended that:

Policymakers should cease promoting more border enforcement as an "alternative" to other immigration enforcement initiatives, and end all enforcement policies, practices, measures, strategies and laws that criminalize migrants and force them into dangerous crossing areas.
DHS should enhance border safety and protect migrants by demilitarizing the borders, including tearing down the walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and establishing accountability mechanisms for independent civilian and community-based monitoring and oversight.
DHS should firmly oppose and stop vigilante actions against migrants.
Congress should reduce the numbers of personnel patrolling and policing the borders and reallocate substantial resources towards benefits and services, particularly to provide access to regular immigration, legalization and naturalization.

The transcript of the Bush speech can be found here.

News Roundup on May 1 Day of Action

Chapel Hill News: "Closed on Monday"
News 14 Carolina: "Siler City a ghost town as immigrants protest"
Durham Herald-Sun: "Immigrants' 'Day of Action' May 1"
WRAL.com: "N.C. Hispanics Schedule Rallies For Immigration Reform"
Goldsboro News-Argus: "Plants, schools handle fallout from protest"
News 14 Carolina: "Local Hispanics participate in boycott"

More news to be added soon. Submit an article or link.

May 1 Events, Resources, & Media Information

We are compiling a list of organizations and businesses who are supportive of the Day of Action May 1st, so we can say "thank you," and a "Shame On You!" list, so we can work together collectively for changes in their practices. (Follow the links to submit names and details for the lists.)

May 1 Events (click for more details):

• Asheville (English/Spanish)
• Carrboro
• Chapel Hill
• Charlotte
• Durham
• Greensboro
• Hickory (English/Spanish)
• Lumberton (English/Spanish, Letter to Employers)
• Raleigh
• Siler City and statewide call to action
• Wilmington

See our Resources for Taking Action section.

See our Media Information section for Calls to Action, press releases, messages for employers, etc.

The Legal Hotline phone numbers for May 1 only are
919-843-0444 and 919-843-9807

After May 1, Call the NC Justice Center at
1-866-415-1389 or 919-856-2150

All numbers can generally handle calls in both English and Spanish. Of course, please call 911 in case of an emergency.

Bilingual: Know Your Rights When Taking Action! and May 1 Legal Hotline
Bilingue: ¡Conoces Tus Derechos Para el 1ro de mayo! y Linea Informativa Legal

Submit an event or public statement.

Chapel Hill: Boycott & Rally at Noon in the Pit at UNC

Monday, May 1: No Work, No School, No Selling, No Buying

Rally at Noon in the Pit at UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC

Tomorrow, May 1, immigrant and workers rights groups across
the country are calling for a nationwide strike and boycott in
support of immigrant amnesty.

We, students, faculty and staff of the University,

We, immigrants, children of immigrants, friends of immigrants,

We will go on strike against injustice and racism, in solidarity
with workers and communities across the country,

Gather tomorrow (Monday) at the Pit on UNC Campus at
noon to make ourselves visible and to show support for cafeteria
workers, housekeepers, and groundskeepers, many of whom
don't have the option of striking without losing their livelihood.

*Come wearing white and bearing noisemakers*.
At 12:30 we'll march through Lenoir to show solidarity
with the workers there.

May 1 Events, Resources, & Media Information

EVENT INFORMATION:
April 30:

• Burlington (English/Spanish)

May 1:

• Asheville (English/Spanish)
• Carrboro
• Chapel Hill
  
• Charlotte
• Durham
• Greensboro
• Hickory (English/Spanish)
• Lumberton (English/Spanish, Letter to Employers)
• Raleigh
• Siler City and statewide call to action
  
• Wilmington
  

See our Resources for Taking Action section.

See our Media Information section for Calls to Action, press releases, messages for employers, etc.

Submit an event or public statement.

Greensboro, NC: Press Release on May 1 Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tammy Kelly-Rouse, 336-883-4197

Community Unites in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform

GREENSBORO, NC (April 29, 2006)—On Monday, May 1, residents of the Piedmont Triad and surrounding communities will gather in downtown Greensboro to show support for comprehensive immigration reform. The afternoon vigil and rally will take place from 4-7 p.m. outside the Phil G. McDonald Plaza/Greensboro Governmental Facilities on Greene Street.

Recognizing the shortcomings of current immigration policies and increasing anti-immigrant sentiment nationwide, local organizers have asked participants to wear white t-shirts to symbolize unity and peace. Organizers envision the gathering presenting a united voice -- one that advocates for realistic and humane immigration reform, which would address security and economic concerns while providing justice for immigrant communities.

“It’s time for our government to remind the world of who we are as a country,” says local organizer Tammy Kelly-Rouse. “As a nation, we advocate for Human Rights and continue to provide basic necessities, medical care and education to poverty stricken countries. To label twelve million human beings as ‘criminals’ is not only reprehensible, but also a systematic degradation of Human Rights in this country.”

According to local organizers, comprehensive immigration reform would:

• Offer undocumented immigrants a clear path to earn legal status which would include working, paying taxes and substantial fines, and learning English;

• Reunite family members, many of whom have been separated for years;

• Improve and enhance security and enforcement efforts to know who enters the country and to bar entrance of those who mean harm;

• Facilitate the cross-border flow of people and goods that is essential to the American economy;

• Allow undocumented youth opportunities to pursue higher education through the DREAM Act; and

• Foster greater respect and ensure justice for immigrants by recognizing their unique contributions to the economic and cultural life of our nation and our local communities.

The rally will include speakers from local faith communities and community organizations, musical performances and activities to educate residents about proposed legislation and how they can get involved in this national issue.

For more information about the event, please contact Tammy Kelly-Rouse at 336-883-4197.

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Siler City (Chatham County) May 1st

Even though we are not organizing an event, we are issuing a call to allies, businesses, employers, churches and non-profit organizations to join in solidarity with local immigrants by:

• Not going to work or attending school
• Not spending any money on goods or services on May 1st
• Informing friends and family of why they support fair immigration reform
• Attending marches and demonstrations in other cities across our state
• Allowing employees to take a day off on Monday, May 1
• Closing their businesses on May 1 and posting a flyer explaining why

Fliers, sample letters and additional information is available at www.evhnc.org, by email at info@evhnc.org and/or by phone at (919) 742-1448.