Chlorophyll

Greens call 'immigration crisis' a fabricated
distraction from Bush disasters: Iraq War, illegal
spying on U.S. citizens, Katrina, etc.

• This is a NAFTA crisis -- Congress should repeal
NAFTA, say Greens

• The Green Party plans for its 2006 annual meeting in
Tucson, Arizona

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders spoke out
against congressional bills and White House plans to
restrict immigration and scapegoat immigrants,
construct a border wall, militarize the border between
the U.S. and Mexico, and declare English the official
U.S. language, calling the 'immigration crisis' a
fabricated distraction from disastrous Bush
Administration policies and actions.

"The immigration crisis is a con job," said Howie
Hawkins, New York Green candidate for the U.S. Senate, who noted that Sen.
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is playing on the politics of
fear with her high-profile promotion of legislation
for a Northern Border Coordinator at the Department of
Homeland Security. "It's a Republican scheme to blame
immigrants and divert attention away from the
deteriorating situation in Iraq, revelations of
illegal spying on U.S. citizens, the failed
prescription drug plan, the criminal lack of response
to Katrina, recent Republican ethics violations, and
other Bush catastrophes."

The Green Party of the United States plans to hold its
2006 annual national meeting in Tucson, Arizona, from
July 27 to 30.

Titled "El Futuro es Verde / The Future is Green," the
meeting -- taking place near the Mexican border --
will acknowledge the efforts by immigrants to defend
their rights and the history of progressive politics
in Arizona.

"Immigrants aren't the enemy. They're coming to U.S.
for the same reason people came here throughout
history -- for a better life," said Joni LeViness,
Green Party of Oklahoma Cooperative Council member and
delegate to the national party. "The reason we've
seen a flood of undocumented immigrants recently is
because the North American Free Trade Agreement,
passed in 1993, has drained the Mexican economy,
destroyed small Mexican businesses, dispossessed
farmers from their land, uprooted workers, and
depressed wages for the benefit of U.S.-based
corporations."

"This is a NAFTA crisis. The Green Party urges
Congress to repeal NAFTA, before even more damage is
done," Ms. LeViness added. "Democratic leaders are
afraid to call it a NAFTA crisis, because they're just
as responsible for it as Republicans. President
Clinton signed NAFTA into law."

In April, the Green Party of the United States
approved a resolution prepared by the party's Peace
Action Committee in support of the rights of immigrants in the U.S. and
endorsing "El Gran Paro Americano 2006, the May 1
Great American Boycott, honoring 'Un dia sin
immigrante' 'A day without an immigrant' with the
pledge for No Work, No School, No Sales, and No
Buying" .

Greens participated in the May 1 and other mass
demonstrations in Arizona, California, and numerous
other states for immigrants' rights. Green Party
members also noted that Arizona is seeing some of the
most reckless and rapid development in the U.S.,
during an ongoing draught, while efforts are being
made to privatize fresh water.

"Arizona has a proud progressive tradition, with the
best 'clean election laws in the country' and expanded
health care for poor people," said Richard Scott,
Media Coordinator for the Arizona Green Party.
"Arizona led the country on women's suffrage and
workers' compensation back when these were radical
concepts, and we pioneered medical marijuana laws with
two popular ballot initiatives. We look forward to
welcoming Greens from all over the U.S."

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193

"El Futuro es Verde / The Future is Green"
National Meeting of the Green Party of the United
States in Tucson, Arizona, July 27-30, 2006
http://www.gp.org/meeting2006
http://www.pimagreens.org/gpusanm/index.html

Arizona Green Party
http://www.azgp.org

"No Immigration Hurry"
Editorial, The Progressive Populist, June 15, 2006
http://www.populist.com/06.11.edit.html

~ END ~