[GPCA Updates] News Realease: Greens charge immigration bills should call for'amnesty, equality'

[Jim Stauffer]

                   News Advisory

           THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
               www.cagreens.org

              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 					     
              Monday, March 27, 2006


Green Party US Senate hopefuls charge
today's Senate changes in immigrant legislation
don't go far enough, call for ‘amnesty, equality'  

SACRAMENTO (March 27, 2006) – In the wake of massive statewide rallies this
past weekend attended by close to a million people, Green Party candidates
for U.S. Senate Monday heavily criticized proposals which would still
criminalize immigrants, demanding "amnesty" and "equality" for all
undocumented workers.

They said a measure approved late Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee
still doesn't go far enough, and must still pass the full Senate and a
compromise with the House bill (HR4437), which calls for criminalizing
undocumented immigrants.

Three Greens – Tian Harter, Todd Chretien, Kent Mesplay – are running in
the June Primary for the right to meet incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein in
November. They called on her to do more than guarantee workers for the
agricultural industry - as she did Monday – and stand up for the estimated
11 million hardworking undocumented immigrants now in the U.S.

"Nothing short of equality is acceptable," said Chretien, with Harter
adding "We need amnesty for those who are here."

 "We are witnessing the birth of a new civil rights movement, which is
demanding amnesty for undocumented workers, the demilitarization of the
Mexican-American border and general equality for immigrant
workers,"Chretien said. "These protests announce the arrival of the
immigrant community as a powerful political force. I oppose proposals for a
new bracero program, the so-called guest worker programs, because they do
not grant amnesty and equality to all undocumented workers."

"HR 4437 would impose great hardship on many hardworking and decent people.
The first step is to stop that legislation," said Tian Harter, who marched
in Watsonville this weekend with 1,000 others, including Fernando Suarez
del Solar, whose son Jesus was one of the first people that died in Iraq.

"As an engineer, I am painfully aware that the immigration system has been
manipulated to bring down wages in the high tech sector. I want to ensure
everyone gets jobs, and is treated equally," added Harter.
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