Community Advocates Join Inauguration Activities Calling on Senators Kaine and Warner to Act on DREAM Act
RICHMOND, VA (SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018)– As hundreds of immigrants become vulnerable to deportation every week, community advocates across Virginia are outraged by the lack of commitment from Senators Kaine and Warner on the DREAM Act. Both Senators were among a handful of Democrats who voted last December on the spending bill that did not include the DREAM Act. Community groups across the Commonwealth are asking these Senators to be on the right side of history and do everything in their power to pass the DREAM Act with the January 19 spending bill.
On Saturday, January 13, undocumented activists and allies from CASA in Action, United We DREAM and the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) will be holding a series of activities:
9:30am: INAUGURAL CEREMONY AND PARADE at 1000 Bank St, Richmond
United We Dream will lead the effort to ensure presence of support to act on the DREAM Act.
2pm to 5pm: CANVASSING SENATOR KAINE’S NEIGHBORS, We will gather outside Kitchen 64 on 3336 N Boulevard, Richmond
Activists from CASA in Action and NAKASEC will be speaking with Senator Kaine’s neighbors in Richmond. We will be informing them about Senator Kaine’s position on the DREAM Act and encourage them to urge him to vote next week on the spending bill only if the DREAM act is attached. (Note that last Wednesday, these organizations canvassed Senator Warner’s neighborhood in Alexandria).
7pm: INAUGURAL BALL at Main Street Station:
We will be asking gala attendees to urge Senators Kaine and Warner to vote NO on the January 19th spending bill if it DOES NOT include the DREAM Act.
Statements
“As we enjoy today’s inauguration for Dr. Ralph Northam as our Governor, we cannot simply take a break to achieve justice for all Virginians. We are asking our Senators – both present at this inauguration – to show leadership on the DREAM Act by voting on the spending bill only if the DREAM Act is attached,” stated Luis Aguilar, a DACA recipient from Virginia and Organizer for CASA in Action.
“We are calling on Senators Kaine and Warner to put Virginian families ahead of politics. We are urging them to be in the good side of history by voting on the spending bill next week with the DREAM Act attached,” stated Sumi Yi, a Virginia constituent and Community Organizer for NAKASEC. “This is the time for leadership. Let’s act now on DREAM,” concluded Yi.
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CASA in Action
With nearly 100,000 lifetime members, CASA in Action is the largest electoral organization fighting for immigrant rights in the Mid-Atlantic region. CASAinAction.org
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
Founded in 1994, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)’s mission is to organize Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (Hana Center) and Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center). For NAKASEC photos and videos, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
United We Dream
United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, a powerful network made up of over
400,000 members and 48 affiliate organizations across 26 states. UWD’s vision is to build a multi-racial, multi-ethnic movement of young people who organize and advocate at the local and national levels for the dignity and justice of immigrants and communities of color in the United States. You can find more about UWD online at www.unitedwedream.org.