The Time is NOW for Immigration Reform

CWA and the Democracy Initiative are fighting for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.

We've joined forces with the Alliance for Citizenship, a national coalition of unions and community, faith-based, immigrant and civil rights groups, and CASA de Maryland, a large community-based immigration rights and Latino advocacy organization.

Together, we helped organize the historic April 10th rally, which brought out more than 100,000 supporters to the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. And our coalition partners have held lobby days, fly-ins and vigils and initiated 60,000 patch-through calls to 29 targeted senators.

On June 27, the Senate finally passed S.744 by a bipartisan vote of 68-32. But when the House left for its August recess without taking action on immigration reform, the coalition prepared for home district mobilizations targeting 41 Republicans during the summer recess. On Aug. 1, following an act of peaceful civil disobedience, Capitol Hill police arrested 41 immigration reform leaders from CWA, CASA de Maryland, Campaign for Community Change, CHIRLA, AFLCIO, Sierra Club, SEIU and others. Then, over the Labor Day weekend, the labor movement held 170 more events. More than 600,000 people -- including 18,000 CWA activists -- signed petitions demanding that Boehner move to a vote on immigration reform.

As a direct result of the summer actions, House Democrats introduced H.R. 15, a comprehensive immigration bill modeled after S.744.

House Speaker John Boehner is expected to adjourn without taking any action on immigration reform. On December 12 all Republican members of Congress were visited by activists who delivered this message: Congress failed America but we will be back in 2014.

CWA President Larry Cohen joins Fast4Families