Missouri
Immigrant &
Refugee
Advocates

As many of you already know, HB167 – the English drivers license bill – was referred the Senate General Laws committee on the last day before the Senate adjourned for spring break.  Now that they are back, it is time to contact your senator and Senate leadership and ask them to stop this harmful bill.  It has never been so important to show our strength in numbers.

What can you do?  Call and email your senator and tell him or her to VOTE NO on HB167!  When you call, it is important to keep your message brief and polite, but include this information:

• Your name and where you are from
• A brief message on why you oppose the bill – including any first-hand experience you may have as an immigrant or as a friend or family member of an immigrant
• Make sure you state clearly that you are asking the senator to “VOTE NO on HB167″

You can find your senator here.

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MIRA is offended and appalled by remarks made Monday by Kansas State Representative Virgil Peck.  In committee discussion this week, Rep. Peck suggested that snipers from helicopters should be used to hunt down undocumented immigrants, similar to a state program that uses hunters in helicopters to control the feral pig population.  This kind of bigoted, violent rhetoric degrades legitimate discussion on solutions for our nation’s immigration policy, and should be unequivocally condemned by both sides of the immigration debate.

“I am disgusted by Rep. Peck’s remarks,” said Executive Director Vanessa Crawford.  “In a debate where our opponents frequently resort to slurs and stereotypes, suggesting that his state’s undocumented immigrants should be hunted down like pigs is a new and unimaginable low.  I would hope that anti-immigrant politicians and leaders around Kansas and the country would denounce this hateful speech and commit to civil, respectful dialogue.”

This week, tickets went on sale for the MLB 2011 All-Star Game.   While the All-Star Game is a highlight of the baseball season for many fans, this year it falls under the shadow of what has become a national symbol of discrimination by public officials.

This year’s game will be held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.   This, in spite of the fact that Arizona has been a lightening rod of international criticism for signing SB 1070 into law, creating some of the most discriminatory racial profiling policies in the country. Although some of the most egregious elements of the law have been held up by the courts, SB 1070 continues to exist as an obstacle in the daily lives of Arizona’s Latino and immigrant communities.  This unfortunate setting is especially ironic given the large percentage of Major League players who are themselves immigrants.

Arizona should not benefit from hosting the All-Star Game while SB1070 remains law.  Help us show the country this truth by boycotting the All-Star Game.

Boycott the All-Star Game on July 12th, 2011.