The following is a press release from Alliance 4 Citizenship:
Broad Coalition Mobilized Tens of Thousands at 1200 Events During “Immigration Reform Summer,” Vows to Increase Pressure Until There’s a Vote this Fall
Immigration reform supporters this August organized an unprecedented level of activity around the country to keep pressure on Republicans and House leaders to move reform with a path to citizenship. From town halls to community forums and prayer vigils to pilgrimages, reform supporters were out in full force, while opponents of immigration were barely visible.
The pro-reform movement is bigger and broader than ever, encompassing both labor and business groups, religious denominations from across the spectrum, alongside immigrant and civil rights organizations. Groups in support of immigration reform brought the call for citizenship to target members across the country, with much of the activity focused in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas, Florida, New York, and North Carolina. To provide a sense of just how powerful the coalition has become, here are some numbers that help tell the story of August recess:
Number of Republicans who’ve come out for citizenship: 25
Number of events organized: 1,194 in 41 states
Number of town hall meetings attended by reform supporters:132 in 29 states targeting 62 members of Congress
Number of Congressional visits: more than 350
Number of petitions gathered in support of citizenship: more than 600,000
Number of contacts to Congress through email, fax, and phone: 81,466
Number of state-level press hits generated: 588 in local newspapers in 38 states
Momentum on the anti-reform side was noticeably absent as organizers canceled numerous events for lack of participation and the events that did remain drew mere handfuls of people.
And, August recess was just the beginning. As beltway pundits continue to cast doubt on the prospects for reform in what looks to be a crowded fall calendar in the House of Representatives, immigration advocates will only be raising the stakes from here. With 200 Democrats in support of immigration reform with a path to citizenship and 26 Republicans and counting, the votes to win are there. Reform supporters simply won’t stop the fight until a vote is called.
The Alliance for Citizenship and its allies across the country are planning more mobilizations this fall, including a day of action on October 5 where rallies will be held in more than 60 cities and a mobilization at the Capitol on October 8 where tens of thousands of immigration reform supporters will remind House leadership that our movement is not going away until we get a vote on citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans.
View more on the untold stories of Immigration Reform Summer
Select press coverage of immigration during August recess:
Arizona Republic: ‘Anti-amnesty’ movement failing to pick up steam
September 1, 2013
By Dan Nowicki and Erin Kelly
NBC Latino: An August surprise? ‘Avalance of opposition’ didn’t happen, say immigration reform advocates
By Sandra Lilley
August 29, 2013
Associated Press: Voices Opposing Immigration Law Muted This August
By Erica Werner
August 22, 2013
The Atlantic: Immigration Reformers Are Winning August
By Molly Ball
August 21, 2013
Politico: Anti-immigration reform’s laid-back summer
By Anna Palmer
August 20, 2013
Washington Times: Immigration reformists gain American support, try to turn opponents
By Stephen Dinan
August 26, 2013
Washington Post: Immigration-overhaul advocates make big August push
By Holly Yeager
August 13, 2013
ABC News: Republicans May Be Changing Minds on Immigration Reform
By Serena Marshall
August 8, 2013
New York Times: Catholic Leaders to Take Immigration Push to the Pews
By Ashley Parker and Michael Shear
August 21, 2013
Associated Press: Kevin McCarthy’s District And Office Met With 1,500 Immigration Activists
By Gosia Wozniacki
August 14, 2013
MSNBC (Maddow Blog): The anti-immigration forces fail to show up
By Steve Benen
August 21, 2013
Washington Post (Blog): A conservative Christian in a deep red district makes case for immigration reform
By Greg Sargent
August 23, 2013
