THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
www.cagreens.org
Monday, March 27, 2006
Contact:
Sara Amir, 310.270-7106 saraamir@earthlink.net
Pat Driscoll 916.320-6430 pat@sonicfrog.com
Susan King 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com
Green Party US Senate hopefuls charge Senate changes in immigrant legislation don't go
far enough, call for 'amnesty, equality'
SACRAMENTO -- In the wake of massive statewide rallies this past weekend
attended by close to a million people, Green Party candidates for U.S. Senate Monday heavily
criticized proposals which would still criminalize immigrants, demanding "amnesty" and
"equality" for all undocumented workers.
They said a measure approved late Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee still doesn't go far
enough, and must still pass the full Senate and a compromise with the House bill (HR4437), which
calls for criminalizing undocumented immigrants.
Three Greens - Tian Harter, Todd Chretien, Kent Mesplay - are running in the June Primary for the
right to meet incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November. They called on her to do more than
guarantee workers for the agricultural industry - as she did Monday - and stand up for the
estimated 11 million hardworking undocumented immigrants now in the U.S.
"Nothing short of equality is acceptable," said Chretien, with Harter adding "We need amnesty for
those who are here."
"We are witnessing the birth of a new civil rights movement, which is demanding amnesty for
undocumented workers, the demilitarization of the Mexican-American border and general equality for
immigrant workers," Chretien said. "These protests announce the arrival of the immigrant
community as a powerful political force. I oppose proposals for a new bracero
program, the so-called guest worker programs, because they do not grant amnesty and equality to all
undocumented workers."
"HR 4437 would impose great hardship on many hardworking and decent people. The first step is
to stop that legislation," said Tian Harter, who marched in Watsonville this weekend with 1,000
others, including Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus was one of the first people that
died in Iraq.
"As an engineer, I am painfully aware that the immigration system has been manipulated to bring
down wages in the high tech sector. I want to ensure everyone gets jobs, and is treated
equally," added Harter.
