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| "Remember that when you say, 'I will have none of this exile and this stranger for his face is not like my face and his speech is strange,' you have denied America with that word." -Stephen Vincent Benet What does it mean to be an "American"? Haven't all of our ancestors stemmed from some form of immigration to this wonderful country of diversity and freedom? Recently, we have seen many protests by illegal immigrants to veto the Sensenbrenner Bill approved by the House of Representatives and soon to be reviewed in the Senate. Some of the measures of this bill include: Building a 700 mile border wall between Mexico and the United States, criminalizing illegal immigrants with individual felonies, felonies to anyone who "assists" them, and employers who hire illegal immigrants can also have a felony, local police would help enforce the new immigration laws. If this does pass the Senate, we, as counselors, could also face felony charges for any clients we work with or "help" who are illegal. Since the Hispanic population has grown in the state of Kansas, I know several of you have worked within your communities to develop partnerships and advocacy groups for the Hispanic population. Please help us veto this bill by contacting your senators and telling them how you feel about this issue. Here are some websites that might help you learn some more about immigration law and even how to contact your senators. www.uscis.gov United States Citizen ship and Immigration Services website has "Faces of America: New Citizens Unique Stories" and "Quick Civics Lessons" plus much more information www.aila.org American Immigration Lawyers Association has senator contact information and other data www.ailf.org American Immigration Law Foundation has information for educators and current grants to help with education and awareness about immigration law and resources. www.iwj.org Interfaith Worker Justice |
| A Branch of the American Counseling Association |