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Focus of the Project
Alabama Appleseed started working with the immigrant population of Alabama through our Hispanic Financial Access Project (2005) which quickly evolved into to our current Immigration Policy Project (2007 – present). This project promotes policies that advance fundamental fairness, due process, and respect for human rights while ensuring the legal rights of immigrants at the state and local levels, oppose any proposed anti-immigrant policies and laws that work against these values and promote social integration and civic participation.
Alabama Appleseed believes that sound immigrant policy development is critical in creating an environment in which immigrants are welcomed to participate in a community’s social, economic, and political life and will assist non-immigrant community members to adapt to their new neighbors and to build relationships that strengthen a sense of belonging and community. Such a welcoming and inclusive community environment will foster the acceptance of cultural diversity. Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ)
Alabama Appleseed, with the help of community partners, took the lead in creating the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) so Alabama could have an identifiable group working for pro-immigrant law and policy. ACIJ has grown to include more than 60 organizations and individuals throughout Alabama that provide a united voice to ensure the social, legal, and civic rights of Latino immigrants in Alabama; to promote equal participation and involvement; and to help facilitate the organizing and building of grassroots power and leadership within the Latino community. Our Partners
While we are not a direct service organization, through our coordination and participation with ACIJ, we have been able to foster and facilitate partnerships between direct service organizations across the state who otherwise would not work together. Our work is respected and recognized by our local peer groups including: Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU of Alabama, Federal Defenders Office, Central and North Alabama Fair Housing Center, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Latinos Unidos de Alabama, Catholic Diocese, Multicultural Resource Center and Huntsville Immigration Initiative among many others. Legislative Action
The work that Alabama Appleseed does is vital for the well-being of the immigrant population in this state. During the legislative session, we have monitored the status of anti-immigrant bills and coordinated various appearances at committee hearings by our coalition partners. We coordinated telephone and letter writing campaigns to directly address senators and representatives to oppose anti-immigrant bills. In 2007, the Alabama Legislature formed the Joint Interim Patriotic Immigration Commission (JIPIC) to evaluate the effects and current status of immigration in Alabama and report back to the 2008 Legislature with their findings and suggestions for possible legislation. In 2008, we saw 26 anti-immigrant bills introduced during the legislative session. In 2009, 22 immigration bills were introduced during the legislative session - 17 of those we considered anti-immigrant. In 2010, 23 immigration bills were introduced. Throughout the years, these bills sought to regulate employment, benefits and services for illegal immigrants, require any person 19 years of age or older to provide proof of being lawfully in the United States before receiving certain public benefits, require that any person who takes the driver's license examination take the examination only in English and the property of a person present in this state who is in violation of the immigration laws of the United States would be subject to forfeiture. To date, largely because of strong advocacy and sound legal arguments, which Alabama Appleseed often took the lead in developing, no anti-immigrant bills have passed.
Community Outreach
We have hosted or assisted in coordinating a number of financial literacy and “Know Your Rights” social service events around the state. We have participated in many events designed to reach out to the non-immigrant community where we seek to educate the non-immigrant community about the legal and policy ramifications of anti-immigrant laws and policies and dispel the myth-driven rhetoric spread by the anti-immigrant population. Our Alabama Appleseed staff has been seen on television, heard on the radio, and read in the newspapers. To date, we have developed various resources for the immigrant community, these include:
Financial Literacy information
Know Your Rights brochure
Deportation Resource Manual Welcoming Alabama Campaign
In February 2009, after conducting research on effective messaging content, we launched our state-wide Welcoming Campaign by placing 25 billboards in 11 different cities around the state reading “Thank You Alabama for Making My Family a Part of Yours” and “Embracing Alabama.” Identical images were printed on 11x17 posters and placed in strategic locations. Additionally, we hosted media training seminars with our community leaders and partners to provide instruction on media relations. Our campaign is directed at non-immigrant citizens of the state to create in their minds a positive image of immigrants and their contributions to American society and the state of Alabama. We continue this work though our affiliation with the national organization, Welcoming America. National and Regional Efforts
During the past year, Alabama Appleseed’s priority initiative for its Immigrant Policy Project has been to strengthen and utilize connections with various individuals and community organizations throughout Alabama seeking Comprehensive Immigration Reform and other national policies promoting immigrant integration. These national initiatives include the DREAM Act, restructuring and regulation of ICE’s policies and priorities and Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We have worked to develop a groundswell of grassroots support for these national reform initiatives and facilitate and coordinate the communication of this grassroots endorsement to the national level. In addition to working at the state level, we also engage with and support national organizations’ efforts dedicated to Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We actively participate with national and regional organizations including: National Immigration Forum, NCLR, FIRM/CCC, Reform Immigration for America, Welcoming America, and the Southeastern Immigrant Rights Network (with one of our staff serving on the regional steering committee). We continuously organize and energize community members (from both the Latino and non-Latino communities) to support national reform efforts – including CIR, DREAM Act, and measures to restrict and/or regulate ICE’s activities and priorities.
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