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CAMBRIDGE, MA – Progressive Democratic candidate for State Senate Jeff
Ross is no stranger to immigration policy. As a human rights attorney
and community activist, he has a deep appreciation of the divisive
nature of the immigration debate. “No one on either side of the
debate doubts that the system is broken. Like so many people, I am
deeply troubled by the recent failure of Congress to pass a
comprehensive reform bill,” says Ross. “But ignoring these issues
won’t make them go away. They stem from profound social concerns that
affect us all, and the only way to resolve them is to work together
toward a more inclusive society.” |
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Ross attended college at the University of
Southern California at the time of riots and extreme racial tensions,
which emerged in the wake of the Reagan Administration’s policies that
destroyed public housing projects and cut state funding of
universities, care centers, public hospitals, mental heath wards and
homeless shelters. “The racial wars and hatred toward the immigrant
community were enormous. When I came to Boston to go to law school, I
took a personal pledge to try to work towards solidarity.”
Ross, who speaks four languages, found
this work both challenging and rewarding. Upon graduating from law
school, he served as Chief Research Analyst to Judge A. Leon
Higginbotham, Jr., Chief Judge (Emeritus) at the 3rd Circuit Court of
Appeals and worked with him on the Clinton Civil Rights Commission,
focusing on affirmative action. “This is an area of civil rights
jurisprudence that is critical to building an inclusive society,” says
Ross. “Lack of opportunity is the root of all our divisions.”
In his law practice, Ross has skillfully
advocated on behalf of immigrants who escaped brutal human rights
abuses in their home countries only to face the stigma of
discrimination in the United States. Ross has been a pragmatic
consensus builder, working closely with community groups, legislators
and officials to come up with practical solutions to civil rights
infringements at the local and state levels. He worked with Senator
Tucker to advance legislation to prohibit fraud aimed at marginalized
immigrant communities by unscrupulous notaries public; organized a
group of core plaintiffs to sue the Romney Administration over its
unlawful implementation of the federal right wing Real ID policies;
worked on pilot programs with the city of Boston to increase diversity
awareness and recognize our immigrant heritage as a community;
supported the Banned in Boston program, which builds a dialogue
between law enforcement and the communities; served on the Planning
Committee for the Alice Walker solidarity event organized by Centro
Presente; volunteered for Chelsea Collaborativo and other community
organizations; and recently founded the Brockton Task Force on Civil
Rights and Public Safety to create a broad-based coalition of
community leaders and law enforcement officials to bring a state-wide
focus to the tough issues of balancing effective law enforcement with
respect for human dignity. “Only by creating an open, inclusive and
non-confrontational dialogue can we find a consensus and move forward
to a more collaborative society.”
One million immigrants call Massachusetts
their home; about 200,000 of them are undocumented. The Middlesex,
Suffolk, Essex district is one of the most ethnically diverse
districts in the Commonwealth. “Our district, and the nation as a
whole, would lose its luster if it weren’t for our exciting mix of
cultures and communities. My goal is to ensure that Massachusetts
retains the spirit upon which America was founded by remaining an open
and inviting place for people of all cultures,” says Ross in his
policy statement. As a first step toward that goal, Ross will work
toward increasing access to public education for children of
undocumented immigrants. “Public education is essential to forming a
more inclusive society. That is one of the reasons why I would work
to ensure that all Massachusetts high school graduates who choose to
attend our public universities have access to equal tuition rates.”
For more information on Mr. Ross’ position
on immigration and in-state tuition, click
here. |
