My husband, Cesar Chavez, and I decided to move back to Delano to begin organizing the United Farm Workers in 1962. Thousands came to work with our movement once the Delano Grape Strike started in 1965, 50 years ago in 2015. Millions of good people in North America supported us by boycotting grapes and other products. All these years, I chose to stay in the background. I walked picket lines, managed our credit union and cared for our eight children. Cesar respected my privacy. I never spoke in public or talked with reporters. Unlike my husband, I never got very involved in politics until October 2012, when President Obama came to dedicate the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument at the Tehachapi Mountain town of Keene, CA. That’s where Cesar lived and worked his last quarter century, and where he is buried. As we walked away from paying respects at my husband’s gravesite, with the President holding my arm, I asked, “Mr. President, will you promise you will do something on immigration reform?” “Yes, Mrs. Chavez, I promise I will,” he said. Today, President Obama kept his promise to me and to the American people by using his power to help many of the immigrants who toil in our fields, make beds, clean rooms, cook meals, work in construction and manufacturing, and care for our young and elderly. They serve our country in the military. I’ve known the farm workers all my life. Like other immigrants, they take jobs most other Americans won’t take for pay most other Americans won’t accept and under conditions most other Americans won’t tolerate. Big parts of our economy can’t survive without immigrants. All President Obama did is what President Reagan and President George H.W. Bush did, letting some immigrants stay and work here. Most of the immigrants who qualify have been in this country for some time. They have clean records. What the President did is just temporary and it is only after the Republicans in the House of Representatives repeatedly refused to pass a bipartisan bill that already passed the U.S. Senate. President Obama did the right thing on immigration. Please join me in thanking him for his leadership. At the same time, we should urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will solve this problem once and for all.

As people of conscience, we commend you for the anticipated Administrative Action you are taking to address our broken immigration system and the temporary relief it will provide to thousands of immigrant families. It is a long overdue first step toward recognizing the humanity and inalienable human rights of our immigrant sisters and brothers. At the same time, we are compelled by our conscience to insist that you include the thousands of still arriving Central American and Mexican children and their families fleeing violence and seeking reunification with their loved ones. We appeal to you to use your executive authority to grant them refugee status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or deferred action status per the recommendation of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) [1] and Pope Francis who declared these children must be “welcomed and protected.” [2] At this moment, thousands of mothers, fathers and children, many of whom are fleeing extreme violence, death threats, rape, and persecution in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are being held in US detention centers. The President must take action to release them and grant them immediate protection. We remain one executive order away from protecting children. Our hearts go out to the more than 60,000 children who have come to this country seeking protection, but who now face immediate deportation back to unspeakable violence in home countries, and away from family members already here in the US. How many child refugees must die after being deported, before the President takes action? We will not allow these child refugees to be sent back or taken away from families already here. If our government will not protect children, we, people of conscience, will. [1] Testimony of United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) Senior Protection Officer, Leslie Velez, before the United States Congressional House Judiciary Committee , June 25, 2014 [2] Statement by Pope Francis, July 15 2014: “This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected." And that these measures “must be accompanied by policies that inform people about the dangers of such a journey and, above all, that promote development in their countries of origin.”

Republican misuse of AmericanTax Dollars, inhumanity, and abuse of Power.

Senator Angus King (I-ME) caucuses with the Democrats and voted for immigration reform, but you’d never think that after what he said about President Obama providing deportation relief to immigrant families: "I think it will create a backlash in the country that could actually set the cause back and inflame our politics in a way that I don’t think will be conducive to solving the problem.” In August, Senator King was also one of the loudest voices urging President Obama to delay executive action. This has to change. Immigrant families are being separated every day and President Obama is finally preparing to provide relief for millions of those families. Of course, Republicans are already threatening to try and block any action from the president. Senator King should be doing the right thing and joining the 115+ Congressional Democrats who have urged the President to act boldly right away. But instead, he's siding with obstructionist Republicans who want nothing more than for the President to do nothing while immigrant families suffer. Senator King, why are you siding with extremist Republicans over hard-working immigrant families? It's time do the right thing and join Democrats in supporting executive action on immigration now.

My sister in law Helene Torres was denied entry to the United States because she attempted to fly on a one way ticket. She was only attempting to return to her husband (who she married on June 27) where she had every intention to file the necessary papers to become a US citizen. She was not aware she was breaking any laws, and should be allowed to reunite with her husband here in the U.S.

Angel was taken into custody suddenly on October 27, 2014, even though he has lived in the U.S. over 10 years, has no criminal record, and pays taxes. Help protect Angel and his family. Family security is national security – keep American families strong!

Gabriel faces imminent deportation!

Im starting this petition because i know that ángel Murillo is a good person and i think that he decerves his freedom for his family and that i think they should stop the deportation because i wouldnt want that to happen to my dad.

On the morning of Dec.10, 2007, armies of ICE and SWAT-like-agents raided seven restaurants of the Reyes family. They ransacked through every corner handcuffing workers as they passed. Simultaneously, agents entered the family’s house, where 3-year-old Josselyne watched how the agents handcuffed her grandparents and mother, Silvia, who was pregnant at that time. Arturo had just dropped off his son Jairo and three daughters at school, on his way back several cop cars pulled him over and arrested him. Silvia spent two weeks in jail, worried about what was happening to her family. Arturo spent 6 months detained, deprived of the love of his family; experiencing how his life was being swallowed away. ICE had investigated the Reyes family since 2006, for over a year they meticulously planned how to destroy this family’s legacy. The Reyes were absurdly accused of drug trafficking and money laundering. When in fact, the Acambaro restaurant chain had solely been a result of a driven and hard-working family. No evidence of drugs or money laundering was found in any of the restaurants, the charges were dropped in court; however, Arturo and Silvia were put in removal proceedings. It’s been over 7 years since the nightmare began. Today, Silvia and Arturo have been told by ICE to surrender on November 5, 2014. For 20 years, the Reyes have contributed tremendously to the entire community and economy of Rogers, Arkansas. They currently run three restaurants that employs many members of the community. They consistently make generous monetary and food donations to various churches of different denominations. They also cater school, sports, law enforcement and immigrant events. The Reyes are American in every way but without the paperwork, they are part of the 11 million who deserve a direct path to citizenship. They raised a beautiful family of six, a DACA-mented DREAMer and organizer,five U.S. citizens, one boy and four girls of between the ages of 4 and 19 years. They all deserve to stay together. Please watch this video about what the possible deportation means to the Reyes family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXgpVdGVWI Previous media about the Reyes family: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/4696916/rogers_family_fighting_deportation_to_stay_together

Dr. Castaneda & his research have been an asset & economic boon to the state of Michigan, to the greater Lansing area, and to the U.S. Help him & his family by supporting an INA Sect. 212(e) Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement waiver.

Our most recent petition campaign was successful in supporting Abdel Rahman to attain a Blue Card from UNHCR-Egypt on September the 2nd of this year, after over a decade of life-threatening racial, ethnic, economic and religious persecution in the inhospitable host state of Egypt. [1] I have lived, studied, and worked in Egypt for over a year in 2007-2008, and 2010, specifically focusing on community-based self-education efforts in African refugee communities. This is how I met Abdel Rahman, as he was the director of the El-Wafaa Refugee Culture Center, a non-political, non-tribal, non-religious community education organization in Ain Shams, Cairo. More than anything, this is a plea for the physical safety of a respected community leader, who has shown a remarkable contribution to international research, and education initiatives. For example, after 40 years of isolation, Abdel Rahman brought the American University of Cairo to the impoverished Cairo suburb of Ain Shams, to facilitate English courses for refugees and asylum seekers from Africa living in Egypt. Abdel Rahman belongs to the Zaghawa ethnic group in Darfur, one of the three major indigenous groups subjected to systematic genocide by the Sudan-government backed Janjaweed militias in Darfur from 2003 up to the present. Due to this ongoing strife, Abdel Rahman became a refugee, and continues to seek resettlement out of Egypt, where he has also lived through life-threatening forms of social and institutional persecution. Abdel Rahman is originally from Darfur, and has been living in Cairo, Egypt for over a decade, suffering the agonies of life as an African refugee. On Sunday March 23rd, Abdel Rahman was brutally assaulted at night in Cairo, and represents the countless many who face such challenges on a daily basis. (We have a translated police report proving the details of the incident, for any interested in following up.) He then successfully reopened his file with the UNHCR-Cairo office, and now seeks immediate relocation out of Egypt. [2] In 1951, Egypt made reservations to refugee rights chartered by the UNHCR Refugee Convention, also known as the Geneva Convention, effectively disallowing refugees the right to access public relief and humanitarian assistance. Most of Egypt's refugees are hopelessly unemployed, and in dire need of educational, and professional opportunities, especially those further marginalized by race, ethnicity, and religion, as is the case with African refugees in Cairo, Egypt. Most refugees in Cairo are suffering from third-rate medical care. In many cases refugee patients have received false medication, leading to further complications. Egypt, as elsewhere in Africa, is known by its diversion of humanitarian aid for the interest of its own poor rural citizens. Refugees in Egypt live in perilous situations, often with specific needs that can not be addressed in the country where they have sought protection. Meanwhile, resettlement countries such as the UK, the U.S., and Canada pledge to provide legal and physical protection, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights similar to those enjoyed by nationals, effectively allowing refugees to become naturalized citizens. [1] http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/unhcr-egypt-reopen-emergency?source=c.em.mt&r_by=8673541 [2] http://www.nationofchange.org/refugee-rights-egypt-cairo-s-african-refugee-demonstrators-call-peace-and-civil-rights-syria-sudan-a

Anti-immigrant attacks from Republicans are old news these days, but we were dismayed to see a new ad from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is running for Senate in Kentucky against none other than minority leader, Mitch McConnell. Lundergan Grimes' radio ad hits a new low. Not only does she declare she’s against “amnesty,” but she promises to "fight [President Obama] in the Senate" when he finally acts on immigration. She even perpetuates the stereotype that immigrants are takers and uses the derogatory phrase, "illegal aliens." Lundergan Grimes has promised to be the first to fight President Obama on executive action. Well, this fight is personal for us and we won’t let her or anyone get in our way of winning protection for our families. Tell Alison Lundergan Grimes: Shame on you for attacking immigrants for political gain!