Unveiling Ground-breaking Plan for Legalization to over Five Million Undocumented Immigrants

In 1996, the United States Congress passed legislation severely curtailing the rights of immigrants living in this country. In response, the International Immigrants Foundation created a Task Force of prestigious leaders to set forth the national agenda for a coordinated campaign to grant legalization to undocumented immigrants. On Wednesday, May 26, at 1:15 p.m., the International Immigrants Foundation Legalization Task Force briefed the press on its Resolutions, revealing a plan for the imminent legalization of the more than 5.5 million undocumented immigrants currently living in this country.

The International Immigrants Foundation Legalization Initiative has received overwhelming support by more than 200 community-based organizations, elected officials, and media organizations and over 250,000 individuals. The members of the Task Force include: Mr. Edward Juarez, President and Founder of the International Immigrants Foundation; Mr. Bawa Jain, Executive Director of the Inter-Faith Center; Ms. Zenaida Mendez, representing Congressman Charles Rangel; Mr. Hugh Hamilton, representing Councilman Lloyd Henry; Councilwoman Una Clark; Mr. Enrique Ortiz, Regional Director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO); and Ms. Iwona Hoffman, Contributing Editor for the NOVVY DZIENNIK (Polish American Daily News).

The International Immigrants Foundation-International Cultures Mission has special status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and is associated with the Department of Public Information as a charitable non-governmental, non-political, non-profit tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Since September 1997, the IIF-ICM has been the leading organization that is nationally coordinating a Legalization Petition Drive for undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before September 30, 1996.