Standing Up, Speaking Out, Showing the way: Advocating for immigrant students and families

Presented By: Ann Theisen at Minnetesol Conference 2007Nov 2nd, 2007

© Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights 2007

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights works to implement international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law by involving

volunteers in research, education, and advocacy, we build broad constituencies in the United States and

selected global communities.

For More Information go to

• Obtain accurate and up-to-date INFORMATION.

• Access immigration CURRICULUM • Learn about current LEGISLATION. • TAKE ACTION by contacting leaders

and lawmakers. • Participate in COMMUNITY

EVENTS. • LEARN about the issues. • Access REPORTS and RESOURCES

on state and national immigration.

www.energyofanation.org

Minnetesol Conference 2007

www.energyofanation.org

Minnesota’s Immigrant Students

• In 2000 in PK-5 10% of students were children of immigrants, a 78% change since 1990. (11th)

• In 2000 in 6-12th, 9% of students were children of immigrants, a 136% change since 1990. (4th)

• Minneapolis Public Schools has more than 10,000 students who speak another language at home

• There are over 80 home languages in MPS and 103 in St. Paul Public Schools

Immigrant Group School Enrollment

Latino 38,643Hmong 21,613Somali 5,734Vietnamese 2,910Russian 2,346Laotian 2,258Cambodian 1,718Ethiopian 1,329

Which Immigrant Groups are Represented in Minnesota’s Schools?

Source: Population Notes Report by Barbara Ronningen June 04

Minnesota is unique in refugee

resettlement Minnesota is 2nd only to California in resettlement.

Minnesota only takes family reunification cases where the refugee has an anchor relative here.

VOLAGs include International Institute, Lutheran Social Service, Catholic Charities, MN Council of Churches, and World Relief.

Primary Refugee Arrivals, Minnesota1/1/2007 - 8/31/2007

Other

6%

FSU

6%Liberia

13%

Ethiopia

14%

Burma

19%

Somalia

42%

SomaliaBurmaEthiopiaLiberiaFSUOther

N=1,896

“Other” includes Cameroon, China (also Tibet), DR Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos (Hmong), Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda and Vietnam

Refugee Health Program, Minnesota Department of Health

Who controls the debate?

2007 poll results indicate that the

majority of Americans believe that:

Immigrants contribute to this country.

Immigrants work as hard or harder than people born here

People now in the country illegally should be given a chance at citizenship (78%)

How are labels like “illegal” and “terrorist”

affecting immigrant students and children of

immigrants?

Immigrant children make up 5.7% of high school students and 3.5% of elementary students.

4/5 of all children of immigrants are native-born

2/3 of the 5 million children living in undocumented families are US citizens, mostly the younger children.

Elementary Facts to consider

ICE Raids• The first workplace raid to

gain national attention happened December 12, 2006, at six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Utah. More than 1,200 workers were arrested and many parents were forced to abandon their children.

• Since December, workplace raids have occurred with an increasing frequency, and immigrant rights advocates have continued to see problems with family separation.

Social Security No Match Letters

Recognizing that the social security no-match letters would affect more than 8 million workers, and “result in the termination of employment to lawfully employed workers,” A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the government from implementing and enforcing a new Department of Homeland Security rule punishing employers if they do not take action after receiving Social Security “no match” letters until the court makes a final ruling. 

Local Legislation • During the first half of 2007,

1,404 immigration related laws were introduced in states

• 182 bills became law in 43 states (double all of 06)

• Landlords• Driver’s licenses• Employers• Identification• Separation ordinances

Refugee Family Reunification

50% of refugees applying for a family member will be successfully reunited.

Separations lasting 5-10 years are typical.

Proof of family relationship can be complicated.

Source: John Borden International Institute of MN

Fear

Confusion

Anger

Doubt

Retreat

Stress

Exploitation

Standing Up

Speaking Out

Showing the Way

Standing Up!

Pew Hispanic Center reports that 54% of Latinos have experienced increased discrimination as a result of the policy debate.

Call Representatives Letters to the Editor Humanize the issue Challenge comments

Speaking Out!

Showing the Way!

ADVOCATE “It is not safe for us to speak out. You must speak out for us now.”

A Muslim naturalized U.S. citizen

English Language Learners rely on

advocates for their questions.

clipartreview.com

Can I get a driver’s license?

Do I need a social security number to get a job?

Can I go to college if I don’t have papers?

Can my family bring my brother here?

Can you help me fill out these papers for immigration?

Can I marry a citizen and get a green card?

Why don’t Americans like immigrants?

What should I do if “la migra” comes to my house?

Students, Faculty and the General Public also have many questions

about new immigrants.

Why aren’t they learning English?

Do they have papers?

How will we involve their parents?

Do they pay taxes?

How did so many Hmong / Somalis / Liberians end up in Minnesota?

How can I teach them science if they can’t understand English?

Why don’t they care about education?

You can put a human face on the debate!

The ELL Educator’s Role as an Advocate

As an advocate, dispel myths about immigrants

Answer general questions for students using and guide them to trustworthy resources

Refer students and families for professional help.

Stay informed about immigration at the state and national level

Influence policies affecting immigrants.

Immigration Fuels Our Nation

Take Home a Button. Wear it

proudly!

Dispelling Myths and Tackling Tough Questions About Immigrants

Through fact sheets, PowerPoints, and students activities on the Energy of a Nation website. www.energyofanation.org

Burst Some Myths!

Why don’t they come legally like my ancestors did?

Immigration Historically 15% of population foreign born between 1870-1920 and 12% today. Minnesota 29% in 1900 and 6.9% today.

Except for Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 few restrictions to immigation.

Government excluded only 1% of the 25 million immigrants at Ellis Island before WWI

Legalizing avenues included short statutes of limitation, fees, re-entry programs and proof of hardship to US citizen family members

Many of our immigrant ancestors would not have qualified to immigrate legally today.

Family Sponsorship

67-70% of legal immigrants are

sponsored by close family members.

Employer Sponsorship

12-15% are invited by U.S. employers to

fill jobs for which there is a shortage

of U.S. workers.

Escaping Persecution

12-15% of immigrants come to the U.S. as refugees escaping

persecution.

Family• 67-70% of immigrants

come to be reunited with family.

• U.S. citizen adults can sponsor a family member (spouse, parent, child or sibling).

• Legal Permanent Residents can sponsor their spouse and unmarried children.

Family Reunification – The WAIT

More Examples:• A legal permanent resident who wants to bring

her husband and 2-year-old daughter from Mexico will have to wait approximately 5-9 years.

• For a citizen to sponsor his brother from the Philippines it will take 26 years.

Wait length depends on:whether the sponsor is a citizen or LPRwhat country the relative is fromhow close the relationship (ex: spouse comes sooner than a brother)

Employment• 12-15% come to fill positions

where there is a shortage of US workers (ex: nurses, computer engineers).

• Each year some visas are given for priority workers (extraordinary abilities), professionals with advanced degrees, and skilled workers. The employer must prove that they cannot find a worker domestically.

• Very few visas are offered to unskilled workers, although many businesses have a shortage of these workers. Available jobs without available visas causes a rise in undocumented immigration.

There are only 5,000 visas available per year for “low-

wage” work but an estimated 500,000 vacancies in that sector

Fleeing Persecution

• 12-15% of immigrants are refugees fleeing persecution.

• The U.S. accepts refugees and asylees who are fleeing persecution based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, political opinion or membership in a group.

Diversity Visa Lottery• An annual green card lottery

welcomes immigrants from countries that the U.S. does NOT receive immigrants.

• The applicant must have a high school diploma or a skill. Their immediate family can come also.

• 50,000 green cards distributed in the lottery.

• Countries that have sent more than 50,000 people in the last 5 years are NOT eligible. This includes Mexico, El Salvador, China, the Philippines, England, India and other nations.

Why don’t the 11-12 million undocumented immigrants just

legalize?

They broke a law

“Since the word (illegal) modifies not the crime but the whole person, it goes too far. It spreads, like a stain that can’t wash out. It leaves its target diminished as a human, a lifetime member of a presumptive criminal class.”

Lawrence Downes

45% of the undocumented overstayed a visa

Unlawful presence is a civil not criminal offense

Few avenues exist to “get right with the law.”

Leads to further unlawful activities

Attached to the person not the action

System is complicit – immigrant should not bear sole responsibility

We the people make and can fix laws

They don’t speak English

• Economic and social value motivate English learning

• Within 3 generations English is the dominant language

• Multilingualism is not new• 97% long-term immigrants

speak Eng. well/very well• 16% of LEP working-age

adults enrolled in ESL• Only 2.5% of residents speak

Spanish but not English• 96% of Latinos think English

instruction important for children.

Myth-busting - Now it’s YOUR

turn!

More people come

to the U.S. illegally than

legally?

Actually, about 970,000 people legally immigrated each year to the US from 2000-2005 obtained legal permanent resident status each year.  The estimated annual net growth of the unauthorized population is estimated to be 500,000.

The U.S. is taking on all the world’s migrants.

Other countries should do their part.

You may be surprised to learn that The U.S. has the eighth largest percentage of foreign-born.  For hosting refugees, the U.S. ranks 21st the ratio of refugees per capita, behind Syria, Chad, Iran, Canada and Germany.

Immigrants are responsible for the rise in crime.

Not so fast, the incarceration rate of those born in the U.S. is four times higher than that of the foreign born.

Immigrants don’t pay

taxes.

Hold on, a study in 2005 found that undocumented immigrants pay $6-7 billion in Social Security taxes that they will never be able to claim.

Immigrants take jobs from U.S. citizens.

Actually, immigrants make unique contributions to the U.S. economy by creating new jobs through entrepreneurship, filling jobs for which there are no qualified U.S. workers, and taking positions that would otherwise be shipped overseas or replaced with computers.

Immigrants take

advantage of our

generous welfare

and assistance programs.

Contrary to popular belief, immigrants are largely excluded from receiving public assistance. One exception, however, is refugees and asylees because the U.S. is committed to providing public benefits to this vulnerable group for a 7-year period.

Today’s immigrants are totally different from my

immigrant ancestors.

Interestingly, in the 1880’s, 9% of the total population of Norway emigrated to America because there was a critical shortage of job opportunities in Norway, while America was seeking laborers.

Assisting with Immigration ?’sUse caution

Refer for professional help

Park Methodist Legal Clinic on Thurs 3-5

Community Resource Referrals

www.uscis.gov

• Consult an attorney before going to ICE headquarters

• Forms and frequently asked questions are on the website

Accurate information is essential and too often absent from the debate.

Fact Sheets

Daily articles about immigration

Links to resources on current immigration issues like ICE Raids

Educating Oneself and the

Community about

Immigration

Community Resources for ELL

• No Second Chance Presentations and Immigration 101 in MPS and SPPS by Immigrant Law Center of MN. 651-341-1011

• DREAM Act advocacy trainings and Raids Response information from Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network. 651-287-0550

• Immigration Presentations and Staff Development by Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. 612-341-3302 ext 112

More Community ResourcesThe Islamic Resource Group offers free interactive presentations that are specially designed to enhance understanding of Islam & Muslim culture. http://www.islamicresourceonline.org

The Center for Victims of Torture offers counseling, referrals, and educational resources to families who have experienced torture and war trauma. www.cvt.org

Moving Lives Speakers Bureau from MN Advocates and Intermedia Arts. 612-874-2809

Adding Advocacy?

Advocacy in School

• Lobbying administration• Assisting mainstream

teachers in modifications

• Liaison to parents• Intercession for

disciplinary issues

• Staff Development PowerPoint to download from Energy of a Nation

The educator may be the access point to assistance

VAWA – Violence Against Women Actenables a victim of domestic violence to petition for his/her own legalization or citizenship independent of the citizen or LPR abusive spouse.

T-VisasThe T visa will allow victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons to remain in the United States and assist in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.

Asylum

Fear of persecution in the country of origin based on nationality, race, religion, political opinion or membership in a social group

File within a year of arrival

Free legal assistance for low-income asylum seekers from Minnesota Advocates

Counseling services for victims of trauma and torture through the Center for Victims of Torture

50-60% of Somali and Ethiopian immigrants in our community have suffered war trauma or torture.

Norm, Amy …

About that bill...

Stand by the immigrants.

Yeah, You Betcha.

Monitor Legislation and Receive Updates

and Alerts

Separation Ordinances

According to former Minneapolis Police Chief Bill McManus, the difficulty in getting immigrants to report crime and to work with the police would be “magnified exponentially if local police were given the authority of INS officers.”

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia sent a letter to President Bush explaining that Liberia is not Ready for the end of TPS.

Liberian TPS: a Deferment for 18 months Approximately 1,000 Liberians in Minnesota on TPS

TPS for 15 years – established ties to the community

80% unemployment in Liberia and devastated infrastructure

Immigration in the Campaign

Reform Left Until 2009

Stand Up!

Speak Out!

Show the Way!

© Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights 2007