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description
Late last year, the Texas legislature passed a series of bills targeting migration at the Texas-Mexico border. This included Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which criminalizes anyone suspected of crossing the border without authorization to enter or re-enter into Texas. Since then, a series of legal decisions have created confusion and uncertainty. Similarly, Florida has passed legislation targeting community IDs and driver's licenses for immigrants and criminalizing the transportation of undocumented immigrants into the state.
As battleground border states, Florida and Texas have had an immense influence across the country, as other states have stood up similar anti-immigrant bills. Most recently the governor of Iowa signed SF2340, a bill which made it a state crime for immigrants with prior deportation orders from the U.S. to reside in the state. The Louisiana governor recently introduced SB 388, which, as in Florida, criminalizes undocumented immigrants entering or reentering the state. Meanwhile, Georgia has introduced legislation to punish local governments for having sanctuary city policies.
In an election year when immigration is the top issue in the minds of many voters, these policies exacerbate xenophobic, anti-immigrant, and racist sentiments that further dehumanize and criminalize immigrant and refugee communities while also expanding state powers to detain, deport, and terrorize undocumented individuals. To respond to this moment, organizations are leveraging different strategies–from litigation to organizing–to prevent the implementation of these policies and create a more welcoming country for all.
Join us for a panel conversation with frontline leaders, which will be followed by a funder-only discussion.
speakers
- Jennefer Canales- Pelaez, Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
- Erica Johnson, Founding Executive Director, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ)
- Dauday Sesay, Founder & Executive Director, Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI) & National Network Director, African Communities Together (ACT)
moderator
- Cairo Mendes, Senior Director of State and Local Programs, GCIR
co-Sponsor
registration
Register by 5pm PT on Wednesday, May 29th
transparency commitment
Thank you for your interest in this program. GCIR's webinars and funder learning opportunities are made possible through the time and expertise of presenters from the field. In the spirit of transparency, GCIR will make available the list of webinar participants to presenters upon request, unless the registrant requests to remain anonymous (to register anonymously for this program uncheck the box "show in roster").
Photo by Joe Flood on Flickr, is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.