Team Leaders Guide Contents

Transcription

1 Team Leaders Guide Contents Introduction 2 Event Program 3 Team Leaders Guide: Step by Step 4 Step 1: Make appointments with legislators 4 Step 2: Review the legislative and budget priorities with your members 4 Step 3: At the State House 5 Meeting with your legislator: 4 basic tips 6 Step 4: After the meeting (or if you couldn t make it) 6 Think about other ways to impact legislators 6 Safe Communities Act Budget Advocacy 7 Budget priorities for Fiscal Immigrants are our Commonwealth factsheet 11 Host a NAIP AmeriCorps Member in ! 13 State House floor plan 14

2 Introduction MIRA is thrilled to welcome you and your group to Immigrants Day at the State House! Immigrants Day at the State House is an annual event that celebrates the progress and contributions immigrants have made to Massachusetts. It has traditionally been one of the largest advocacy days inside of the State House and the single largest immigrant advocacy day in the state. Immigrants and non-immigrants alike will come together to make sure their voices are heard on important issues. After a brief speaking program in the Great Hall, groups will head out to visit their legislators to advocate for legislation that positively impacts immigrant communities. The group leader plays a key role in the success of the advocacy day and the good experience of the groups. The group leader prepares the group to talk with legislators, makes appointments, and guides the visit on the day of the event. This guide outlines a few things you can do to prepare your group for a successful Immigrants Day, then walks you through the process of arriving at the State House and going to visit your legislators. You will find a copy of the speaking program, information on how to schedule meetings with your legislators, tips for how to speak with your legislators, and handouts on key budget items and Safe Communities. We end with some tips for follow-up and further action, and maps of the State House. Thank you for joining us! Let s go out and make our voices heard! Liza Ryan MIRA Director of Organizing 2

3 Event Program 10 10:50 am Arrival, registration, seating in Great Hall, and first legislative visits Please feel free to start with your visits as soon as you arrive. If you registered online, you do not need to register at the event. Packets are available online at 10:50 am Welcoming Remarks by Master of Ceremonies: Alejandra St. Guillen, Boston Mayor s Office of Immigrant Advancement Welcome from MIRA: Eva Millona, Executive Director, MIRA Coalition Pledge of Allegiance: Alejandra St. Guillen Senate Welcome: The Honorable Harriette L. Chandler, Senate President Special Remarks: Andrea Campbell, Boston City Council President Immigrant Stories: Palloma Jovita, Framingham State University senior and Dreamer Special Remarks: Secretary Rosalin Acosta, Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Immigrant Stories: José Palma, Massachusetts TPS Committee Special Remarks: Claude Toussaint, graduate, Haitian Multi Service Center How, What and Why are we lobbying for?: Liza Ryan, Director of Organizing, MIRA Coalition 12 pm 2 pm Break into groups by city/town to visit legislators and advocate for pro-immigrant policies (grab packets at the registration table if you didn t download already) 3

4 Team Leaders Guide: Step by Step Note: If you re getting this package at the State House, you can skip to Step 3, though you may also find Step 2 helpful. Step 1: Make appointments with legislators In preparation for the day of the event, please call the legislators who represent the district where your organization is located or where your group is from and schedule a meeting with them, preferably between 10 am and 2 pm on April 4. To find your legislators and their contact information, use this link: Usually a staff person will answer the phone, and you could say: Hi, my name is and I m leading a group of constituents who are interested in visiting the Senator/ Representative on April 4 to talk about [mention the issues]. We are available at [mention a time between 10 and your latest availability]. Can we make an appointment? If the legislator is not available that day, ask to meet with the chief of staff or an aide. Although is preferable to talk with the legislator, staff are also very helpful and will be able to pass the message to the Senator or Representative. Also, invite the legislator to attend Immigrants Day at the State House in the Great Hall from 11 am to noon. Once you ve made your appointments, please let us know whom you will be visiting and whether you need extra materials. We may also be able to put you in touch with other groups who might be visiting the same Senator/Representative. Step 2: Review the legislative and budget priorities with your group Take a look at the MIRA guides on Safe Communities and budget priorities (pages 7 and 9). Discuss as a group which ones are most important to your members and why. Choose the topics that are most relevant to your group and prepare members to discuss them with legislators. (Depending on your group s makeup, you may also be interested in talking about other topics, such as DACA, TPS, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, health care access, or reducing barriers to practice for foreigntrained professionals. ASK US if you want some extra materials on these!) Get your team prepared and excited to talk to their legislators about these issues! Ask them to think about personal reasons why the issues matter to them. You and your group don t have to be experts in the legal and technical details of the bill, but should be able to draw a personal connection to the issue. Personal stories are VERY powerful! Meeting with legislators can be anxiety-producing. A great way to get your members ready for a visit is to have them practice telling their stories. This can be done in a meeting before the day or even in the car or bus on your way to Immigrants Day! Here are some ways to prepare: 4

5 Think about your ASK what do you want the legislator to do about this issue? (For example: fund budget line item X at $35 million, or advocate for passage of bill Y.) Have members pair off into groups of two or three and talk about how the Safe Communities Act or a key budget item such as adult basic education/english classes affects you. Role-play a meeting with legislators, with one person acting as the legislator and the others telling their stories. Act out how you would enter the room, introduce yourselves, and talk with the legislator. Here are some roles the members of your group can have: Introduction lead: choose a person in your team that will ask for the legislator and introduce the team members and organization. Storyteller: this is what legislators will remember, select from your group the people that can tell stories about why these programs should be funded or these bills should pass or be removed. Direct ask: choose a person in your team that will make the concrete request or ASK the legislator s support on each topic. Translator: if needed, identify someone who can translate the messages to the legislators. Step 3: At the State House When you arrive, you and your group will go through the Hooker entrance and pass through security. Assure your group that this is a regular security procedure but the building is their house, and they should not feel constrained. No documents are required or questions asked. Please help your group to go through security faster by asking them to remove metal items from their pockets, taking off belts and having everything ready to pass through the scanner. Once you pass security, you will make a left to take the stairs or elevator to the 2nd floor, where the Great Hall ( Hall of Flags ) is located. If you registered online at you will have been ed a packet. Otherwise, you can get one at the registration table. Inside of the folders, you will find fact sheets about key budget items (page 7) and Safe Communities (page 9). We ll also have some additional materials available to help you advocate for other issues. The last pages of the packet are maps of the State House, floor by floor. Also in the packet, you will find a bright-green Report Sheet that will be collected by MIRA staff after your meetings, at the State House exit door (Hooker entrance). Please don t forget to fill it out! 5

6 Meeting with your legislator: 4 basic tips 1. You have the right to meet with a state senator or representative. Elected officials represent everyone in their district, citizens and non-citizens. The issues they vote on affect all of us, not just voters or citizens. The budgets and bills they vote on are funded through all our tax dollars, not just the taxes of voters or citizens. 2. Personal stories are the best. Legislators are more likely to remember the stories of real people than lots of technical datafor example, if cuts to healthcare mean you can t get insurance, share that. Make your story or presentation short and clear about how the program affects you. 3. Tell the legislator exactly why you want to talk to them. Tell the legislator that you specifically want support for the issues listed in your fact sheets. Don t expect to get an answer right away. Your legislators may not have made up their minds on all the issues. Ask if you can follow up on your meeting with a phone call, giving you another chance for a contact. 4. You don t need to have all the answers. Don t be worried if you do not know all of the answers. You can always tell your legislator that you will get back to him or her with more information. If questions come up, write them down on the Report Back form in your packet and a MIRA staff member will get back in touch with you or with the legislator. Step 4: After the meeting (or if you couldn t make it) Congratulations! Your advocacy is incredibly important! Your group should feel proud of your hard work. Take a moment to debrief, and make sure you handle the green Report Sheet to one of the MIRA staff when you exit the State House. Think about other ways to impact legislators Write letters or cards to your legislators. This is a great way to involve students or members of your organization/community who cannot come to Immigrants Day! Work with members of your organization to write letters or cards to bring with you. Make some calls! We need to make it clear to our legislators: doing nothing to support immigrants and refugees is NOT an option. Find your legislators phone numbers at To support Safe Communities, you can text SAFEMA to and fill in your information to get patched through. 6

7 In Trump s America, doing nothing is not an option. PROTECT IMMIGRANTS NOW! We CAN Pass Key Safe Communities Protections this year! 1. NO POLICE INQUIRIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS We can prohibit law enforcement agencies from inquiring about a person s immigration status unless required by law. 2. STOP COLLABORATING WITH ICE We can prohibit state and local contracts with ICE like 287(g) that deputize law enforcement with the powers to enforce federal immigration law at state expense. The current climate makes immigrants vulnerable to exploitation and crime domestic violence, wage theft, housing code violations, and other offenses go unreported because of fears that contact with police will lead to deportation and separation from family members, especially children. A cornerstone of Trump s expansive deportation project, these costly agreements co-opt public safety resources for immigration enforcement, and undermine community confidence in law enforcement. 3. PROVIDE BASIC DUE PROCESS PROTECTIONS When ICE wants to interview someone in police custody, we can require police to inform that person of their right to decline an ICE interview or to have their own attorney present. Noncitizens are often unaware that they have these rights. Miranda warnings are not constitutionally required to be given for civil immigration violations. Our jails are a major entry point into the deportation pipeline. Without these protections, people charged with minor offenses lose the right to challenge their deportation.

8 PASS PROTECTIONS FOR MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANTS THIS YEAR! The original Safe Communities Act is unlikely to advance this session, and the compromise House bill HD.4603, which would end the protections we have gained from the Commonwealth v. Lunn decision, raised too many concerns to win the Coalition s support. Still: Doing nothing to protect immigrants in the Trump era is unacceptable. State legislators must find a way THIS YEAR to advance key protections for immigrants, through the budget or other legislative means. THREE overlooked provisions of the Safe Communities Act have broad public support, and extend critical protections to all immigrants regardless of status. (See reverse for 3 provisions) ALL THREE were included in the original Safe Communities Act AND in the compromise bill recently endorsed by the two Massachusetts police chief associations. ALL THREE comply with federal law. Federal law prohibits limiting communications between local and federal agencies about immigration status. It does not require local law enforcement to collect this information. WHY WE NEED THESE PROTECTIONS Now more than ever, we need to send a powerful message to immigrant communities that in Massachusetts, our government serves and protects all state residents, regardless of their immigration status or where they come from. Immigrant state residents must be able to call 911, contact police, and get needed medical care without fearing separation from family members through deportation. We can t stop ICE from breaking up immigrant families in our state. But we don t have to help them do it. For more information, please contact: Amy Grunder, Dir. of Legislative. Affairs, MIRA Coalition, x222 or agrunder@miracoalition.org Gavi Wolfe, Legislative Director, ACLU of Massachusetts, x340 or gwolfe@aclum.org Aaron Agulnek, Director, Government Affairs, JCRC, or aagulnek@jcrcboston.org Maureen Gallagher, Policy Director, Jane Doe, Inc., or mgallagher@janedoe.org

9 105 CHAUNCY STREET 9TH FLOOR BOSTON, MA VOICE: FAX: Support investments in a diverse, welcoming Commonwealth! Please support these FY 2019 budget items: 1. Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) $500,000 for Line item (up $100,000 from FY18) An estimated 300,000 green card holders in Massachusetts are eligible to apply for citizenship. The Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) helps eligible low-income immigrants apply for citizenship with English and civics classes and provides legal assistance with the 22-page application, among other services. Participants in citizenship programs are likelier to succeed in acquiring citizenship. In FY 2017, CNAP providers served 2,460 clients with citizenship classes and application assistance 65% have already passed the naturalization exam, with the rest in process. 1 A $100,000 increase for CNAP in FY19 allows providers to address increased demand for citizenship services for eligible immigrants seeking greater civic engagement and the protections of citizenship. 2. Adult Education English Classes for Immigrants (ABE/ESOL) $34.5 million for Line item (up $4.9 million from FY18) Over one-third of the Commonwealth s 3.6 million workers need adult basic education and/or English classes to succeed in our modern workplaces, yet funding for these programs has declined 30% in real terms since Nearly 19,000 students are currently on wait lists, including 16,489 waiting for English classes alone. 2 Research demonstrates the positive economic impacts that would accrue to Massachusetts from clearing this backlog and getting everyone into English the classes they need. 3 The funding increase would help reverse the decline in investment, enabling thousands of immigrants to get better jobs, advance within their workplaces, strengthen their families economic security and as they earn more, pay more in state taxes. 3. Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault $37.6 million for Line Item (up $6.3 million from FY18) Immigrants who experience domestic violence or sexual assault often don t know how to get help, and even if they do, they may not be able to find someone who speaks their language and understands their culture. Historically, immigrants in Massachusetts have been twice as likely to be killed by a partner than native-born residents. 4 This budget line item funds a range of services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including culturally and linguistically appropriate 5 services for immigrant victims and survivors. These services save lives by providing crisis intervention and safety planning, as well as survivor advocacy with law enforcement, courts, and social services; outreach to isolated immigrant communities; training to service providers; and legal assistance. 1 Data provided by the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, January 10, Since naturalization is a multiyear process, the success rate for applicants will increase over FY2018. FY2017 data is the most recent available. 2 Adult and Community Learning Services, 3 The Boston Redevelopment Authority estimated in 2008 that eliminating ESOL wait lists would create 1,134 new jobs, increase the Gross Regional Product by $108 million, and create $9 million in additional state and local revenue. Boston Redevelopment Authority/Research Division, July On file with the MIRA Coalition. 4 Data provided by the Massachusetts Dept of Public Health on Oct. 20, Services provided in over 15 languages, including Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish, Vietnamese, Khmer, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Somali, Bahasa Indonesian, Malay, Congolese and Gujerati. SUPPORTED BY

10 4. Employment Support Services Program (ESSP) $1 million for Line Item (level funding) The Mass. Department of Transitional Assistance s Employment Services Program (ESP) provides cash assistance recipients with education, occupational skills and support services needed to acquire and retain jobs. The Employment Support Services Program serves clients with particular barriers to employment: immigrants and refugees who have neither English nor Spanish language proficiency. ESSP includes targeted services such as translation and training in vocational English critical for immigrants unable to participate in other ESP programs. Participants in ESSP programs have high job placement and job retention outcomes. For example, in FY 2017, 285 program participants were successfully placed in jobs even greater than in the previous year 6 and 95% were working in these positions 30 days later. 7 MIRA Coalition FY 2019 Budget Requests Budget Item FY17 Budget FY18 Budget FY19 House 2 Gov Budget MIRA s FY19 Request Increase over FY18 CNAP $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 $500,000 $100,000 ABE-ESOL Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Prevention & Treatment Services ESSP (within Employment Services Program Line ) $29,468,517 $29,632,378 $28,196,421 $30,907,153 $31,335,559 $34,111,883 $1 million for ESSP $1 million for ESSP $14,164,226 for full line item (no allocation for ESSP) $34.5 million without earmarks $37,611,883 without earmarks $1 million for ESSP $4,867,622 $6,276,324 $0 6 Reported by Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants on January 9, In FY17, 285 of the 436 clients enrolled in ESSP were placed in jobs. After 30 days, 268 of the 285 had retained their positions (id.).

11 105 CHAUNCY STREET 9TH FLOOR BOSTON, MA VOICE: FAX: Immigrants are our Commonwealth The world comes to Massachusetts 1 1 in 6 Massachusetts residents is foreign-born: 1.1 million people, or 16.5% percent of the population; another 1 in 7 are U.S.-born but have at least one foreign-born parent. Half of our state s immigrants and refugees have arrived since 2000 and almost a quarter (24%) since More than half (53%) are naturalized U.S. citizens. 28.5% of children in Massachusetts have at least one immigrant parent, and 80% of children of immigrants under 18 are U.S.-born. Massachusetts foreign-born population is particularly diverse, with no nationality making up even 10% of the total. The top countries of origin for immigrants here include China, India, Brazil, Portugal, Haiti, Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, El Salvador and Canada. The most immigrant-rich communities in Massachusetts are Chelsea (44%), Malden (43%), Everett (41%), Lawrence (37%), Revere (35%), Lynn (32%), and Randolph (30%). Immigrants and refugees strengthen our economy 2 Immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts are likelier to be of working age than U.S.-born residents 80% vs. 64%. They re a significant part of our workforce: 1 in 5 workers in the Commonwealth was born in another country. Immigrants and refugees living in Massachusetts have over $31 billion in spending power each year. The world s inventors thrive in Mass. MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) leads the U.S. in patents, with 168 in 2011 alone and 72% of those were by foreign-born inventors. Mass. immigrant and refugee households earn $42.9 billion a year and pay $8.4 billion in federal and $3.5 billion in local and state taxes, plus Social Security and Medicare. 68,700 entrepreneurs in Massachusetts, or one-fifth of the total, are foreign-born; they employ over 134,000 people and generate $1.9 billion in business income. In addition, 58% of Massachusetts-based Fortune 500 businesses were founded by immigrants or their children. 28% of science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) jobs in Massachusetts are held by immigrants; in addition, 33% of STEM master s students and 36% of STEM Ph.D. students are foreign nationals. Immigrants play a key role in a wide range of occupations: they re 59% of medical and life scientists, 49% of cooks, and 48% of nursing, psychiatric and home health aides. Find more facts about immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts:

12 Immigrants and refugees strengthen our society Even as the U.S. population ages, immigrants are keeping Boston and Massachusetts young and growing. The median age in Boston is only 32, compared with 38 for the U.S. and 39 for Massachusetts. 3 Three quarters (76%) of the state s net population growth in was due to foreign-born people. 4 Immigrants and refugees also keep our knowledge-based economy thriving; without them, there would be an ever bigger shortage of STEM and healthcare professionals in the Commonwealth. 5 Undocumented immigrants are a vital part of our economy 6 Most undocumented immigrants are in the U.S. to work and support their families. They very often pay taxes, but are barred from obtaining public benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. Undocumented immigrants work throughout our economic sectors, including high-skilled and STEM jobs, and own thousands of businesses in our state. If all unauthorized immigrants went away, our economy would lose $9 billion, or 2% of our GDP, and about 55,000 jobs. Immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are integral parts of our economy. Nearly 20,000 Massachusetts residents stand to lose their work permits and face deportation with the end of DACA and TPS. Undocumented immigrants pay state and local taxes Along with federal taxes, in 2015, undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts paid an estimated $81.8 million in sales and excise taxes, $42.5 million in personal income tax, and $60.3 million in local property taxes. Immigrants are law-abiding people Several studies have shown that immigration is associated with lower crime rates in major U.S. cities. 7 Immigrants also have significantly lower rates of incarceration than U.S. citizens: 0.47% for documented immigrants vs. 1.53% for U.S. citizens; the rate for undocumented immigrants is 0.85%, or 0.5% if immigrationrelated detentions are excluded. 8 Immigrants make our Commonwealth stronger! Note: This factsheet was last updated on April 2, Most data here are taken from the Migration Policy Institute, supplemented by the American Immigration Council, and cityby-city data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2 The Partnership for a New American Economy, 2018, Source for box: Mass. Technology Leadership Council, 3 The Importance of Immigrants to Boston s Continued Prosperity, presentation by Alvaro Lima, Director of Research, Boston Planning & Development Agency, at a Boston Foundation forum, April Migration Policy Institute, 5 The Partnership for a New American Economy, 2018, 6 Center for American Progress, Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, DACA and TPS data based on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) statistics showing 5,900 DACA recipients and 12,326 TPS holders as of fall See 8 Cato Institute, 2017,

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14 BASEMENT State House floor plan Ashburton Entrance N O T H R U To access rooms in other wing, you must go up to SECOND Floor, walk over, and go back down. W A Y FIRST Floor N O T H R U Hooker Entrance (Beacon Street) W A Y To access rooms in other wing, you must go up to SECOND Floor, walk over, then return downstairs 14

15 SECOND Floor Immigrants Day Event THIRD Floor 15

16 FOURTH Floor FIFTH Floor 16