DREAM Press Conference in New York, Thursday Sep. 15

13 September 2011 | Jake Brewer
Tags: Jose Antonio Vargas Press Conference



Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas Joins New York DREAMers and Religious Leaders to Launch Faith-Led DREAM Solidarity Initiative

WHAT: Press conference to announce the launch of a statewide initiative, “New York State Congregations in Solidarity with DREAMers,” as part of a national DREAM Sabbath initiative spearheaded by Senator Richard Durbin in order to increase support for the DREAM Act. Faith leaders will be joined by Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder of Define American, who came out as undocumented; New York City DREAMers; and Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

WHERE: Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South

WHEN: Thursday, September 15, 12:00 p.m.

WHY: Last December, the DREAM Act came close to passage, only to be blocked by a Senate filibuster. More recently, Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the Washington Post, published an article in the New York Times Magazine in which he revealed that he himself was undocumented. This summer, the Obama Admnistration responded to ongoing calls for relief by announcing that it would suspend deportation proceedings against DREAM-eligible individuals, upon a case-by-case review of their cases. But this does not help all DREAMers, and the New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform, joining with faith groups nationally, is calling on Congress to put aside partisan politics and pass the DREAM Act.

Speakers (list in formation):

Jose Antonio Vargas, Define American
Diane Steinman, NYS Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform
Chung-Wha Hong, New York Immigration Coalition
Rev. Michael Ellick, Judson Memorial Church
Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, Congregation Rodeph Sholom
Rev. Gary Wiley, Trinity Grace Church
New York City DREAM-eligible youth

Diane Steinman, Director, NYS Network for Immigration Reform
steinmandm@gmail.com; 718-544-7289

Rachel Adler and Josh Raffel, Hiltzik Strategies for Define American Defineamerican@hstrategies.com; 212-430-5054

Thanu Yakupitiyage, New York Immigration Coalition

http://www.defineamerican.com/blog/p...hursday-sep-15


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thanuy@gmail.com; 413-687-5160