On Saturday, October 13, League of Women Voters – Dallas hosted a panel discussion, The Truth About Immigration…Straight Skinny From the Experts.
HRI’s Community Education & Advocacy Director, Kali Cohn, joined panelists Vanna Slaughter, Director of Dallas’s Office of Welcoming Communities & Immigration Affairs and former Immigration and Legal Services Director of Catholic Charities Dallas, and Rebecca Acuña, Director of Government Affairs for PepsiCo and former Executive Director of the Latino Center for Leadership Development and legislative leadership staff, for the conversation.
The panelists discussed how asylum fits into today’s immigration systems and the challenges facing asylum seekers, the work of Dallas’s Office of Welcoming Communities, and the importance of getting involved with local, state, and federal policies that build a just and safe society for all everyone, regardless of immigration status.
Missed the forum? Check out the audio from the presentation here:
ABOUT LWV: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
ABOUT HRI: Founded by social worker Serena Simmons Connelly and lawyer Elizabeth Healy, the Dallas-based Human Rights Initiative of North Texas has grown into an award-winning agency helping immigrant survivors of human rights abuses from all over the world. Our courageous and resilient clients are eligible to apply for legal status under the humanitarian provisions of United States immigration laws and policies: they are asylum seekers fleeing persecution; children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected; and victims of family violence and violent crimes. HRI’s Legal team partners with a network of over 250 pro bono attorneys from top DFW firms and corporations to help clients access the U.S. Immigration System, and our Social Services team offers transitional support and referrals to help address trauma and ease the hardships of profound displacement. At HRI, all of our services are free, and all are designed to help forge a path to safety, stability, and opportunity.
