Petition
In October 2009, a RITA delegation delivered to the two Texas Senators a petition signed by 25,000 Texans asking for comprehensive immigration reform before joining other delegations in a widely televised rally organized by Reform Immigration for America in Washington, D.C.
Here is the text of the petition:
Petition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform 2009
Dear United States Senators John Cornyn & Kay Bailey Hutchison:
We, the undersigned Texas residents, believe Texas must be a leader in fixing our broken immigration system with fair, humane and sensible policies that foster America’s strength, security and prosperity. And, we believe that it is of the utmost importance that the issue be addressed this year.
Immigrants are a vital part of our community and contribute to our economy and richness of our culture. Nonetheless, everyday millions of families in the Lone Star State are impacted by unjust immigration policies.
As you and other members of the Senate and Congress convene to begin the discussion on immigration, we strongly believe that immigration reform should contain the outlined elements described below.
• Provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country.
• Keep families from being separated by immigration laws and reduce the current “backlogs”.
• Respect civil liberties and rights during immigration enforcement and detention and deportation proceedings.
• Protect community security by building the trust of local communities, including the immigrant community, to fight terrorism, crime, and violence.
• Establish a responsible and accountable border policy through consultations with border communities.
• Support immigrant integration by providing sufficient resources for immigrants to engage economically, civically, and socially in our society.
• Develop a practical system for future workers based on the reality of our economy and the needs of our families.
• Recognize the need to address the root causes of migration through long-term solutions.
We expect you to uphold and support this comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
