Category: Uncategorized

(Washington, D.C.) – MALDEF President and General Counsel Ann Marie Tallman announced the Latino civil rights organization’s strong opposition to the enforcement-only immigration legislation introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

“The Sensenbrenner bill is more of the enforcement-only approach that has failed American communities, families and businesses over the past decade. It targets individuals who are present here due to labor demands and may be undocumented but are otherwise law-abiding and contributing residents. This ill serves the nation’s economic needs and ignores our country’s immigrant traditions,” said Tallman. “True leadership is needed to tackle this important issue affecting all of us. We call upon the Bush Administration and Congressional leaders to reject this approach and advance comprehensive reform that includes enforcement, an earned path to legalization for individuals to work and live lawfully, and labor law enforcement so that unscrupulous employers do not enjoy economic incentives through the exploitation of immigrant labor.”

Among the many anti-immigrant measures in the Sensenbrenner bill are provisions that would: 1) strip citizenship opportunities that are currently available to legal immigrants; 2) curtail fundamental Due Process rights in immigration proceedings; and 3) make it a criminal offense to remain in the country illegally after entering legally.

In addition, the bill would vastly expand the computer verification of all employees in the United States. “Expanding the so-called Basic Pilot Program will lead to errors and discrimination affecting U.S. citizens and legally authorized workers. It wrongly intrudes into union hiring halls and day laborer centers but does not keep unscrupulous employers from continuing to avoid the system,” observed MALDEF Senior Vice President for Law and Policy John Trasviña.

Eric M. Gutiérrez, Legislative Staff Attorney, noted that the bill not only fails to address core concerns in immigration reform, but at the same time, is both overbroad and dangerously narrow: “The bill limits the rights of legal immigrants while attempting to combat unauthorized immigration; yet it is unduly narrow because it focuses upon enforcement while ignoring the need for programs that would encourage legal immigration and naturalization.”

MALDEF continues to support the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bills sponsored by Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy and Representatives Jim Kolbe, Jeff Flake, and Luis Gutiérrez. These bills combine tough enforcement with realistic admission policies, have bipartisan support, and are workable.

A national nonprofit organization founded in 1968, MALDEF promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, higher education scholarships and when necessary, through the legal system.

[Press Release via email Dec. 7, 2005–gm]

San Antonio (Texas) – The recent disclosure that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Justice overruled the findings and recommendations of career attorneys that Texas congressional redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act provides more proof that Latino voters’s political strength was diluted in the 2003 redistricting plan.

“The memorandum makes clear that DOJ attorneys who initially reivewed the Texas redistricting plan agreed with MALDEF that it discriminated against Latino voters. Had the political appointees not intervened, the plan would not have gone into effect,” commented Nina Perales, MALDEF Southwest Regional Counsel and lead attorney for the American GI Forum of Texas and other Latino plaintiffs in the Texas redistricting litigation.

“The U.S. Supreme Court can and should take judicial notice of this new information in considering whether to grant a full hearing in our pending appeal,” continued Ms. Perales.

MALDEF filed GI Forum v. Perry, a challenge to the Texas congressional redistricting plan on behalf of Latino voters in 2003. Now consolidated with Session v. Perry, which features claims by African American voters and Democratic incumbents, the case is pending on direct appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A link to the Justice Department memorandum can be found at:

Click to access texasDOJmemo.pdf

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is a national non-profit, civil rights organization which protects and promotes the civil rights of Latinos through advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, higher education scholarships and, when necessary, through the legal system.

MALDEF Press Release via email Dec. 7, 2005–gm

Governor Schwarzenegger:

On December 13, 2005, the state of California will decide whether to execute Stanley "Tookie" Williams, or to grant him clemency. We urge Mexicanos, Hispanics and Latinos to pray for the life of Mr. Williams. My husband, Ramiro "Ramsey" Muniz, Mexicano political prisoner, has actively sent letters requesting that the life of Mr. Williams be spared. He has been holding daily prayer meetings among political prisoners for the life of Mr. Williams.

We recognize and thank individuals and groups including the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Bianca Jagger, the NAACP, Mike Farrell, Snoop Dogg, and William’s attorney, Peter Fleming, Jr. of New York.

Mr. Williams has written nine books that warn children not to join gangs. Supporters worldwide have nominated Mr. Williams for the Nobel Peace Prize five times. The nomination speaks of the reformed character of Stanley "Tookie" Williams.

Irma L. Muniz

http://www.freeramsey.com

Hermanos y Hermanas Mexicanos de Aztlan:

"The Mexikans (Mexicanos) lived the great philosophical themes with a keenness which no other civilization in the ancient world ever did. For them life was only a brief passage and nothingness ruled the world. But for the Mexikas, (me-shee-kas) those themes were not just philosophical ideas; they were a religion (spirituality), which gave meaning to every moment of their existence. Completely at the mercy of the gods, mortal men lived in somber devotion with a view to the supreme moment when they would once again be joined with their ancestors, in the timeless beyond."
–The Mexican Dream

My sisters and brothers, we are presently building a strong Nahualtan attitude in Aztlan and soon we will join nuestra raza in the Holy Land (Mexico). We must remember that our Nahualtan attitude and love in our hearts are the temple and mastermind. The Nahualtan mastermind has always been a harmonious alliance of nuestra raza in Aztlan and the Holy Land. Mexikan thought, culture and spirituality depend on this alliance.

The presence of our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land means a lot to me in terms of sharing our culture and spirituality. We must fashion our Mexicano spirituality with nuestra raza, or it will come to nothingness.

There are strong and determined Nahualtan men behind the walls and dungeons. This makes my life and work behind the wire worthwhile. In this development of our Sixth Sun cultural/spiritual movement we must become aware of Hispanic/Latino Pharisees, for they are ex-natives who will work against Aztlan consciousness.

"Every "la raza" political leader must be the representative of our cultural/spiritual enlightenment or "la raza" leadership is of no value."

There are many here in Aztlan preparing to carry out "La Profecia" de nuestra gente, as written in the Christian New Testament in the Book of John, which states, "The truth shall set you free." We have truth, destiny, faith, and love on our side and even from the dungeons of this oppressor I have witnessed the visions of the liberation of Aztlan. I have witnessed the reunion of our people in Aztlan with our raza from our Holy Land (Mexico).

I have witnessed our finally becoming one as we were from the beginning of our creation – Mexicanos/Mexicanas. We were no longer Chicanos, Hispanics or Latinos. We all finally became one and at the same time became one of the most intelligent races on this earth. We were now one! Somos todos uno! No longer were we divided by the oppressor in believing that we are different here, in Aztlan, and from our Holy Land of Mexico.

The time has come for us to embrace each other as one. We can no longer deny our ancient spiritual/cultural Mexika history. We cannot continue to deny the truth of our lives. Who are we? Why has it taken so long to accept the truth of ourselves? We can never be free nor will the liberation of Aztlan be a reality until we accept our existence on this world of ours.

In short, I proudly share the words of our last Mexicano Emperor, Cuauhtemoc, as he spoke to our ancestors knowing that at the end he would die at the hands of the oppressor.

"Fathers and mothers, do not forget to teach their children how it has been until now; this our beloved Anahuac — the defense and protection of our destiny and also our conduct that our ancestors received and our fathers enthusiastically planted into our being.

Now we mandate our children also not forget to transmit to their children how it will be, how we will reunite, how we will rise again, how we will reach out, and how we will fulfill the great destiny of our race."

Cuauhtemoc

"I have been sentenced to death imprisonment. May my Mexika blood be the seed for the Mexicano spiritual liberation of the rising of our Sixth Sun in Aztlan."

R. Muniz – Tezcatlipoca

http://www.freeramsey.com

[via email from Irma L. Muniz, Dec. 5, 2005–gm]