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Washington Update LIRS Rolls Out 2001 Advocacy Agenda The LIRS staff advocacy committee has developed an ambitious plan of action for the agency to pursue important policy objectives in the coming year. The agenda combines ministries of service and justice by focusing on areas where LIRS has strong programmatic experience and expertise and also giving substantial attention to advocacy on other important issues where it is simply the "right thing to do." This three-tiered agenda, available online at www.lirs.org, continues our advocacy tradition of aiming high, fighting hard and standing firm on principles. First, LIRS will continue to play its path-breaking role in protecting and serving detainees, refugees and children. For immigration detainees, we will pursue access to legal orientation presentations by nongovernmental organizations including LIRS, humane alternatives to detention and restoration of the basic principle that no one should be deprived of liberty without the review of a judge. For the U.S. refugee program, we will advocate restoration of the 1995 levels of funding and admissions (112,000 refugees), restoration of family-based priorities and enhanced emergency referrals. We will also take the lead in promoting the highest standards of care in the resettlement of refugees and the transparent and quality-based allocation of caseloads among agencies. We will maintain our leading role as advocates for the protection of unaccompanied immigrant children. We will fight for legislation providing attorneys and "friend of the child" advocates for all children in immigration proceedings, for increased admission of refugee minors at risk and against the detention of children. Second, LIRS will make major commitments, joining with others, in campaigns for justice for the stranger. We will renew the Forgotten Refugees Campaign for the rights of asylum seekers against expedited removal and unwarranted detention. Shocked by the increasing violence and hundreds of recent deaths along the U.S.-Mexican border, LIRS will join the growing movement for an end to the "war" on economic migrants. This will entail roles of service and advocacy for the basic human rights of the undocumented at the border. It will also include advocacy for the substantial legalization of economic migration, including expanded employment-related visas and amnesty for the undocumented where possible. Finally, while we may not have the resources to mount major campaigns on every issue, LIRS will take firm and public stands where justice dictates. We will work to repeal mandatory detention, make the religious worker visa program permanent, restore relief from deportation, restore judicial review of relief decisions by Immigration and Naturalization Service, protect and enhance service delivery functions under any INS restructuring, improve language access to services and enforce laws against discrimination toward immigrants. We will also work on other issues that may arise during the year. A pretty tall order, I'm sure you will agree! We hope that we will be able to count on all of your help in carrying it out. As my Haitian friends say, "Men anpil, chay pa lou" ("With many hands, the load is light").
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