Save the Date – Immigrant Rights Town Hall June 20
“Sí, se puede – No Human Being is Illegal”
The urgent push toward comprehensive immigration reform and an end to deportations, detentions, family separation, and walls will be the topic of discussion on Sunday, June 20 at 6 pm Eastern Time at a virtual Town Hall hosted by People’s World / Mundo Popular.
The struggle to legalize all 11 million-plus who toil as essential workers and those who contribute in all fields is a struggle for humanity, dignity, justice, and democracy. To be successful, the push and organizing for transformation post-Trump and post-pandemic must include immigrants’ rights.
Featured in the discussion will be:
California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo
32BJ SEIU organizer Alberto Bernardez
American Friends Service Committee organizer Alejandro Murguia-Ortiz
Immigrant communities were an important part of the broad people’s alliance that succeeded in getting out the vote to defeat Trump in 2020 and halt the escalating assaults and extremist bigotry coming from the White House.
Post-election, overcoming Republican far-right obstruction of voting rights, justice in policing, racial equity, and the Biden administration’s large proposals for infrastructure, family needs, jobs and climate also require a priority for comprehensive immigration reform.
The discussion will consider what is required to achieve progress in this political environment, how to build on momentum already underway, expand alliances, and draw lessons from major struggles for immigrant rights in past decades.
The discussion will also reflect on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on immigrant communities who were excluded from government COVID-19 relief measures and who often were required to work in dangerous conditions in healthcare, food service, agriculture, and other areas.
Before her election to the California State Senate, Maria Elena Durazo served as Executive Vice President of Unite Here international union and was an organizer of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. She was the first woman Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and served on the national executive board. She was born to migrant worker parents and was part of the Chicano movement. While working as a union organizer, she got her law degree in 1985 and has served on many boards, commissions, and political campaigns.
Alberto Bernardez is 32BJ SEIU Connecticut District Leader and Regional Director of SEIU’s international Latin America Caucus, after starting out as a rank and file member in 1984. He became a leader for the rights of his Garifuna community in Honduras as a youth and immigrated to the United States in 1984. He has organized immigrant worker building cleaners, security guards, and fast food workers into unions and for political campaigns in many states.
Alejandro Murguia-Ortiz is a community organizer with the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice and the American Friends Service Committee. IMM is a statewide membership-based legal service and advocacy organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices and united with allies in Iowa dedicated to transform unjust systems and build a powerful movement for immigrant rights at all levels.
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