ADL co-sponsored a National Council of Jewish Women/ Los Angeles community program focused on Immigration Reform on June 24.
The event featured a panel of community leaders who reviewed this major domestic issue by outlining the current status of the immigration framework, analyzing implications for the future, and discussing how best to work toward achieving comprehensive immigration reform. Panelists included ADL’s Regional Director Amanda Susskind, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles Political Director Apolonio Morales, API-Equality Executive Director Eileen Ma, and National Immigration Law Center Staff Attorney Nicholas Espiritu. The panel was moderated by freelance journalist Jeffrey Kaye.
Panelists addressed the current status of President Obama’s executive orders, the challenges currently facing the undocumented community, and ways that grassroots organizing has, and will continue to, shape the federal immigration policies. Susskind focused on the importance of this issue for the greater community and explained ADL’s layered advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform through legislative advocacy, legal briefs, public education and training.
Panelists encouraged community members to advocate for this important reform by talking to friends and family and by reaching out to local elected officials and representatives in Congress. Attendees were encouraged to sign a letter of support for Senator Ricardo Lara’s bill that would expand health care coverage for undocumented Californians.
ADL has supported meaningful immigration reform that honors our values as a nation of immigrants. ADL supports a comprehensive approach to reform that includes (1) a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, (2) fair treatment and equal access to human services for immigrants, and (3) a sound border security strategy. To learn more about ADL’s work in this field, please visit: http://www.adl.org/civil-rights/immigration.