Southwest Border Hearings
Border and Community Security and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Public Hearings for Texas, Southern New Mexico andArizona
What: Local Elected Official and Authorities (City, County,State and Federal Officials) of the Houston, West Texas – Southern New Mexico,and Southern Arizona are convening PublicHearings to listen to community concerns and testimonies as well as local ideasfor solutions to for border and community security and comprehensiveimmigration reform.
Localcommunity members are invited to share their experiences and proposals forimproving current border enforcement policies and practices and its impacts inborder communities including: border militarization, border operations andimmigrant deaths, violation of civil and human rights and accountabilityprocesses, local law enforcement agencies enforcing federal immigration laws,criminalization of immigrants, community security and border walls.
Immigrantand border community members are invited to share their experiences andproposals for comprehensive immigration reform. These hearings will collect andlisten to the inputs of border and interior residents in the issue areas oflegalization and access to citizenship, immigration flows and regulatoryprograms, immigrant workers’ rights, visas, family reunification, backlogs andadministrative reform.
Who: The listening panel of elected officials will be composedof local city mayors, members of the local city council, county officials(commissioners, judges and attorneys), state senators and representatives, andfederal representatives (House and Senate). Members of community organizations,academics, service providers, business owners, and others will present to thepanel verbal and written testimonies, proposed solutions and visions of thespecified issues and concerns.
Where and When:
El Paso – New Mexico: Saturday August 5th, 10am to 2 pm
(Tentativelyat El Paso Convention Center)
Contact:Fernando Garcia at (915) 577-0724 – Border Network for Human Rights
Houston, Texas: SaturdayAugust 5th, 2 pm to 6 pm (The Tejano Center)
Contact:Nelson Reyes at (713) 927-6451 – CARECEN
Tucson,Arizona: SaturdayAugust 19th, 10 am to 2 pm (Location to be confirmed)
Contact:Jennifer Allen at (520) 623-4944 – Border Action Network
Why: As the U.S. House of Representatives is holdinghearings regarding border security this summer, local border communities arestepping up to provide a genuine forum in which those that are directlyimpacted by border and immigration policies have an opportunity to expresstheir concerns and solutions for improved policies and practices. Localofficials recognize that while immigration and border policies are a federalissue, the tone of the debate as well as concrete recommendations for lasting,meaningful policy reform can and must prioritize the concerns, experiences andhopes of border and immigrant communities. As local officials convene thesehearings and listen to their constituents’ testimonies, a stronger relationshipand vision for border communities will be forged between the various sectorsand interests in our region. After the hearing, the panel of elected officialswill release a summary report of the outcomes, with special emphasis in policyrecommendations, solutions and vision.
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