Action Item: Town hall meetings

[pappu]

Several town hall meetings are being held across the country where we can talk to the lawmakers in public. Please contact your state chapter leader to find the schedule. Please let us know your feedback after you have come back from the meeting. If you do not have a state chapter contact Immigrationvoice and we will let you know the schedule in your state.

It is advised that everyone joins their state chapters to get such updates every month. If you do not have a chapter you can start one by contacting Immigrationvoice

[nogreen4decade]

Hi pappu, Do you know if Arizona has a state chapter?

[pappu]

Hi pappu, Do you know if Arizona has a state chapter?

ImmigrationVoice.org - Immigration Voice State Chapters (http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=52)

[StarSun]

1. Be Prepared Come with thoughtful arguments, good data, and persuasive stories. This will help you be remembered.

2. Consistent Advocacy: Think in advance how a policy might affect you, your family, business, or community. IV advocates for legislative changes, as it is the only hope for actually clearing the back logs in the long run. Our objective is to get country caps eliminated in the employment based category. I will be able to help you on this effort one on one, if needed. Turn all personal stories into stories of the community - revert to an "us/we" mode - which shows that there are many more who suffer like you.

3. Use Numbers: If You Have Them Let the legislator know how many more people you represent. Use numbers by saying things like, "Wait periods for us stretches for more than 10-12 years, and sometimes with no job mobility"

4. Be Respectful: It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to your grocer or a public official – starting any conversation with another person in a rude manner is not a very effective way to persuade them.

5. Go in Groups: Attending in large numbers is a good way to get attention and send a “listen to us” message that is sure to be heard.

6. Talk to every staff member in town hall meetings: Tell them your story before the meeting (also ask a public question during the meeting) and get their business cards.

7. Leave Advocacy Material: Any documents passed to state-based staff will likely be faxed to the Legislative Assistant in Washington who covers your issue.

8. Follow Up: An elected official often responds to an individual who just follows up with a phone call a few weeks after attending a meeting.

9. Get your friends to multiple meetings: Hearing the same thing in different places reinforces the importance of your issue to the legislator and staff members.

10. Send your feed backs Send to Advocacy Day Feedback (http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=132) on IV pages.

Some of these meetings are in the evening hours too, so please make use of it.

[StarSun]

If you are not sure of your state chapter, please contact me.

[StarSun]

Contact me or your state chapter leader for more info on the schedules.

Find your Representative or Senator (http://immigrationvoice.capwiz.com/immigrationvoice/dbq/officials/)

Alabama: Rep. Bright

Arkansas: Rep. Ross

California: Rep. Honda, Rep. Stark, Rep. Lungren, Rep. Royce, Rep. Speier, Rep. Thompson, Rep. Farr

Colorado: Rep. Perlmutter

Illinois: Rep. Davis

Indiana: Rep. Hill

Maryland: Rep. Edwards

Minnesota: Rep. Ellison

Montana: Rep. Rehberg

New Jersey: Rep. Lance, Rep. Holt

New York: Rep. Higgins

Ohio: Rep: Wilson

Oklahoma: Rep. Lucas

Oregon: Rep. Schrader

Pennsylvania: Rep. Murphy

Texas: Rep. Burgess

Vermont: Sen. Sanders

Virgina: Rep. Moran, Rep. Perriello

Wisconsin: Rep. Senesenbrenner

Many of these townhall meetings are in the evening or over the phone and/or on multiple dates - this is something that you can fit in your schedule. Being active on such efforts will help.

[gk_2000]

Hi guys

I tried contacting the state chapters using the email addresses given here. However the following emails bounced. I request IV to update or correct these:

<puneet@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.21 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <puneet@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.21.

<pancham@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.3 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <pancham@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.3.

<santhi@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.3 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <santhi@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.3.

[StarSun]

The State Chapters are being updated. In the meanwhile, please contact me for schedule details for the town hall meetings. They are for the months of July and August. Do not miss the opportunity of engaging your representative and senator - advocating for immigration reforms.

[Rajeev]

The State Chapters are being updated. In the meanwhile, please contact me for schedule details for the town hall meetings. They are for the months of July and August. Do not miss the opportunity of engaging your representative and senator - advocating for immigration reforms.

The bill for employment-based green card is already introduced in the house on 07/01/10

Bill Text - 111th Congress (2009-2010) - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5658:&wwparam=1279883606)

The bill H.R.5658. has all the provisions that we can think of
1. Increase of visa numbers from 1,40,000 to 2,90,000.
2. Family counted as one.
3. Green cards for persons with Masters degree from US.
4. Green cards for persons with Master degree in STEM field froma foreign country and having 3 years of US experience.
and many more favorable provisions.

If this bill becomes law, all retrogression will end.

Why are we not talking about this bill and instead asking representatives and Senators to bring immigration reform? Am I missing something?

[vbkris77]

Well you are clearly missing the fact that we are not congressmen to take up the bills at our convenience. :p

The fact of the matter is Some or other provision is proposed in all the congress terms but never made a law. We need to ask them to take up immigration issue and solve it fully.


The bill for employment-based green card is already introduced in the house on 07/01/10

Bill Text - 111th Congress (2009-2010) - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5658:&wwparam=1279883606)

The bill H.R.5658. has all the provisions that we can think of
1. Increase of visa numbers from 1,40,000 to 2,90,000.
2. Family counted as one.
3. Green cards for persons with Masters degree from US.
4. Green cards for persons with Master degree in STEM field froma foreign country and having 3 years of US experience.
and many more favorable provisions.

If this bill becomes law, all retrogression will end.

Why are we not talking about this bill and instead asking representatives and Senators to bring immigration reform? Am I missing something?

[willigetgc?]

The bill for employment-based green card is already introduced in the house on 07/01/10

Bill Text - 111th Congress (2009-2010) - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5658:&wwparam=1279883606)

The bill H.R.5658. has all the provisions that we can think of
1. Increase of visa numbers from 1,40,000 to 2,90,000.
2. Family counted as one.
3. Green cards for persons with Masters degree from US.
4. Green cards for persons with Master degree in STEM field froma foreign country and having 3 years of US experience.
and many more favorable provisions.

If this bill becomes law, all retrogression will end.

Why are we not talking about this bill and instead asking representatives and Senators to bring immigration reform? Am I missing something?

True the bill was introduced in the House in Dec 2009. However, it has not seen daylight even in the committee it was referred to. Nancy Pelosi has stated that she will not bring immigration issues for a vote unless the Senate tackles immigration first. Senate on the other hand cannot realistically take on immigration if it cannot even get a cosponsor from the other side of the aisle - without the republican support, any immigration bill will fail ===> LEADING US BACK TO ONE!

If only legislators can work on our schedules.........

[StarSun]

The list will be constantly updated, please contact me for details.

[India_USA]

The list will be constantly updated, please contact me for details.

Any such meetings in Texas? Are these town hall meetings conducted by senators too or is it just representatives?

[cbcbbbaba]

Indiana Congressman Baron Hill is holding his tonight. It's a phone-in town hall meeting where you have to pre-register.

Who can tell me what the estimated total number of people is who are currently in some stage of the EB green card system? If I get an opportunity to speak, I want to quote this number.

[StarSun]

Added

CA: Rep. Farr

TX: Rep. Burgess

Many of these meetings are in the evening and//or over the phone. Please make the time for advocacy efforts that will benefit you as well as everyone in this community.

[mayhemt]

U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess : 26th District Of Texas (http://burgess.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=200177)

[StarSun]

Find Your Legislator (http://immigrationvoice.capwiz.com/immigrationvoice/dbq/officials/)

Ohio: Rep. Wilson

Massachusetts: Rep. Tsongas

Vermont: Sen. Sanders

Legislators are hosting town hall meetings in their local districts in public places and/or via telephone. There are multiple dates and times when these meetings are held, including evening options.

This is a great opportunity for IV members to actively advocate for changes in immigration policy to the very people who are responsible to bring about these changes. As a constituent each of you wield a lot of power - use it.

Contact me for the town hall schedules.

[Kushal]

Find Your Legislator (http://immigrationvoice.capwiz.com/immigrationvoice/dbq/officials/)

Ohio: Rep. Wilson

Massachusetts: Rep. Tsongas

Vermont: Sen. Sanders

Legislators are hosting town hall meetings in their local districts in public places and/or via telephone. There are multiple dates and times when these meetings are held, including evening options.

This is a great opportunity for IV members to actively advocate for changes in immigration policy to the very people who are responsible to bring about these changes. As a constituent each of you wield a lot of power - use it.

Contact me for the town hall schedules.

I'm in. Let me check the dates at CA.

[Kushal]

Contact me or your state chapter leader for more info on the schedules.

Find your Representative or Senator (http://immigrationvoice.capwiz.com/immigrationvoice/dbq/officials/)

Alabama: Rep. Bright

Arkansas: Rep. Ross

California: Rep. Honda, Rep. Stark, Rep. Lungren, Rep. Royce, Rep. Speier, Rep. Thompson, Rep. Farr

Colorado: Rep. Perlmutter

Illinois: Rep. Davis

Indiana: Rep. Hill

Maryland: Rep. Edwards

Minnesota: Rep. Ellison

Montana: Rep. Rehberg

New Jersey: Rep. Lance, Rep. Holt

New York: Rep. Higgins

Ohio: Rep: Wilson

Oklahoma: Rep. Lucas

Oregon: Rep. Schrader

Pennsylvania: Rep. Murphy

Texas: Rep. Burgess

Vermont: Sen. Sanders

Virgina: Rep. Moran, Rep. Perriello

Wisconsin: Rep. Senesenbrenner

Many of these townhall meetings are in the evening or over the phone and/or on multiple dates - this is something that you can fit in your schedule. Being active on such efforts will help.

Let me know how to find the dates for the meetings. I will make myself available.

[StarSun]

These meetings are between Aug 18 through Sept 25. I will post any additional meetings as they come. There are multiple meetings with some of the Representatives and Senators. Please contact me and I will provide you with more details.

Find your legislator (http://immigrationvoice.capwiz.com/immigrationvoice/dbq/officials/)

Sen. Coburn (OK)
Sen. Hohanns (NE)
Sen. Hagan (NC)
Sen. Ensign (NV)
Sen. Sanders (VT)

Rep. Bartlett (MD – 6)
Rep. Barton (TX - 6)
Rep. Blackburn (TN - 7)
Rep. Coble (NC-6)
Rep. Culberson (TX-6)
Rep. Green (TX-29)
Rep. Jenkins (KS -2)
Rep. Luetkemeyer (MO- 9)
Rep McHenry (NC-10)
Rep. Perrillo (VA -5)
Rep. Ross (AR-4)
Rep. Adler (NJ – 3)
Rep. DeFazio (OR -4)
Rep. Gingrey (GA – 11)
Rep. Manzullo (IL – 16)
Rep. McHenry (NC-10)
Rep. Davis (IL- 7)
Rep. King (IA – t)
Rep. Lungren (CA -3)
Rep. Neugebauer (TX-19)
Rep. Polis (CO-2)
Rep. Wilson (OH – 6)
Rep. Bonner (AL – 1)
Rep. Ellison (MN -5)
Rep. Farr (CA – 17)
Rep. Stark (CA – 13)
Rep. Sullivan (OK – 1)
Rep. Barrett (SC – 3)
Rep. Higgins (NY – 27)
Rep. Sherman (CA – 27)
Rep. Altmire (PA – 4)
Rep. Heinrich (NM – 1)
Rep. Platts (PA – 19)

Legislative changes can really solve the problems that the legal immigrant community faces. For these changes to happen, we need to first educate our legislators on our problems and seek their support on our solutions.

[kk_kk]

Anu,

I have sent an e-mail to you about a week back about how I can involve in IL town hall meetings. Can you please send me the process.

Thanks

[gc_peshwa]

Anu
What should we speak when we are at the town hall meeting? Is there a flier/dossier that we can talk about? I am sorry if I missed out on this information.
Also is someone coordinating these meetings on a state chapter level or are we supposed to casually stop by and present a strong case to the congressman?

[santb1975]

Thanks

Hi guys

I tried contacting the state chapters using the email addresses given here. However the following emails bounced. I request IV to update or correct these:

<puneet@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.21 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <puneet@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.21.

<pancham@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.3 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <pancham@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.3.

<santhi@immigrationvoice.org>:
74.208.5.3 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 <santhi@immigrationvoice.org>: invalid address
Giving up on 74.208.5.3.

[StarSun]

Anu
What should we speak when we are at the town hall meeting? Is there a flier/dossier that we can talk about? I am sorry if I missed out on this information.
Also is someone coordinating these meetings on a state chapter level or are we supposed to casually stop by and present a strong case to the congressman?

Please contact me at 202-386-6250 or PM me with your ph # and I will go over the details on attending the town hall meeting.

[nc14]

Anu,

Can you please tell when and where are the meetings going to be held in Ohio and if we have other people from Cincinnati willing to attend the meeting?

Thanks as always.

[H1B_CIVIL_ENGINEER]

I got a chance to ask questions in a telephone Town hall meeting with Rep. Kenny Marchant (R) from Texas today. I tried a couple of times yesterday but could not get through, but got through today.
I asked about the congressman's thoughts on fixing the legal immigration system. Specifically, I mentioned that I have been in the US for 10 years and have a Masters' degree from a US university and that my expected wait time for a greencard is possibly 30 years ( I am in EB-3). I asked him if he would consider removing per country limits on greencards. I also asked if he would support the proposals by other congressmen to let people with Masters from US be exempted from the greencard quota.

He said something like this "It is good that you were able to come here and get your Masters degree, but there is a lot of unemployment in the country right now and I am not in favor of any expansion of legal immigration". That was pretty much all he said.

The telephone town hall does not give you an opportunity to respond right there, so I could not respond to the congressman right away. Obviously, eliminating per country limits is not an "expansion" of the legal immigration, so I want to write to him and explain the same. But, looks like will not support an exemption for people with Masters degrees from US from greencard quotas.

Those who are planning to call into the town hall meetings should try to mention the recapture issue and also make a case for job creation by starting businesses etc. Otherwise, the response will be tepid like in this case.

[pappu]

I got a chance to ask questions in a telephone Town hall meeting with Rep. Kenny Marchant (R) from Texas today. I tried a couple of times yesterday but could not get through, but got through today.
I asked about the congressman's thoughts on fixing the legal immigration system. Specifically, I mentioned that I have been in the US for 10 years and have a Masters' degree from a US university and that my expected wait time for a greencard is possibly 30 years ( I am in EB-3). I asked him if he would consider removing per country limits on greencards. I also asked if he would support the proposals by other congressmen to let people with Masters from US be exempted from the greencard quota.

He said something like this "It is good that you were able to come here and get your Masters degree, but there is a lot of unemployment in the country right now and I am not in favor of any expansion of legal immigration". That was pretty much all he said.

The telephone town hall does not give you an opportunity to respond right there, so I could not respond to the congressman right away. Obviously, eliminating per country limits is not an "expansion" of the legal immigration, so I want to write to him and explain the same. But, looks like will not support an exemption for people with Masters degrees from US from greencard quotas.

Those who are planning to call into the town hall meetings should try to mention the recapture issue and also make a case for job creation by starting businesses etc. Otherwise, the response will be tepid like in this case.

It also shows the work that lies ahead to educate such lawmakers on our issues

[StarSun]

Anu,

Can you please tell when and where are the meetings going to be held in Ohio and if we have other people from Cincinnati willing to attend the meeting?

Thanks as always.

First of all, please find out who your representative is, and then see if he/she is listed above. Second, we need state chapters to be active so that members can find other members to go into meetings (be it at town hall or at local district offices)

I will be calling you on this matter.

[LONGGCQUE]

Anu, I was looking into IV state chapters and found none for Nebraska. Do we have a state chapter for Nebraska as i would like to join. Do we have more members from Omaha, Lincoln so that may be we can pool together and attend a townhall for Ben Nelson or Mike Johanns.

[ryan]

Several town hall meetings are being held across the country where we can talk to the lawmakers in public. Please contact your state chapter leader to find the schedule. ...

If you do not have a chapter you can start one by contacting Immigrationvoice

Please advise how, or whom to contact at the NJ chapter. Perhaps you have posted the info in the past, and I may have missed it. Thanks.

[pappu]

Please advise how, or whom to contact at the NJ chapter. Perhaps you have posted the info in the past, and I may have missed it. Thanks.

Please contact Starsun (IV coordinator)