The Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Virginia Organizing Chapter has been working on immigration reform issues including opposing anti-immigrant policies in the Virginia General Assembly and at a federal level, supporting comprehensive federal immigration reform and supporting the Dream Act. The Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Chapter completed a listening campaign to hear the stories of local residents affected by immigration policies and after a year of hard work, the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Virginia Organizing Chapter and other grassroots organizations urged the local Rockingham County Board of Supervisors to terminate the 287(g) contract with the Sheriff’s office and ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) and were successful. On October 24, 2012 the Board of Supervisors elected not to extend the local government’s 287(g) contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Currently, the Chapter is working on a diversity hiring campaign in Harrisonburg, as the city staff is not reflective of our diverse community in Harrisonburg. To protect immigrant communities and fight deportations, we must stop police from handing people over to ICE. The chapter is working to urge our local law enforcement agencies to stop honoring ICE holds that break families apart and discourages our immigrant communities from reporting crimes. The Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Chapter meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm at the Lucy Simms Center.
The Augusta/Staunton/Waynesboro Chapter has been active in promoting the Affordable Care Act and towards the Expansion of Medicaid and closing the coverage gap. The Chapter has organized vigils, rallies, and community forums to inform individuals about the ACA. Currently, the Chapter is working on a fair-hiring initiative called “Ban the Box.” The Chapter will ask the city of Staunton to remove the question on the job application about an individual’s conviction history and delay the background check inquiry until later in the hiring process. The Augusta/Staunton/Waynesboro Chapter meets every third Wednesday of the month at 6pm at the Fishersville Library.
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