NATIONAL WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN for DIALOGUE
An Open Letter in Support of a Thoughtful, Constructive, and Respectful Debate on Immigration Reform
July, 2005

The undersigned individuals and organizations, who hold a variety of views on the policy issues in the nation’s immigration reform debate, believe that:

The United States is a nation of immigrants, and the role of immigrants throughout our history, in our present-day life, and into our future is worthy of respect.

Even as we honor our immigrant heritage, most Americans acknowledge that the nation’s immigration system is broken and badly in need of reform.

The most eloquent and tragic testimony to the need for reform is the alarming number of deaths at the U.S. - Mexico border, which exceeds an average of one per day.

Most Americans recognize that migrants risk their lives – and too often lose them – so that they may work and contribute to the United States and to the well-being of their families.

The security interests of the United States offer a strong incentive to adopt well-functioning immigration reforms so that the nation’s immigration system is safe, orderly, humane, and fair. Our immigration system must allow the government to thoroughly screen people entering the U.S. and to enforce reasonable immigration laws, while treating all migrants with dignity, fairness, and respect.

Americans have a moral imperative to engage in an immigration reform debate that moves us toward policy changes that effectively address these challenges.

Tactics like intimidation, violence, threats, and the spread of fear, hatred, and divisiveness are not conducive to the kind of rational, reflective debate that will produce solutions to these complex problems.

Americans of good will deplore these tactics in all forms, including the actions of individuals, commentators on the airwaves, and elected officials seeking to exploit community tensions.

Many Americans of good faith who hold a variety of policy views on immigration have begun to wear white ribbons as a call for prayer, reflection, and dialogue on this issue.

The National White Ribbon Campaign for Dialogue is a demonstration of the values we share and our desire for constructive and thoughtful discussion to advance the immigration debate in a way that strengthens our country, rejects fear and hate, and helps Americans arrive at solutions to these complex problems.

Signed,

National Organizations AFL-CIO American Association of People with Disabilities American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees American Friends Service Committee American Immigration Law Foundation American Immigration Lawyers Association American Jewish Committee Americans for Tax Reform American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs Catholic Charities, USA Center for Community Change Center for Community Change Fair Immigration Reform Movement Center for National Security Studies Center for New Community Episcopal Migration Ministries Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Hmong National Development, Inc. Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Laborers' International Union of North America Leadership Conference on Civil Rights League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Medical Mission Sisters Alliance for Justice Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Association of Social Workers, Inc. National Capital Immigration Coalition National Catholic Association for Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry National Center for Lesbian Rights National Coalition Building Institute National Council of Jewish Women National Council of La Raza National Fair Housing Alliance National Immigration Forum National Korean American Service and Education Consortium National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights NETWORK Organization of Chinese Americans People For the American Way Service Employees International Union Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants UNITE HERE International Union United Auto Workers YWCA USA

State & Local Organizations ALABAMA Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama ARKANSAS Center for Artistic Revolution ARIZONA Friendly House, Inc. Frontera de Cristo LULAC CALIFORNIA American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) San Diego Chapter AILA Northern California Chapter Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California Casa Familiar, Inc. Center for Training and Careers Inc. Central American Resource Center Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County Community Technology Foundation of California Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights Justice Overcoming Boundaries, San Diego County Korean Resource Center Love Sees No Borders LULAC Council #147, Santa Ana Mexican American Political Association Northern California Freedom Ride Coaltion Oblates of Mary Immaculate SER Jobs for Progress, Inc., San Diego County South Bay Forum Watts/Century Latino Organization COLORADO Mountain Foundation Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center Southern Colorado Center for Immigrant Resources CONNECTICUT AILA Connecticut Chapter Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc. Sisters of St Joseph of Chambery DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AILA Washington, D.C. Chapter Council of Latino Agencies Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care DELAWARE Latin American Community Center FLORIDA AILA South Florida Chapter Farmworker Association of Florida Inc. Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Housing and Education Alliance Human Services Coalition of Miami-Dade, Inc Latino Leadership, Inc. GEORGIA AILA Atlanta Chapter Catholic Diocese of Savannah Doctors for Global Health Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials Georgia Rural Urban Summit Women Watch Afrika, Inc. HAWAII AILA Hawaii Chapter ILLINOIS AILA Chicago Chapter Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Immigration Project Korean American Resource and Cultural Center Latino Coalition for Prevention INDIANA La Casa United Hispanic-Americans, Inc. IOWA Catholic Charities Immigration Outreach, Archdiocese of Dubuque Immigrant Rights Network Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault MARYLAND CONEXIONES Institute Justice Team, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Lahore Foundation, Inc. Latino Providers Network Organization of Chinese Americans, DC Metro Area Chapter Mercy Center Persuasive Information Public Justice Center Washington's Voz MASSACHUSETTS AILA New England Chapter East Boston Ecumenical Community Council Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) Massachusetts Latino Political Organization ONE Lowell MICHIGAN AILA Michigan Chapter MINNESOTA AILA Minnesota/Dakota Chapter Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis MONTANA AILA Missouri/Kansas Chapter Grupo Latinoamericano Manos Unidas Westside CAN Center MISSISSIPPI Catholic Charities Inc. Daughters of Charity of Jackson, Mississippi Office of Hispanic Ministry Catholic Diocese of Jackson NORTH CAROLINA Acción Hispana Centro Latino of Caldwell County, Inc. El Pueblo, Inc. Latino Ministry First Presbyterian Church North Carolina Justice Center North Carolina Latino Coalition Women's Center NORTH DAKOTA Fair Housing of the Dakotas North Dakota Human Rights Coalition NEBRASKA Mexican American Commission NEVADA East Las Vegas Community Development Corporation NEW YORK AILA NY EOIR/District Counsel/Asylum Committee Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc. Catholic Charities Diocese of New York Child Advocacy and Immigration Clinic Committee for Hispanic Children and Families El Centro Hispano Empowering the Korean American Community Fair Housing Council of Central New York, Inc. Hispanic Advisory Board Latin American Integration Center New York Civic Participation Project Rockland Immigration Coalition Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Rochester Regional Community YWCA of the Tonawandas OHIO Adelante, Inc Diocese of Cleveland Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network Justice Committee of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Cleveland Organización Cívica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc. OKLAHOMA Latino Community Development Agency LULAC Council OREGON Immigrant Rights Coalition of Oregon Latinos Unidos Siempre Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste PENSYLVANNIA APM, Inc. Latino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh RHODE ISLAND International Institute of Rhode Island SOUTH CAROLINA Agil Staff, Inc. Catholic Charities Office of Immigration Services South Carolina Hispanic Leadership Council TENNESSEE Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition TEXAS AILA Texas/Oklahoma/New Mexico Chapter Annunciation House, Inc. Arte Sana Casa Marianella Catholic Charities of Dallas Inc. Jovenes Inmigrantes por un Futuro Mejor RAIZ Public Relations & Special Events San Felipe de Jesus Catholic Church South Texas Immigration Council Texas Civil Rights Project UTAH Club de Mujeres Latinas Panorama News Utah Utah Coalition of La Raza Utah Issues Center for Poverty Research and Action VIRGINIA Inter American Development Foundation Kurdish Human Rights Watch, Inc. Refugee and Immigration Services Catholic Diocese of Richmond Tahirih Justice Center Unidad Cívica Peruana – DC Chapter WASHINGTON Arab American Community Coalition Campaña Quetzal Coalition Children's Alliance Sea Mar Community Health Center WISCONSIN Council for the Spanish Speaking, Inc. Federation for Civic Action, Inc. La Causa, Inc. MACAH en Español Milwaukee County Supervisor, District 12 Voces de la Frontera Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health WYOMING Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Individuals National Opinion Leaders Alex Aleinikoff, Dean Georgetown University Law School* Jeff Bell, Capital City Partners* Frank Carlucci, Former Secretary of Defense Christopher Edley, Jr, Dean UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law Tamar Jacoby, Manahattan Institute* Most Reverend Gerald Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson Most Reverend Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando * Organization for Identification Purposes Only Local Signatories Signers from 35 states and counting! Adler, Donna M. - IL Afzali, Aneelah - WA Aguilú, Rosa I. - WI Almeida, Christine - WI Alvarez, Camila - WI Anaya Valencia, Reynaldo - TX Arce, Cecilia - DE Arce, Lisa - WA Arellano, Teresa - CA Armando, Gonzalez - DE Armstrong, Andrea - AZ Ayala, Ignacio - WA Ayoub, Lena - CA Bales, Andrew J. - CA Baquero, Maria - NY Barajas, Karen - CA Barten, JoAnn L. - IA Battan, Lisa E. - CO Beehner, Kelley A. - WI Benefiel, Michael - MD Brogan, Carol - OK Brookins, Craig C. - NC Bussen, Jeanette - PA Campos, Maria - CA Carlisle, Kristin - TX Carver, Mary Kay - MD Cates, Eddy - WA Cohen, Robert H. - OH Cook Tucker, Judith - CT Cornejo, Natasha B. - DC Cronin, May - NH Crymes, Azure'De M. - WI Cuevas, Martin - CA Curray, Emily J. - CO Davenport, Beverly Ann - TX De Graaf, Kai W. - NY DeLeon, Jessica - WI Denaro, Rev. John E. - NY Di Angelo, Mary Jo - DE Diaz, Tatiana - PA Diaz, German - WI Dizinno, Janet - TX Dunning, Rosario E. - NM Ellis, KC - PA Espinosa, Luis - DC Farnsworth, Janice - SC Feinbloom, Jeffrey A. - NY First, Marie-Eleana - NY Flores, Ricardo A. - MD Fry, Brian - OH Gallagher, Rosemary M. - NC Gallegos, Juan A. - CA Garcia, Jorge - TN Garcia, Sonia R. - TX Garcia, Lorenzo - GA Gardner, Debra - MD Garibay, Julieta - TX Gentile, Victoria - CT Goetz, Anna Marie - PA Gomez, Jose Antonio - TX Graham, Angela - TX Green, Rebecca - WI Hardie, Shanon R. - WA Harding, Dale J - UT Harris, Jessica - IA Harrison, Beth Mellen - MD Hays, Jeanine - CA Hernandez, Zeke - CA Hess, Wendy - MD Hills, Elaine - NY Hinde, Peter C. - TX Hunter, Hillary - TX Imparato, Andrew J. - MD Irwin, Richard A. - CA Israel, Barbara - MI Johnston, Rosemary - CA Jones-Toleman, Judith K. - KY Joseph, Jeff - CO Joyner, LoraKim - TX Jung, Jean - WA Karpathakis, Anna - NY King, John Henry - MD Kinnicutt, Leiana - CA Lee, Dawn - CA Legomsky, Stephen H. - MO Leong, Mayling - OR Lin, Yi - NY Lipscomb, Allison - NC Lopez, Antonia - CA Lyne, Sheila - IL Lynn Robertson, Nancy - IA MacKenzie, Heather - NC Marcus, Grania B. - AZ Marin, Joenny - FL Martin, Christopher - UT Martinez, John - NM Martinez, Lisa Marie - CA McCauley, Barbara - UT McEnry Davis, Donald - CA McMillan, Sara - IA McNulty, T. Michael - MD Meillier, Mary L. - WI Mejia, Natalia - CA Meléndez, Bill - CA Miles, Ted - MD Minter, Shannon Minter - CA Mueller, Dick - IA Mulderick, Patricia A. - PA Ness, Brenda - WI Ness, Kimberly - TN Ni, Mary - MA Nietor, Andrew K. - CA Noble, Sarah D. - WI Odom, Alan - TX Oliver, Julia - NM Ortega Rodriguez, Ysaura - NC Palomo, Yesenia - UT Pastrano, Jose Guillermo - TX Patiño Stubbs, Ruth - UT Pena, Benigno - TX Perez, Janette - IN Petrucelli, Maria de los Angeles - DE Pierce, Richard W. - MI Plamer, Christina - TN Porras, June - TX Prado, Edith - DE Racette, Beth - WI Ramirez, Bernardo - MO Reyes Wenger, Rachelle - CA Rhey, Richard M. - AZ Riojas, Rogelio - WA Rivera, Alvaro - MN Rodriguez, Judith - NC Romero-Montoto, Primavera - WI Roncal, Carmen E - NY Ruiz-Weiss, Brandi - WI Russo, John - NM Ryan, Lucille - AZ Ryan, Ivanova - NC Salomon, Jennifer A. - TX Sanchez-Naert, Sandra - IA Sandoval Franky, Jairo - MD Schaub, Heather - WA Schrader, Mary - OH Schur, Jane - NY Scop, Jonathan - OR Scott, Mariatou - NH Sitko, Cindy - WA Slowik, Donald C. - OH Smith, Richard - MS Sok, Sophan - MA Souchet, Katherine - IN Steaffens, Ava - CA Sterling, Terri - ID Stern, Ken - CO Stuart, Charles E. - CO Tapia-Ruano, Carolina - IL Tellez, Sonia - WI Tenorio, Ramona C. - WI Thompson, Suzanne - PA Tom, Derrlyn - CA Torres, Maria Luisa - UT Torres, Raul E. - UT Torres, David J. - UT Townsend, Mary G. - MS Vail, Joseph A. - TX Valle, Laura - VA Vargas, Al - CT Velarde-Rivas, Angelica - CA Villaronga, Magdalena - CA Washington, Donald - NC Washington, Grace - NC Watrin, Jennifer - WY Weissman, Deborah M. - NC Wenger, Karine - CA Westby, Rev. Laura - CT White, Diane - AZ Willis, Robert J. - NC Wright, Patti - KS Yau, Edie - CA Zapata, Martha A. - TX Zuluaga, Juan F. - NC

...and individuals like you from 35 states and counting. To see a full list of signatories, go to The National White Ribbon Campaign website.

Join organizations and individuals nationwide. Sign on at: The National White Ribbon Campaign website.

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