Irish Immigrants in Western Washington who need assistance of any kind, whether because of drug or alcohol abuse, spousal abuse, work problems, family issues, visa problems, problems with the INS or the Police - whatever the problem, free advice and referral assistance are available by calling Toll-Free 1-877-517-3559or by emailingSIISG@irishclub.org.
No questions will be asked that you don't want to answer, and complete confidentiality is promised. ___________________________________ APRIL 12 2008 - IRISH SENIORS' LUNCHEON
Click for photos taken when over 100 Irish-born Seniors and their spouses attended a luncheon at the Wilde Rover Restaurant in Kirkland (www.wilderover.com) on Saturday, April 12. This was an opportunity for older Irish to connect with others who also grew up in Ireland, especially those who, because of the passing of family members, coupled with time, distance, cost and age, may have diminished contact with Ireland.
• In 2005, Ireland received 76 lottery visas to the US, out of a global total of 50,000.
• In 2005, Ireland received 2,083 US Green Cards in total from a global total of 1,122,373.
• There are an estimated 25-50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants in the US.
We continue to support comprehensive immigration reform even though the issue now appears to be dead until after the November 2008 election. The Irish government has made clear that legalizing the Irish in America is a top priority for the new Irish government.
WHY YOU SHOULD CONTACT CONGRESS
It is vital that you let your legislator know that you support the undocumented Irish. The anti-immigration faction makes several calls a days. We need to make more calls and make sure our voices heard.
Your Representatives and Senators need to hear from you.
Let them know people in their state support the Irish undocumented and support immigration reform. You can contact them by phone, fax and email. Please follow the links to get the details for your representatives.
Please contact your
Senators and Members of Congress by email or regular
mail, and urge them to support comprehensive immigration
reform legislation in the US Senate and House.
To get contact
information (name, phone #, email address, etc.) for
your Senator or Member of Congress, click here: www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newseek.cgi?site=ctc&state=wa.
Tell them that we must establish a safe and humane
immigration system, one that is worthy of a great
country such as the US. We must deal humanely and
fairly with the 11 million immigrants who are in the
US illegally. The Irish community across the US
and even the Irish government favors comprehensive immigration reform legislation, believing it would help the situation of the
approximately 25,000 Irish-born people who are in
the US illegally.
Members of Seattle's Irish Immigrant Support Group
at the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers Conference in Seattle on April 14, 2007, with Seamus Carroll from the Irish Abroad Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. From left: Barbara Birney, Camilla Barrett, Melissa Estelle, Mary Charles, Seamus Carroll, Eddie McLoughlin, Jim Cummins, John Keane. ___________________________________
Seattle Irish
Immigrant Support Group
P.O. Box 75123, Seattle WA 98175-0123 www.irishseattle.com
The Irish
Immigration Pastoral Center in San Francisco will
also assist and advise all Irish immigrants,
including those in Washington or Oregon. Feel free
to contact them via email or telephone.
Their contact information is as follows:
IRISH IMMIGRATION PASTORAL CENTER
5340 GEARY BLVD, # 205
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121
TEL: 415-752-6006
FAX: 415-752-6910
Email: IIPC@PACBELL.NET
Website: WWW.SFIIPC.ORG
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