Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)

A movement to improve immigrant rights

The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a project of the Center for Community Change, is led by low-income immigrant and non-immigrant grassroots community organizations working for immigration reform and immigrant rights. Formed under CCC’s campaign on issues of poverty, welfare and low-wage work, FIRM broadens the framework of immigration and immigrant rights to include an anti-poverty agenda. The coalition consists of organizing networks, statewide immigrant rights coalitions, and faith-based and low-income groups. FIRM also works in partnership with national organizations.

Immigrants and their families work hard, pay taxes and want to become American citizens. However, current immigration policies leave millions of immigrants in the shadows, vulnerable to abuse because they lack legal documentation. Immigration policy prevents immigrants from fully participating in a country they help build. This mismatch between outdated policies and the economic realities of our country has led to millions of immigrants being denied basic rights, as well as to thousands of unnecessary deaths.

FIRM finds this unacceptable. The United States was built on principles of justice and equity. Yet our immigration laws fail on both counts. It is time to strengthen our traditions and reform the law.

We need an approach to comprehensive reform of our immigration system that makes it safe, efficient, and accountable; and that restores integrity and equity.

FIRM seeks this reform through explicit policy goals. Go to www.fairimmigration.org for more information.