ACLU and AFL-CIO Press Conference on Immigration Reform

FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:Mandy Simon            
(202) 675-2312
                                  
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union and the AFL-CIO will hold ajoint briefing to discuss concerns with the current immigration legislationthis Thursday at 2 p.m. at the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.  Bothorganizations agree that immigration reform must reflect American values andmust not violate workers’ privacy through an intrusive, bureaucratic nationalID requirement. 

TheACLU and AFL-CIO believe that immigration reform should build a path towardscitizenship and not create new obstacles.  America has, and must remain, acountry that celebrates and welcomes those it draws into its borders. 

Speakerswill discuss the proposed Employment Eligibility Verification System, its lackof privacy protections, and its potential negative impact on all Americanworkers.  The program would require – for the first time – all workers toobtain a federal agency’s permission to work.  All employers would berequired to participate in a national employment eligibility verificationprogram and the impact on all Americans’ privacy and wallets could besignificant.  Conservative estimates place the cost of the system to be atleast $11.7 billion a year. 

  WHO:  Caroline Fredrickson, Director, ACLU WashingtonLegislative Office
    Jon Hiatt, General Counsel, AFL-CIO
    Timothy Sparapani, ACLU Legislative Counsel 
    
           WHAT: ACLU and AFL-CIO joint press briefing on immigration legislation

  WHEN: Thursday,April 20 – 2pm
 
WHERE: 915 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

To read more about the ACLU’s concerns with immigration legislation, please goto:
www.aclu.org/immigration <http://www.aclu.org/immigration>

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