Draft Agenda for the Night of Citizenship

DRAFT AGENDA 

Meeting of Brazilian Congregations on Federal Legislation for National Immigration Reform and State Legislation on Drivers Licenses

-Choirs perform before meeting starts

I. Welcome, Why we are here tonight, Recognize officials attending

II. Prayer and Faith Reflection

III. Roll Call to recognize each church who helped organize this meeting and brought people to attend

IV. Ground Rules for this meeting and how we got to these questions to ask our officials

V. The Challenge and Opportunity for National Immigration Reform

A.    Report on the pending legislation and what’s needed

B.    Testimonies on why it’s needed—barriers to work, to drive, to visit family in Brazil, deportations of those not committing serious crimes, etc.

C.     Request to members of Congress

Will you fight hard for a national immigration law with a pathway to citizenship in less than 10 years and no roadblocks like additional border security requirements beyond the robust ones we have now?

Will you ask President Obama and Secretary Napolitano to stop deportations except for those committing serious felonies?

D.    Response from Congressman

VI. State Legislation to allow Drivers Licenses for undocumented immigrants

A.    The case for drivers licenses---helps people get to work and to medical appointments and hospital, protects people from costly accidents with people without licenses, gives our state tax revenue from license and registration fees…Washington, Utah, New Mexico, and Illinois have this law now.

B.    Testimonies

C.     Requests to legislators

Will you work hard for passage of House 3277 to allow all immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses

D.    Response from state legislators

VII. Interest Cards and What happened here tonite and what does it mean?

VIII. Closing Song and Closing Prayer, and Evaluation