Bill Clinton: Jose was deported because of laws you enacted. Will you help #BringJoseBack?

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The Message

Dear President Bill Clinton,

As you probably know, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) that you signed is now 20 years old. Whatever the political circumstances or your intent at the time, we hope you can agree that IIRIRA has been disaster for immigrant communities and our country. Millions of families have been ripped apart because of it.

There are many parts of IIRIRA that need to be repealed or fixed, but Bill Clinton can start with a simple step: he can support the campaign to #BringJoseBack being led by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, and the Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization.

Jose Alvarez is exactly the type of person your laws deport who should never have been deported. After decades of living in the U.S., Jose, the hard working father of six children (one of them a veteran) and grandfather to four, was picked up by Cal State Long Beach Police for a broken headlight. Because of a 21-year-old non-violent drug charge, Jose found himself deported to Mexico just hours later.

It took only hours to undo the decades of life Jose Alvarez built in our communities because of laws you enacted. Unless someone like you intervenes, he’s in danger of being separated from his family forever. We the undersigned members of Presente.org, in partnership with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, are demanding that you repudiate IIRIRA as a part of your legacy, and ask you to support bringing Jose Alvarez back to his family. Will you help #BringJoseBack?

20 years ago, one of the worst laws you’ve never heard of was signed by President Bill Clinton: The Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996. IIRIRA is a major reason our immigration system is broken. It laid the groundwork for millions of families to ripped apart. Unless something changes, millions more will be deported regardless of who is elected the next President.

There are many parts of IIRIRA that need to be repealed or fixed, but Bill Clinton can start with a simple step: he can support the National Day Laborer Organizing Network-led campaign to #BringJoseBack.

Jose Alvarez is the sort of person Bill Clinton’s laws rip apart from our communities every day. Jose, the hardworking father of six children (one of them a veteran), and grandfather to four, was picked up by Cal State Long Beach Police for a broken headlight. Because of a 21-year-old non-violent drug charge, Jose found himself deported to Mexico just hours later.

It took only hours to undo the decades of life Jose Alvarez built in our communities because of a laws Bill Clinton signed. Unless someone like Bill Clinton intervenes, Jose is in danger of being separated from his family forever. Bill Clinton has distanced himself from many of the laws he enacted 20 years ago, including harmful trade agreements, harsh drug prohibition laws, and the gutting of welfare. It’s time he do the same for IIRIRA and help #BringJoseBack. If enough of us raise the issue to him, he’ll have no choice.