ATLANTA, GA (GALEO) - Certainly, the month of June has been very active on immigration and election matters. The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials applauds the welcome move by the Obama Administration to provide temporary relief for potentially tens of thousands of Georgia DREAM'ers.
Immigrant rights advocates barely had time to digest the Obama administration's announcement last week that it would stop deporting some young immigrants when the questions started flowing in: Am I the right age? Does an arrest disqualify me? Do my parents qualify?
People should stay away from anyone claiming to provide assistance on application because it does not exist yet. People should stay away from NOTARIOS. If there are questions about the criteria, people should visit the DHS website for guidance.
Information in Spanish is also available here. If more questions remain, people should consult with a qualified immigration attorney. People should take the time to learn about the criteria and begin to establish documentation that would fit the specific criteria as outlined by the Department of Homeland Security.
Churches and community organizations should plan on organizing forums to address these issues with the Latino immigrant population. GALEO stands ready to help other groups who would want to organize these forums and will help get qualified immigration attorneys to be present at these forums.
"We've been celebrating all weekend," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Tuesday. "We've now got to get ready. We've got to prepare the documents."
The United States Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the Arizona case either tomorrow or next week. Please stay tuned for what that means to Georgia's HB87. However, regardless of the ruling, we must take this opportunity to mobilize against such laws and punish politicians who advocate for racially discriminatory policies like AZ's SB1070 and GA's HB87. Help us register eligible Latino voters by taking the PLEDGE of 10 at www.Orale10.com!
Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, was in Washington DC at the White House on Monday, June 18th, for a Community Leaders Briefing on Immigration.
DREAM Act, a Nightmare for Republicans
Help us take this time also to reach out to our U.S. Senators from Georgia. President Obama acted because our U.S. Congress has failed to act. We need to urge our U.S. Senators to take a stand for permanent relief for undocumented youth in Georgia.
Please call the U.S. Senators below with this message:
"I am calling to support President Obama's temporary relief for undocumented youth. I am calling to ask for YOUR support for a permanent solution by supporting the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform. I vote and will watch closely how you address this issue."
From U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson's (R-GA) website (6/20/12):
"Deportation Policy Rule Change - Johnny is disappointed by this political stunt and extremely concerned that the Obama administration is once again circumventing Congress by unilaterally changing the law of the land. He opposes granting amnesty and believes that this issue demands a full debate in Congress. Johnny believes that this politically motivated action by the President granting back-door amnesty is absolutely the wrong way to handle this critical issue."
Contact information for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA):
One Overton Park, Suite 970
3625 Cumberland Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30339
Tel: (770) 661-0999
Contact information for U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA):
North Georgia Office
100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1340,Atlanta, GA 30339
Main: 770-763-9090
East Georgia Office
3633 Wheeler Road,Suite 270,Augusta, GA 30909
Main: 706-650-1555
Middle Georgia Office
300 Mulberry Street, Suite 502,Macon, GA 31201
Main: 478-741-1417
South Georgia Office
585 South Main Street,P.O. Box 3217,Moultrie, GA 31776
Main: 229-985-2112
Georgia Could Turn Democratic if More Latinos Registered
The Center for American Progress report suggests that some 88,200 Hispanics are eligible to vote in Georgia but not registered.
And if another 120,000 Hispanics in the state who are eligible to become citizens start the process and become active voters, their voting power could sway a Republican state in favor of Democratic candidates in the future.
"I think I can honestly say that Georgia's not exactly thought of as a swing state (in national elections), but at the same time, there's a substantial new bloc of people that could end up really putting it into play," said Philip Wolgin an immigration policy analyst at the Center for American Progress' left-leaning Action Fund.
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