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Dear Friends and Allies--
I am honored to write to you for the first time as executive director of ILCM. I am proud to join an organization that has long been at the forefront of defending and advancing the rights of immigrants and refugees. I am also grateful for the opportunity to continue the work and build on the tradition of excellence of John Keller and Lenore Millibergity. Thanks to John and Lenore and to the staff and board of ILCM for your warm welcome and insightful advice.
As you know, this is a time of national crisis: a challenge to define and defend the character and conscience of our nation. Our best national vision grows from shared ideals, with policies based on facts and hopes, not mired in prejudices and fears. When we share this vision, we respond to victims of persecution and brutality with shelter, support, and compassion. We recognize, cherish, and draw strength from the contributions of cultures around the world. We welcome hard-working and talented immigrants who seek to become part of our country.
Efforts to repudiate this shared vision create the national crisis of conscience we face today. Together, we must stand strong to defend not only immigrants and refugees, but the very spirit of our nation. Congress is back in session. Call your representatives. Tell them you want action to protect immigrants and refugees. Call once a week, with a specific focus for each call, such as opposing the proposal for indefinite detention of immigrant children or supporting an increase in refugee numbers. Here's a link to advice on effective contacts with representatives.
We are in this struggle together. We deeply appreciate your support, from "likes" on Facebook to monthly pledges to volunteering to take on pro bono cases. As we move forward together, I thank you for the support that has made ILCM the thriving institution it is today and for your continued support of ILCM's important work to ensure that our nation lives up to its truest ideals.
Sincerely,
Veena Iyer
Executive Director
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Introducing Veena Iyer
ILCM's new executive director, who is a daughter of immigrants as well as a passionate advocate for immigrants, started work on September 9. "I am really excited about the work of ILCM," she says. "We live in a really hard time for immigrant and refugee communities in this country and in this community. We as a country can do better. ILCM is part of doing better every day. I am thankful for this amazing staff, and really grateful for the work of John and Lenore in building and directing ILCM." LINK: [link removed]
Know Your Rights, ILCM Can Help:
In 2018, ILCM reached more than 5,000 people with 125 presentations. In Worthington, where the specter of the 2006 raid still lingers, "you want to arm people with what they want to know, but not raise panic levels so they can't sleep at night," Kathy Klos said. "They are already living it, so you just try to make it better." LINK: [link removed]
So Grateful: For Refuge, Citizenship, College and Family
September marks a new school year for students across Minnesota. Classrooms throughout the state are filled with eager students ready to start making a mark in their community. For Pwe Ku, a first year student at St. Cloud University, this is an opportunity he does not take for granted. LINK: [link removed]
Staff changes
Four full-time staff members transitioned into new positions at ILCM this summer and we are excited to welcome five new staff members and our eight fall interns and volunteers. LINK: [link removed]
Call to Action: With Congress back in session, now is the time to call and say you support immigrants and refugees, and you want your representatives to show up for them, too. LINK: [link removed]
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