On Saturday, January 26, the Georgia Immigration Conference convened at the High Street Unitarian Universalist Church in downtown Macon.
The keynote speaker of the Immigration Conference was Anton-Flores-Maisonet who talked about "Immigration - Rule of LAW" (Loving, Accepting, Welcoming)
Maisonet is the co-founder of Alterna and El Refugio.
...Flores also helped to start Georgia Detention Watch, which calls for an end to the “inhumane and unjust detention and law enforcement policies and practices directed against immigrant communities in our state,” as well as El Refugio, a hospitality house for families visiting men incarcerated in Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA...
The symposium was a all-day event which was divided into two parts-- morrning and afternoon.
There was a discussion about why immigration reform is needed ~ Immigration 101. Amna Shirazi an immigration attorney from The Shirazi Law Group in metro Atlanta opened the discussion.
There was a more expansive panel discussion among professors that delved into topic of immigration: “Demographics, Economics, Changing Dynamics and the Political Impact”
The moderator was Debra Sabia, Professor of Political Science at Georgia Southern University
J. Salvador Peralta, Professor of political science at the University of West Georgia political talked about immigration policy, legislative development and the impact of redistricting on Latinos in the South.
On the issue of economics, Karen Bremer, Executive Director Georgia Restaurant Association contributed her views . Bremer is also an Industry Advisory Board Member at the Cecil B Day School of Hospitality Administration.
Staying on the subtopic of economic impact Ying Zhen, Assistant Professor of Economics from Macon's Wesleyan College provided a perspective.
