News and Events

Action Alert #2: Fairness for women in immigration reform

May 16, 2013

On Thursday, May 16 the Senate Judiciary Committee will start voting on amendments to title III of the immigration reform bill, impacting the safety of women workers, survivors of domestic violence, and families.

TAKE ACTION TODAY - Urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote YES on amendments to make immigration reform fair and accessible to women. Contact them by phone, email or twitter.

Urge members of the committee to vote YES on the following amendments. ALL of these would make a positive impact on the lives of immigrant women.

Action Alert #1: Fairness for women in immigration reform

May 13, 2013

Update, May 15:

Urge members of the committee to vote YES on:

  • Hatch14: Provides work authorization to spouses of H-1B visa holders. No vote yet
  • Klobuchar1: Provides work authorization for survivors of domestic violence who have self-petitioned under VAWA. APPROVED!
  • Blumenthal17: Provides protections for H-2B visa holders who speak out against workplace abuses—including sexual harassment. Withdrawn

Urge members of the committee to vote NO on:

Analysis of the Senate Immigration Bill (S. 744) Amendments: Impact on Women and Families

May 13, 2013

Click here to download an analysis of proposed amendments to the Senate Immigration Bill.

We Belong Together’s priorities for immigration reform that will treat women fairly include:

  • An inclusive roadmap to citizenship
  • Family reunification
  • Workers rights protections and fairness in employment-based immigration
  • Protections for survivors of violence and trafficking
  • Due process and protections for families
  • Immigrant integration

With Mothers Day Approaching, Moms Respond to Proposed Immigration Reform Bill & Amendments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2013
Contact: 

Rachel Tardiff, 202.746.1507
Rachel@FitzGibbonMedia.com

**Interviews Available with Women’s Movement Leader and Immigrant Mothers**

Washington, DC – With Mothers Day rapidly approaching, women’s movement leaders and immigrant mothers are calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the concerns and priorities of mothers and families in America—immigrant and non-immigrant alike. The Senate bill, as originally introduced, provides a strong roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the United States, with some areas for fixes necessary.

Immigration reform is a women's issue

Author: 
Andrea Summers
Source: 
Sun Journal (Maine)

Immigration reform is not often considered to be a women’s issue but in fact is a critical part of the fight for women’s equality. The recent momentum behind Comprehensive Immigration Reform is exciting but has been missing a focus on the issues that directly affect women, girls and families.

Female immigrants are our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, colleagues and friends. Women currently comprise 51 percent of people migrating to America. They are coming for the same reasons many of our ancestors came: to escape persecution or poverty and to seek a better life.

Gang of Eight Bill Provides Historic Opportunity for Common Sense Immigration Reform, Elected Leaders Must Make Sure All Women Are Included on Path to Citizenship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2013
Contact: 

Sabrina Caprioli, Sabrina@FitzGibbonMedia.com
CJ Frogozo, CJ@FitzGibbonMedia.com

Washington, D.C. - We Belong Together commends the Gang of Eight for working together across the aisle to put forward draft immigration reform legislation. We applaud their efforts and we are optimistic that we are closer than ever to passing common-sense immigration reform that treats women fairly.

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 gets many issues that are a priority to women and families right. Specifically, the bill addresses women, family, and worker rights by:

Immigration Reform: Good for Immigrant Women, Good for American Feminism

Author: 
Pramila Jayapal
Source: 
The Nation

"Ain't I a woman?" As woman after woman stepped to the microphone at the Hyatt Regency ballroom in Washington, D.C., and made the case for why immigration is a women’s issue, Sojourner Truth’s words rang in my ears. Immigrant women living in states across the country—from Texas to Minnesota to Missouri to Maine—shared stories of being detained and not seeing a child for three months, of surviving domestic violence and not being able to call for help, of caring for someone else’s children but not being paid.

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