Migration and Refugee Services/CLINIC National Conference

"Immigration: A 50-State Issue"

January 11-13, 2012
Salt Lake City, Utah, “Home of the Utah Compact”

The conference focused on state and local immigration measures as well as federal/state enforcement partnerships.  It provided an opportunity to discuss advocacy strategies and to share lessons learned.   

Videos of Panel Presentations:

Bishop Wester's Keynote Address

Immigration Laws and their Impact on the Church

State Immigration Laws (Enforcement, E-Verify, Public Benefits and Education)

Communicating the Message: How to Win the Battle in the Media

Proactive Strategies/Lessons Learned From Different States

Conference Information:

Conference Announcement

Conference Agenda

Memorandum from Archbishop José H. Gómez

Conference Resources:

E-Verify

1. National Immigration Law Center: “Costly and Ineffective: What Arizona’s Experience with Mandatory E-Verify Teaches Us” (May 2011)
2. National Immigration Law Center: “Expanding E-Verify Will Undermine Job Growth and Cripple Small Business” (January 2011)
3. Letter from Liberty Coalition to Members of Congress regarding opposition to H.R. 2164 the “Legal Workforce Act”
4. Letter from the National Small Business Association to Members of The House of Representatives opposing the “Legal Workforce Act” (H.R. 2885)
5. National Immigration Law Center: State E-Verify Laws Map
6. National Immigration Law Center: State Laws Concerning E-Verify (updated October 25, 2011)
7. Testimony of Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and Chair, USCCB Committee in Migration, on the National Employer Electronic Verification System (E-Verify) before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement (February 10, 2011)

Parental Rights, Public Benefits and Education

1. Women’s Refugee Commission: Torn Apart by Immigration Enforcement: Parental Rights and Immigration Detention
2. Women’s Refugee Commission: “Protecting Parental Rights: Safety Planning for Parents”
3. Yali Lincroft, MBA and Ken Borelli, ACSW, LCSW, First Focus: “Public Benefit and Child Welfare Financing,” in Caught Between Systems –  The Intersection of Immigration and Child Policies
4. Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.: “Unauthorized Immigrants and the Right to Marry”
5. National Immigration Law Center: “State Campaigns on Education for Immigrant Students Gain Momentum in 2011” (August 2011)
6. Presentation by Wendy Cervantes, Vice President, Immigration & Child Rights, First Focus: Advocating for Education and Public Benefit Access for Immigrants at the State Level

State Immigration Laws: General

1. National Conference of State Legislatures: 2011 Immigration-Related Laws and Resolutions in the States (Jan. 1 – Dec. 7, 2011)
2. Presentation by Karen Siciliano Lucas, State & Local Advocacy Attorney, Center for Immigrant Rights, CLINIC: Immigration Enforcement at the State and Local Levels: What Should I Know?
3. Statement of Most Reverend John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, on April 28, 2010 opposing the enactment and implementation of Arizona’s SB 1070
4. Welcome Address, Most Reverend John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, at the January 2012 MRS/CLINIC Conference: “Catholic Public Policy and State Compacts”

Federal/State Enforcement Partnerships

1. Letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano from Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration, expressing continued concern regarding the Secure Communities program
2. Statement of Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration, on the Secure Communities program, submitted to the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement (November 30, 2011)
3. Presentation by Allison J. Posner, Director of Advocacy, CLINIC: Community Advocacy Against Harsh Enforcement

Comprehensive Federal Immigration Reform and General Resources

1. Migration and Refugee Services/Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs (USCCB):  2011 Enforcement of Immigration Laws
2. Migration and Refugee Services/Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs (USCCB):  Issue Briefing Series, Issue #1: “Why Don’t They Come Here Legally?”
3. Migration and Refugee Services/Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs (USCCB):  Issue Briefing Series, Issue #2:  “Birthright Citizenship: The Real Story”
4. Letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano from Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration, applauding the Obama Administration for its recent steps toward helping immigration enforcement personnel
5. Catholic Social Teaching and Migration
6. Church supports humane, comprehensive solution to immigration issue
7. US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Elements Necessary in a Just Immigration Reform Proposal
8. US Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services: Enriching Our Diversity – A Parish Outreach, Education, and Organizing Manual (in support of the Justice for Immigrants Campaign of the USCCB)
9. Cardinal Theodore McCarnick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C., testimony on behalf of the USCCB Committee on Migration regarding the U.S. Catholic Church’s perspective on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
10. USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services: Talking Points on Immigration
11. USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services: Talking Points on Immigration and Economy (2009)
12. The Utah Compact: A Declaration of Five Principles to Guide Utah’s Immigration Discussion
13. Zogby International: Final Results from Survey of Nationwide Catholics (October 28, 2008)
14. The Tarrance Group Memorandum: Key Findings from the USCCB FOCUS Groups
15. Letter from 10-year-old Jadon to President Obama regarding father’s deportation
16. Most Reverend John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City: “Answering tough questions about immigration” (May 16, 2010)

Justice for Immigrants' Photos of the USCCB/CLINIC Conference Salt Lake City

Tips for Planning a “Know Your Rights” Presentation to Members of the Immigrant Community