Advocacy Information and Resources

 

Advocacy Information and Resources for Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma

Members of the Texas AILA Chapter for Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico are powerful and effective advocates for immigration reform.  This page contains information, resources and tools for advocacy in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Reminder to Chapter members to call your Congresspersons daily. Have your friends, neighbors and clients call their Congresspersons daily. Write an op ed, letter to the editor and letter to your Congressperson. (go to http://capwiz.com/aila2/home/ to find your Congresspeople)

______________________________________________________________ 

                                                                               *** ADVOCACY UPDATE ***

Below is a reminder of all the ways you can continue to get involved:

• Call your House member! Call your Representative every day (Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121) and express your support for common sense immigration reform.
• Attend Town halls and other public events that Members of Congress sponsor.  Watch your email for invitations to attend these great opportunities to speak with Representatives about reform.  Please let Lisa Sotelo at lsotelo@craincubbagehealy.com know if you hear about events in your district so that we can help spread the word.
• Participate in AILA in-district lobby visits.  Let us know if you would be interested in attending a lobby visit with your Member of Congress
• Share the attached graphic with your social networks
• Submit Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds to local and regional papers
• Reach out to your clients, co-workers, family, friends and other networks and encourage them to make calls into the Senator’s office [modify & forward this email to let them know how they can help].

So please, stay tuned for more information and get in touch with Lisa Sotelo at lsotelo@craincubbagehealy.com if you want to get more actively involved.

*** ADVOCACY UPDATE ***

 

Dear Chapter Members,

Please take a look at the minutes from the November AILA Advocacy Liaison meeting for an update on what is happening on the Hill; these will be posted on the Texas Chapter’s Advocacy page.

To summarize, over the next two months our Representatives will be spending a lot of time in their districts offices, holding public events, and looking to hear from constituents on the issues that matter.  Specifically, they are scheduled to be in district the last two weeks of November and December.  The holiday recesses are a critical time for you (and our entire chapter) to be actively engaged in the efforts underway in order to have a tangible impact on the debate and immigration reform.

As you know, our goal is to influence Congress to support bipartisan, common sense immigration reform, encourage House leadership to move forward with a vote on immigration reform during the 113^th Congress, and create a positive media narrative on immigration reform heading into the new year.

 

*** ADVOCACY UPDATE ***

The push for CIR is not over yet!  The House bill, HR 15, is gathering Republican support. Let our Republican Representatives know their support is imperative to their success and our country's success.  We know that the last quarter of the year is always busy, but we cannot let up on our push forward for immigration reform.  Please take some time TODAY to draft a brief letter to the editor in support of CIR.  We have made it VERY EASY for you to do this.

The link below offers a CIR fact sheet, guidelines for writing letters to the editor, and direct links to the Texas newspapers so that your letters can be submitted directly!  This is something that takes minimal effort with maximum exposure – please take this opportunity to make your position heard.  A published letter is exponentially more impactful than calls to your congressman!  (although, please please continue to call your congressman!!)

DREAMING:  MY HOPES FOR THE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL

Monday, October 21, 2013
6:00 pm

Doré Commons
James A. Baker III Hall
Rice University

Featured Speaker
The Honorable Luis V. Gutiérrez
U.S. Representative, 4th District of Illinois

• 

Introduction by
The Honorable Sylvia R. Garcia
Texas State Senator, District 6

The Honorable Luis V. Gutiérrez, 10-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a national leader on immigration reform, will discuss his views on the immigration reform bill currently stalled in Congress — and how his life, traced in his recently published memoir, has been affected by the nation’s broken immigration system.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid describes Gutiérrez’s book, “Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill,” as a gripping personal narrative and a “compelling argument for comprehensive immigration reform … proof that tenacity is the key that unlocks the American Dream.” The congressman will address what it will take, beyond a firm resolve, to steer the immigration reform bill through the House of Representatives and into law.

Copies of “Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill” will be available for purchase at this event.

Rep. Gutiérrez's appearance is made possible by Jane Moser. PRESENTS, the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center and Rice University's Multicultural Community Relations Department.

For more information and to RSVP, visit bakerinstitute.org/events/1541 before Friday, October 18.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez will speak at Rice University's Baker Institute about immigration reform on Oct. 21, 2013 at 6pm. The event is free. You can register to attend at bipp@rice.edu or you can call the Institute at 713 348 4683. Parking at Rice is pay only with a credit\debit card. It is suggested to arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the event.

"I plan on attending and I hope our chapter can produce a good turnout for such a tireless advocate of immigration reform. Saludos, Liz Mendoza"

__________________________________________________________

 

RESOURCES for ADVOCACY

 .     Border Congressional -Imm Reform Testimony KathleenWalker-- Copy of Testimony by Kathleen Campbell Walker the    Border Congressional Hearing

.     advoTexas2013 - IPC Graphic - New Americans in Texas

• advo Map the Impact of Immigration - Texas - Info graphics showing how immigration and immigrants impact Texas
• DOA PB Host Guide -- How to host a phone bank.
• phonebankadvoTexas2013 - IPC Graphic advo Map the Impact of Immigration - Texas_makingitasuccess -- How to be a successful phone bank caller.
• hardask_onepage -- Asking for support.
• Houston Reps Contact Info -- Contact information to reach Houston Representatives.
• IPC short answers re immigration reform -- Information and data to utilize when advocating.
• Recess Toolkit (2) -- The recess toolkit has an outline of action to be taken and support available.  It includes a wide range of information needed.
• script_callcongress_07-16 -- What to say when you call your Congressman or Congresswoman.
• Texas Reps Contact Info -- Here they are...your Texas Representatives
•  http://www.barackobama.com/
• https://my.barackobama.com/page/s/let-us-know-about-your-letter-to-the-editor