For Immediate Release
Michael E. Corradini, JD, Asylum Advocate at PHR, will speakat the 2012 Immigration JusticeConference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Unitarian Universalist (UU) Councilof Greater Cincinnati (UUCGC) is sponsoring the conference with more than adozen faith communities and community organizations as co-sponsors. Theconference, “March Forth for Justice,” will be the highlight of a weekend devotedto immigration issues and will be held on Saturday, March 3, in the SharonvilleConvention Center, north of Cincinnati.
Corradini will give the openingaddress and discuss the connections between immigration detention, the privatecorrections industry, and state and federal laws that funnel hundreds ofthousands of immigrants through detention centers every year. Other participatingspeakers will provide information on a wide range of related topics includingthe Dream Act, Human Trafficking, Economic Realities, and Politics and Law.
“The government spends billions ofdollars a year throwing immigrants into detention centers, about half of whichare run by private prison corporations,” said Corradini. “This system ripsapart families and communities, and ignores cheap and effective alternatives todetention. Meanwhile, private prison companies lobby for tougher immigrationlaws so that they can continue profiting off of immigrants’ pain.”
Corradini will also participate in apanel discussion about the politics of immigration and address current trendsin national immigration policy. “If there’s one good thing that has come out ofthe government’s heedless race to deport as many people as possible, it’s thatpeople are starting to question why we have such destructive and unnecessaryimmigration policies,” said Corradini. “Hopefully, conferences like this willencourage people to learn more about these policies and let their representativesknow that they want to see a change.”
Phoenix UU minister Reverend SusanFrederick-Gray will keynote, presenting information about developmentsnationally and in Arizona, which are at the forefront of the nationalimmigration debate.
To register or learn more about theconference visit the event website.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.