April Recess Toolkit
Immigration Campaign
CONTENTS
April Recess Overview
Materials
§ Legislative Visit Tips
§ Town Hall Tips
§ Media Advisory Template
§ Digital Tools
§ Talking Points
§ Senate Bill Q & A
April Recess Overview
Congress’ April Recess (April 25th – May 5th) is a crucial time in the campaign, as we now have legislation to fight for and the antis have legislation to fight against. An immigration reform bill was introduced on Wednesday, April 17th and will go through the Judiciary Committee for mark-up beginning the week of May 6th. This is a period where the Committee Members will read through every line of the 844 page-immigration reform bill to understand the bill and make changes, amendments to the bill. We know that opponents will try to distort what is in the bill and try to kill it by proposing poison pill amendments. The bill is not perfect. We as a movement must work to improve the bill as the legislative process unfolds.
We are recommending the following activities for groups and individuals who want to help influence their legislators during April recess:
1. Legislative Meetings
Organizations are scheduling meetings with their representatives during this time to share individual stories and press for immigration reform.
2. Town-hall Coverage
We are working with our partners across the country to identify as many Member-sponsored town hall dates and locations. Our goal is to have a group of diverse representatives attend each town hall and urge Senators/Congress members to pass immigration reform.
3. Calls to Congress
Organizations are scheduling call-in days to their Representatives to press for immigration reform dialing 866-563-5608.
4. Education Workshops on the Immigration Reform Bill
Organizations are scheduling educational workshops to help community members understand what is currently in the bill and explain the legislative process on how a bill becomes a law.
5. Civic engagement
It is important for us to continue to remind elected officials about the 2012 election and how much the immigrant vote mattered and will matter in the future. We will be kicking off voter registration and canvass drives along with call-in days during April Recess.
If you would like more information on how to get involved with a local event, please contact Jorge Neri at
And if your organization has an event planned and would like to share details with other members of the Alliance for Citizenship, please visit our website and complete this form: April Recess Field Activities
Once you complete your legislative visit, please complete a legislative report back form: Legislative Report
Note: If you use the HUB or Quickbase, please continue to report activities there.
Legislative Visit Tips
How to Meet with Your Legislator
· Arrive early and as a group.
o Remember that you are not the only people meeting with the legislator and staff that day. Arriving early may give you extra time and always makes you look more professional. Late group members should politely wait outside the office rather than interrupt a meeting in progress.
· Introduce yourselves.
o Briefly introduce yourselves individually and be sure to include your organization’s name and where you are from.
o Have your group leader explain that you represent an important voice in your legislator’s district.
· Keep your presentation simple.
o Create your talking points in advance. Know your facts and have your information easily at hand. Stay away from using acronyms.
o Tell powerful stories. Stories are one of the most effective ways to leave a lasting impact on legislators and congressional staff. A powerful story creates an emotional connection to an issue and links it to deeper values and personal experience.
o Seek concrete commitments. Come prepared to ask your legislator to take specific actions in support of your issues (e.g., introduce or cosponsor legislation, vote in favor or against a specific bill, communicate support to House or Senate leadership or head of a specific committee). Seek clear yes or no responses to your asks, and be prepared to follow up.
o Stay positive. If a legislator or their staff ask questions you cannot answer that day, feel free to let them know that you could send them that information when you return to their district.
o Stay polite. You might disagree with a legislator or their staff; if so, make your point and move on. You want to inform them of your position and make them feel comfortable going to you as a source of information in their district.
o Listen well. Let them ask questions. You may find new opportunities to interact with the legislator.
Sample Introduction to Legislator or Staff Member
Hello Mr./Ms. ______. I’d like to first thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. My name is ______. Our group has come from [STATE] for the in support of common-sense immigration reform. We come from different organizations, but together we represent an important voice in your district. During our time with you today, we’d like to discuss our concerns about and proposals for addressing ______[state your group’s priority issues].
Sample Legislative Meeting Request Letter
April XX, 2013
The Honorable First Name Last Name
Address
Address
Dear Senator/Representative Last Name:
On behalf of Group Name, located in City, State, I am writing to request a meeting with you and your staff on the morning of Day, Month, 2013 to discuss issues pertinent to the immigration reform bill.
Along with # members of Group Name and other leaders from the state, I will be in City/District, State during April Recess. Group Name the xx and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for xx Americans (Make this specific to your organization). On Date, more than # representatives of xx community-based organizations across the country will be in lead May Day events to raise awareness and support for legislative issues affecting the immigrant community on May 1st. In an effort to connect communities and citizens with their government, we wish to discuss issues and legislation, including immigration reform and secondary priority issue(s), which concern the immigrant population in State.
We are excited about this opportunity to speak with you and help shape a policy agenda that benefits all Americans. Please contact me at phone number or email address if you have any questions. I will follow up with your office next week. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Town Hall Tips
Generally, town hall meetings offer three opportunities for your voice to be heard:
1. Raise your hand; ask a question.
Best case scenario: the Member actually wants to hear from constituents (rare, but it can happen).
2. Submit questions in writing beforehand.
Member gets to answer only those questions he or she want to answer.
3. Yell.
If they are only taking questions – and not yours – in writing, or hand picking from their supporters, you have only one choice. Shout stuff out. Don’t be shy. We are fighting people who are not afraid to be rude. Fight back.
Here are some suggestions for all three scenarios:
1. Oral questions: Make a point in the form of a question, quickly.
What do you want to do with the 11 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom have lived here for over a decade, and contribute to our economy and society?
What do you have to say to families who live in constant fear of being torn apart? Or to parents and children who have already been separated through the deportations and detentions of adults who, other than their immigration status, did not commit any crimes?
Deportations are higher than ever under the Obama administration, while border-crossing has reached a 40 year low. Since the border is largely secure, would you oppose a trigger mechanism in immigration reform?
2. Written questions: Make a point in the form of a question, with a little more detail.
According to various polls, a majority of Americans support a pathway to citizenship. Mitt Romney’s “self-deportation” plan was by and large rejected. Where do you stand on an earned pathway to citizenship for the undocumented members of our community?
In an unprecedented demonstration of unity between labor and business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO issued joint principles on immigration reform last week. If these constantly conflicting entities can do it, why can’t Congress work together and find common ground?
3. Yelling: They’ll do it, so we have to, too.
Holding Members Accountable
Make your voice heard at a town hall
Attending town hall meetings, asking tough questions and making your voices heard, over and over again, is the single most effective way to ensure that Congress takes up a vote on immigration reform legislation and that Republicans or swing votes will feel comfortable voting in favor of common-sense immigration reform. If your Representatives believe that their constituents feel passionately about the need to pass common sense immigration reform – so strongly that they could lose their seat for failing to listen – they will make sure their leaders know.
Below are a few tips for effectively making your voice heard at a town hall meeting.
In a nutshell:
1. Get there early
2. Sit near microphones if they are set up
3. Go with questions already written on index cards, so you have them on hand if they ask for written questions
4. Ask questions that include facts
5. Don’t all sit together
6. Refuse to stop speaking if you have something to say
In more detail:
1. Get there early. Chances are that you weren’t invited to the meeting and had to dig up information.
There’s a reason for that. They will try to pack the place with supporters, and turn you away at the door. You’ll need to be there at least an hour early to have even a decent chance of getting in.
2. Sit by the microphone. If there is one set up, plant yourself near it so you don’t end up in the back of the question line. If other people start lining up to ask questions before they are invited to do so, you should too.
3. Come with questions written down on index cards. Some members will try to control the questions by taking them in writing. If you have yours all ready to go when you get there, you have a better chance of getting it read.
4. Have a few fun facts at your fingertips. In the majority of polls Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. For example, this month alone: a Bloomberg poll showed 53% of Americans in support of a pathway to citizenship, a Washington Post/ABC poll showed 55% of voters supporting a path to citizenship, and a Quinnipiac poll demonstrated 56% of Americans in support.
5. If you come with friends, don’t all sit together. There is strength in numbers, even perceived numbers. If you are literally all over the place, the opposition will feel like you were figuratively all over the place.
6. Don’t allow yourself to be interrupted. Tea partiers and right-wing extremists have a lot of practice booing and hissing over the sound of your voice. Don’t be surprised if they start yelling at you mid-question, but don’t stop asking it. Keep talking, even if they are. You have every right to ask your question. You have every right to be heard. If you still have something to say, by all means, keep talking.
7. Refuse to take a non-answer for an answer. Ask your question, then wait for the response. If you don’t get an actual answer to the question, say so, while standing up. Don’t be afraid to say “Member of Congress, that doesn’t answer my question,” and repeat it. Remember, these people work for you!
8. Ask questions that tell the story. Often, Members of Congress will read the written question out loud. So write down questions that make your point. Instead of, “please explain whether you support immigration reform,” ask, “do you support the separation of families caused by our broken immigration system?”
9. If there is no chance to ask questions, ask them anyway. Members of Congress who don’t want to answer tough questions have all kinds of ways to keep from having to do so. They answer questions you didn’t ask. They filibuster with a sane-sounding PowerPoint that offers a bunch of half-truths rather than take questions from the audience. Raise your hand during these if there is an appropriate place for a question, or even if there isn’t, but you question the information being presented. If the Member doesn’t respond, stand up and ask the question anyway. If the question you asked is not the one the Member answers, say so. You are not there to waste your time, and they should try to be responsive. It’s their job!
….and finally
10. If you are passionate, be passionate. Your passion is justified. Let it show.
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release:
Contact: NAME, PHONE ##
April XX, 2013
**** PRESS EVENT ****
Press Event [TYPE] at TIME
LOCATION
[CITY/STATE] Immigration Advocates Respond to Senate Immigration Bill
Leaders from [ORGANIZATION NAME] Share their Reactions to the Senate Gang of
Eight’s Draft Legislation and What this Means Going Forward
Washington, DC –The Senate Gang of 8 introduced it’s highly anticipated draft immigration bill after months of deliberation. At a [EVENT TYPE/DETAILS], leaders from [ORGANIZATION NAME] will react to the new bill and share their thoughts on what this means for the legislative debate ahead.
The bill introduction follows a week of action in Washington, DC and across the country. On May 1st, thousands of supporters will gather to rally for immigration reform throughout the nation.
WHAT:
[Event Description]
WHO:
[Name, Title, Organization]
[Name, Title, Organization]
WHEN:
DATE/TIME
LOCATION
Background:
About [Leading organization/s]: