Dear Florida Voices for Immigration Reform member:
 
Much has happened on the immigration front since our last meeting. We continue to work with the National Immigration Forum. For those who did not attend our last meeting please visit www.forgingconsensus.org.
 
We are excited to know that Senators Schumer, McCain, Durbin, Graham, Menendez, Rubio, Bennett and Flake released last week a Bi-Partisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform based on four principles which FVIR endorses:

• Create a tough but fair path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants currently living in the United States that is contingent upon securing our borders and tracking whether legal immigrants or visitors have left the country when required;
   
• Reform our legal immigration system to better recognize the important characteristics that will help build the American economy and strengthen American families;

• Create an effective employment verification system that will prevent identity theft and end the hiring of future unauthorized workers; and

• Establish an improved process for admitting future workers to service our nation's workforce needs, while simultaneously protecting all workers.

We are pleased to know that there is a bi-partisan House group working on its own proposal, which includes Democratic Representatives Luis Gutierrez, Xavier Becerra, Zoe Logfren and Rep. Yarmouth  and Republican Representatives John Carter, Mario Diaz-Balart, Sam Johnson and Raul Labrador.
 
Florida Voices for Immigration Reform at the moment is working on two White Papers to submit to Senator Rubio's office for input in this historic legislation.  In a conference call with the Hispanic Leadership Network Senator Rubio stated that his office is open to receive suggestions for this bill.   FVIR also reached out to Representative Diaz-Balart last week to try to identify Republican and Democratic Representatives from Florida whom we may need to visit.
 
We suggest that our evangelical members visit and share www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com with stakeholders, and that our Catholic members visit http://www.picoflorida.org/ and contact Pphillips@picoflorida.org regarding their plan of action related to immigration reform.
 
Here, please find an invitation to an Immigration Roundtable organized by the Bridging America Project, presented by the American Jewish Committee and Miami Dade College March 7, 2013. We hope we can see many of you there and please share this invitation with others.
 
We hope that in 2013 our mission for sensible immigration reform can be accomplished.
 
                                                    Sincerely,
 
 
                                                    Pastor Monica Delgado
 
 
                                                    Gary Walk
 
 
                                                    Aileen Josephs
 
 
                                                    Co–Chairs, Florida Voices for Immigration Reform