• Description

Advocates of comprehensive immigration reform have tried unsuccessfully since 2006 to get an immigration bill passed, first by the 109th and then by the 110th Congress. Now these advocates are using the sometimes painful lessons learned from their legislative battles to build alliances on a local and a national level and to bring together disparate voices. Seeking to overcome the hurdles involved in merging hundreds of organizations, several leading groups, including those who are cited in this article, have been working to develop a re-energized and re-focused structure that consists of "four pillars," which center around:

  • a more effective policy approach
  • more effective work in the media
  • a stronger grassroots effort better linked to the nationwide effort
  • successful efforts to promote citizenship and encourage civic participation