Wednesday, September 8th
"The Immigration Dilemna - The Untold Story"
Susan Simons of Susan G. Komen For the Cure, Central New Mexico is our sponsor.

Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town: 800 Rio Grande Boulevard, NW - Albuquerque, NM 87104
Registration for Luncheon and Networking: 11:15 AM
Luncheon and Program: 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Program: The Immigration Dilemna - The Untold Story
Luncheon: Members - $25 and Guests - $35, Walk ins - $45

The passage of the controversial Arizona statute ignited a firestorm of commentary and protest (on both sides) about long-simmering immigration issues facing the United States. The subtleties and complexities not always easily understood. We have invited a panel of experts to clarify for us some questions that our media may not always cover in depth, such as:
     *  The true scope of the Arizona statute…
     *  Whether the immigration application process is working well -- or broken...
     *  The challenges indigent immigrants with legitimate legal issues may face in securing legal representation.. .
     *  Whether all illegal immigrants struggle with poverty…
     *  And more.

Our Panelists include:
    *  Jennie Landau, attorney with Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services
    *  Rachel LaZar, executive director of the immigrant rights group El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
    *  Raquel Troyce, legal and medical Spanish interpreter and tutor, screen writer and artist
    *  (Invited): T.J. Wilham, Communications Director, City of Albuquerque Department of Public Safety


This month's program, brought to us by a panel of experts on all aspects of the immigration issue, will answer these question--and a few more. Our own Peter Rinn will moderate.


About our panelists:

Jennie Landau

 


Since 1999, Jennie Landau has worked with immigrants and refugees, many of whom have been survivors of torture and domestic violence. Before joining Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services, she worked with Catholic Charities in Albuquerque and for the International Institute of New Jersey in Jersey City. She earned both her Master’s and Law Degrees from the University of New Mexico, where she earned clinical honors and the Clinical Legal Association’s Outstanding Student Award. She is a past chair of the Immigration and International Section of the State Bar of New Mexico and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.

 

 

Rachel LaZar

New Mexico native Rachel LaZar is the co-founder and current executive director of El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos (The Center for Equality and Rights). El CENTRO is a grassroots, Latino immigrant-led organization that works with the Latino immigrant community and its allies to defend, strengthen, and advance the collective rights of communities in Central NM. El CENTRO has taken the lead in Albuquerque on the passage of some of the nation’s most progressive anti-discrimination policies. The Center is currently expanding its civic engagement model by launching a comprehensive immigrant center, “Encuentro” with two other ally organizations, Enlace Communitario, and Southwest Creations Collaborative..

Raquel Troyce

 Born in Guadalajara, México, a former illegal immigrant in this country and now an American citizen, Raquel Troyce currently serves as a contract Spanish/English and English/Spanish translator and interpreter. Her clients include the New Mexico state judicial system, the Children, Youth and Families Department, insurance companies, the University of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque. A professional writer, as well, she chronicled some of her immigrant experiences in an award-winning article, “I Had My Daughter Deported So She Could Stay,” which she is developing into a feature-length screenplay. She has won two awards from Southwest Writers for the Mainstream Novel and Non-Fiction Article categories.


Reservation Deadline: Friday, September 3rd by 5:00 PM (note new deadline)
All reservations must be made online at: Online Reservations
Print your online reservation email receipt, you MUST bring it in to expedite check-in.