Thousands Gathered to Restore Due Process for Immigrants

Washington, D.C. (Tuesday, April 10, 2007) – Due process and equal justice under the law are the centerpieces of conversations that began on the evening of April 5 in the "Night of 1,000 Conversations," addressing laws that unfairly target immigrants while denying America's core values. The nationwide event drew more than 5,000 people and was launched as Congress considers immigration proposals that advocates insist must safeguard the right of due process for everyone who calls America home.

"The overwhelming participation of people across the country in this event is just another sign of how out of sync our laws are with American ideals of liberty and justice," said Avideh Moussavian. Moussavian serves as director of immigration advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition and on the executive committee of the Rights Working Group, the nationwide coalition of more than 250 groups that organized the national movement through its Liberty & Justice for All campaign.

"The immigration debate is not only about how the government treats people in America, but also about what that treatment says about America as a nation," said Kerri Sherlock, the Rights Working Group's director of policy and planning. "These conversations are a vital step forward to restore due process to our legal system."

The priority of the Rights Working Group's Liberty & Justice for All campaign is to ensure that any reform of immigration law contains the following priorities:

1. Stop forcing judges from deporting immigrants without considering individual circumstances.
2. Ending unfair extreme punishment for minor offenses.
3. Stopping automatic imprisonment and deportation without due process.
4. Upholding the U.S. Supreme Court decision against indefinite detention of immigrants.
5. Protecting due process in immigration proceedings and making sure that judicial review is available.

"Our country was founded on the principle of equal justice under the law, and it is vital that we as Americans stand by our proud traditions," said Pramila Jayapal, executive director of Hate Free Zone in Washington state, which organized more than 120 conversations across Washington, Idaho and Oregon in conjunction with allies in those states. "We are elated at the response we have received from people concerned about these issues from all walks of life. More and more people are realizing that when due process is denied to some, all of our freedoms are at risk."

For further information, please contact Leonie Campbell at (202) 296-2300 x 135.