Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees - GCIR

The number of worksite raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has dramatically increased in recent years from about 500 in 2002 to nearly 3,600 raids in 2006. In the most recent raid in Laurel, Mississippi, agents detained 595 undocumented immigrants, making it the single largest immigration raid in U.S. history. The size of the businesses targeted varies, but the impact on the families and communities of the detained can often be devastating. Funders can play a critical role in helping immigrant families and communities prepare for ICE raids, respond to the immediate crisis once a raid takes place, and address the longer-term impact in the aftermath.  On this teleconference briefing:

• Learn about immigration enforcement trends and their impact, focusing on the recent raid in Mississippi
• Examine a wide range of responses including humanitarian relief, a national bond fund, policy advocacy, and a coordinated effort to develop a systematic raids response
• Discuss implications for local and national grantmaking

Please RSVP for this program by 5:00pm PDT on Friday, September 5 to Amanda Graves at amanda@gcir.org. Amanda will email you the dial-in number. We will be sending meeting materials to you one day prior to the call.