i nterfaithimmigration.org - PowerPoint Presentation

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interfaithimmigration.org

Call and Webinar will begin on Monday, August 10th at 4 p.m. EST Immigrant and Refugee Communities and the Budget: Cut Backs, Carve Outs and Other RisksFor audio, please dial 805-399-1000 and enter access code 104402Audio Visual Link is at http://join.me/faith4immigration

4:00 Welcome & Overview—

Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Refugee & Immigration Ministries4:05 State of Play—Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy, Church World Service 4:15 Critical tax credits for working families—Amelia Kegan, Deputy Director of Government Relations, Bread for the World 4:25 Root causes of migration and treatment of immigrants- Alaide Vilchis Ibarra , Assistant Director, Migration Policy and Advocacy, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America4:35 Impact on refugee community —Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy

4:45

 Q&A/Discussion4:55 Close   

AGENDA

Anti-Immigrant Legislation: House

H.R. 3009, The Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act would withdraw and deny federal and state funding to states and localities that prohibit law enforcement from gathering information about individuals’ citizenship and immigration status. H.Amdt 352, an amendment to The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act would prohibit state and local law enforcement assistance from being used in jurisdictions where sanctuary policies are in place.

Anti-Immigrant Legislation - Senate

S. 1814, The Stop Sanctuary Cities Actwould prohibit jurisdictions with policies that foster trust between police and communities  from receiving certain federal funds for immigration enforcement and community policing. S.1812, ‘The Improving Cooperation with States and Local Governments and Preventing the Catch and Release of Criminal Aliens Act’ would deny federal funding to states and localities considered a ‘‘sanctuary jurisdiction.” This bill would also increase the mandatory minimum sentence to five years for individuals who re-enter the United States after being deported or denied entry into the United States. 

How you can help?

Call, write and meet with your Senators during August recess and early SeptemberCall: 1-866-940-2439Write: Organize a letter signing and letter drop – great toolkit and resources at www.interfaithimmigration.org/2015/08/05/august-recess-letter-drop-and-call-in-toolkit/ Meet: Use the Neighbor to Neighbor Toolkit at www.interfaithimmigration.org/neighbor-to-neighbor-toolkit-and-resources/ More information and call script at www.interfaithimmigration.org/issues/affirm-sanctuary/

Get fired up!

EITC and Child Tax Credit

Lift more people out of poverty than any other program in the U.S. (excluding Social Security).

9.4 million people

in 2013

5 million children

in 2013

Among children: evidence shows these credits help lead to better school

performance, higher college enrollment, and

higher earnings as adults.

Encourage

and reward

work.

Unless Congress acts, critical

improvements will soon expire

3 improvements set to expire in 2017:

1. Marriage penalty relief

2. Larger EITC for families with 3 or more kids

3. Allow families to count earnings below $14,700 towards the Child Tax Credit

Unless Congress acts,

16.4 million people

, including

7.7 million children

, will be pushed into or deeper into poverty.

50

million

people

,

including

25 million children

, would lose

all or part of their EITC or CTC.

What’s

Congress doing about taxes?

Popular tax breaks for businesses must be extended

Members of Congress want to make some permanent

Key question:

will they also make

the EITC and CTC improvements permanent?

Members of Congress are looking for offsets to pay for replacing sequestration cuts

Key question:

will they cut the CTC for immigrant families?

Fall of the Triple Cliff

Congress’ Fall Agenda

Budget

Sequestration cuts

Annual funding decisions

Debt Ceiling

Tax Policy (possibly with highway bill)

Other “must do” items, including child nutrition reauthorization

Message

Tell Congress:

Congress

must not

make

any tax break for

businesses

permanent without

making

EITC and CTC improvements permanent.

Oppose any cuts to the EITC or CTC, including any proposals to prohibit using an ITIN to claim the CTC.

Money for Central America and Mexico: Why should we care?

New # from UNCHR: 1,185% increase (2008-2014) in asylum applications by Central Americans to countries in the region other than the U.S. Children and families prevented from fleeing their countries in Central AmericaThousands of children detained and deported from MexicoThe U.S. government has pushed Mexico to continue to stop children“I very much appreciate Mexico’s efforts in addressing the unaccompanied children who we saw spiking during the summer.  In part because of strong efforts by Mexico, including at its southern border, we’ve seen those numbers reduced back to much more manageable levels. ” President Obama, January 6

What do we have on the table?

HouseFocuses on border security onlyConditions funding on:Improving border securityEnforcing laws and policies to reduce flow of migrantsCooperating with the U.S. to repatriate migrants SenateDollar-to-dollar cost matching requirementPlan must address poverty and violenceConditions 75% of funding on report showing progress:Supporting transparencyCombating corruptionLegal reforms 13

What do we expect?Likely a continuous resolution

Although funding levels might not change, some of the conditions could be addedBarriers Members of Congress not well educated about this Many believe U.S. public not aware

Refugee Appropriations

Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) Funds the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)refugees, asyless, SIVS, Cuban / Haitian entrantsunaccompanied children, unaccompanied minorstrafficking survivors, torture survivorsDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Labor / Health and Human Services billMigration and Refugee AssistanceFunds the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) in the Department of State (DOS)overseas protection assistance for refugees refugee resettlement processingReception and Placement (R&P) grant every refugee receives when arrive in U.S.State Department / Foreign Operations bill

Refugee Appropriations

Migration and Refugee AssistanceFY15: $3.06 billion OMB Request: $2.45 billionRefugee Council USA Needs Assessment: $3.3 billionHouse of Representatives: $3.06 billionSenate: $2.18 billionRefugee and Entrant AssistanceFY15: $1.56 billionOMB Request: $1.63RCUSA Needs Assessment: $2.1 billionHouse of Representatives: $1.43 billionSenate: $1.4 billion

How you can help?

Call, write and meet with your members of congress over August recess and early September to urge them to increase funds for refugee protection and resettlementGreat toolkit with resources and talking points at www.rcusa.org/wrd2015

18

Discussion TimeTo unmute yourself, please press *6 on your phone. This will allow you to ask a question or share your comments.

IIC Contacts by organization

African American Ministers in Action: Leslie Malachi, lmalachi@pfaw.orgAmerican Baptist Home Mission Societies of the American Baptist Churches, USA: (currently no contact available) American Friends Service Committee: Lia Lindsey,

llindsey@afsc.org

American Jewish Committee:

(currently no contact available)

Bread for the World Institute:

Marco

Grimaldo

,

mgrimaldo@bread.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):

Sharon Stanley,

sstanley@dhm.disciples.org

Christian Reformed ChurchKris Van Engen, kvanengen@crcna.org

Church of the Brethren:

Nate

Hosler, nhosler@brethren.org Church World Service: Jen Smyers, jsmyers@cwsglobal.orgColumban Center for Advocacy and Outreach: Elizabeth Nye Murphy, emurphy@columban.org Conference of Major Superiors of Men: Eli McCarthy

emccarthy@cmsm.org

Daughters of Charity:

Mary

Ellen Lacey,

Maryellen.lacy@doc.org

Episcopal Church:

(currently no contact available)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

:

Alaide

Lutheran Church

in American,

Alaide.Ibarra@elca.org

Franciscan Action Network:

Marie Lucey,

lucey@franciscanaction.org

Friends Committee on National Legislation:

Ruth Flower,

flower@fcnl.org

HIAS:

Liza Lieberman,

liza.lieberman@hias.org

Ignatian

Solidarity Network:

Christopher Kerr,

ckerr@ignatiansolidarity.net

Interfaith Worker Justice:

Michael Livingston,

mlivingston@iwj.org

Irish Apostolate USA:

Geri Garvey,

administrator@usairish.org

Islamic Information Center:

(currently no contact available)

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

(currently no contact available

)

Jewish Council for Public Affairs:

Jill

Borak

,

jborak@thejcpa.org

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

: Ann Scholz, SSND

ascholz@lcwr.org

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service:

Brittney Nystrom,

Bnystrom@lirs.org

Maryknoll

Office for Global

Concerns:

Judy

Coode,

jcoode@maryknoll.org

Mennonite Central Committee:

Tammy Alexander,

TammyAlexander@mcc.org

Muslim Public Affairs Council:

Hoda

Elshishtawy

,

hoda@mpac.org

Sisters of the Good Shepherd:

Larry Couch,

lclobbyist@gsadvocacy.org

National Council of Churches:

Russell Meyer,

rmeyer@floridachurches.org

National Council of Jewish Women:

Faith Fried,

Faith@ncjwdc.org

National

Justice for Our Neighbors:

Rob Rutland-Brown

,

rob@njfon.org

NETWORK Lobby:

Laura Peralta-

Schulte

LPeralta

@

networklobby.org

Pax

Christi:

Anne-Louise Nadeau,

anadeau@paxchristiusa.org

PICO:

Gordon Whitman,

gwhitman@piconetwork.org

Presbyterian Church, USA:

Teresa Waggener,

Teresa.Waggener@pcusa.org

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas:

Ryan Murphy,

rmurphy@sistersofmercy.org

Sojourners:

Ivone Guillen,

iguillen@sojo.net

3P Human Security

: Tom

Brenneman

,

cooperativebydesign@gmail.com

T’ruah

: The

Rabbinic Call for Human

Rights,

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-

Troster

rkahntroster@truah.org

Union for Reform Judaism

:

Jonathan

Edelman

jedelman

@

rac.org

Unitarian Universalist Association:

Jen Toth,

JToth@uua.org

United Church of Christ:

(currently no contact available)

United Methodist Church:

Bill

Mefford

,

bmefford@umc-gbcs.org

UNITED SIKHS

:

Anisha

Singh,

anisha.singh@

unitedsikhs.org

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Kevin Appleby,

kappleby@usccb.org

U.S. Jesuit Conference,

Shaina

Aber

,

saber@jesuit.org

World Relief:

Jenny Hwang

jhwang@worldrelief.org