AILA Supports the Launch of NCLR's "We Can Stop the Hate" Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, January 31, 2008

CONTACT: George Tzamaras
202-216-2410 or gtzamaras@aila.org

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) applauds National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) new initiative titled "We Can Stop the Hate" which is aimed at curtailing the influence of noted anti-immigrant media personalities such as CNN's Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck as well as MSNBC political commentator Pat Buchanan.

"This is a bold first step in the fight for truth in the on-going immigration debate," said Kathleen Walker, President of AILA. "This endeavor, led by the country's leading Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization and supported by many other immigration advocacy groups across the country, will challenge news organizations to report more objectively on issues related to immigration and to stem the immigrant bashing that has emerged over the airwaves. It is high time that facts and reasoned discourse drive this debate."

As part of this effort NCLR has developed a website (http://www.wecanstopthehate.org/), which will likely remain active through the presidential election and will include fact sheets and video samples documenting examples of inflammatory immigration-policy rhetoric.

"AILA has contributed its report 'TOP 5 IMMIGRATION MYTHS OF THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON: Ending the Immigration Spin - Just the Facts' to this project and will continue to work closely with NCLR to transform the critical debate over immigration policy from one mired in demagoguery to one grounded in fact," said Walker.