WHO: American University Experts on Immigration Issues
WHAT: Discussion and Analysis of Immigration Reform
WHEN: June 20 - ongoing
WHERE: American University, in-studio, via telephone
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 20, 2013) — With Immigration reform set to move forward in the Senate after the Gang of Eight and other Senators brokered an agreement to increase border security, American University experts are available to discuss the reformed immigration bill and how it will impact undocumented workers and solve the country’s current broken immigration system while also cutting the federal deficit by billions. Additionally, they are also available to discuss implementation and how a pathway to citizenship combined with increased border security should avert a future immigration crisis.
Immigration Bill
Alan Kraut, an expert on U.S. immigration and ethnic history, can discuss numerous immigration reform issues, including how the reforms will impact employers, the need for truly comprehensive reform so that the country won't have to go through another set of reforms in 30 years, the challenge of how to handle undocumented immigrants, and why policies that create a path to citizenship are vital. Kraut is a non-resident fellow of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The past president of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society, Kraut is the prize-winning author of numerous books and scholarly articles about U.S. ethnic and immigration history. Earlier this spring, he was named president of the Organization of American Historians and recently returned from a conference in China at which he discussed immigration.
Patrick Griffin, academic director of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute for American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, is an expert on the legislative process. Griffin served in the Clinton White House as assistant to the President for legislative affairs (1994-96). In the U.S. Senate, Griffin held the position of Secretary for the Democrats, and the positions of professional staff member on the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and the Senate Budget Committee. He also served as a domestic policy advisor at the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Griffin is available to speak about the immigration deal in the Senate brokered by the Gang of Eight, the strategy and hurdles to overcome opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives, deficit savings, and which party could win the favor of the Hispanic vote among other issues.
Immigration Reform’s Affect on Legal & Undocumented Hispanics
Eric Hershberg, director of American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and professor of government, is available to discuss the immigration reform family reunification provisions and how immigration reform will affect both legal and undocumented Hispanics in the U.S. Available for interviews in English and Spanish.
The Immigrant Experience
Carolyn Brown specializes in immigration/the border, the immigrant experience (particularly for farm workers and their families) and militia groups. Brown recently produced a documentary, On the Line, which followed the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, on the border in Arizona, and a documentary on a former farm worker turned local news anchor in Northern California. She has appeared as an expert on several national broadcast news shows, including CBS Evening News, CNN Espanol, and the Diane Rehm Show. The daughter of a Latino immigrant, Brown is available for interviews in English and Spanish.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.
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