Domestic and international approaches to immigration is topic at Baker Institute Jan. 12-13

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu

Domestic and international approaches to immigration is topic at Baker Institute Jan. 12-13
Symposium will bring together leaders from the international policy and thought communities to tackle immigration as a shared responsibility

HOUSTON – (Jan. 5, 2015) — Immigration is an issue whose solution will not come from just within the United States’ own borders; the responsibility must be shared with the international community. That is the premise of a joint Baker Institute for Public Policy-American Jewish Committee symposium, “Co-responsibility and Reform: Foreign and Domestic Perspectives on Immigration,” to be held at Rice University Jan. 12-13.

The recent influx of unaccompanied child migrants from Central America has urgent humanitarian, legal and political implications for the United States and nations south of the border, according to the symposium's organizers.

At the symposium, leading diplomats, policy experts, scholars, journalists, activists and government officials will explore foreign and domestic immigration policies and opportunities for reform. This event is facilitated  by the American Jewish Committee’s Bridging America Project and Latino and Latin American Institute,  together with the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center and Latin America Initiative.

Who: Leading immigration experts as well as the ambassadors of El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. Maria Hinojosa, the award-winning NPR/PBS journalist and media entrepreneur, will give the luncheon keynote address. For the full list of speakers, panelists and agenda, see http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1685.

What: A conference titled “Co-responsibility and Reform: Foreign and Domestic Perspectives on Immigration.”

When: 5:30-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Where: Rice University, James A. Baker Hall, 6100 Main St.

The recent influx of unaccompanied child migrants from Central America has urgent humanitarian, legal and political implications for the United States and nations south of the border, according to event organizers. How should countries of origin and destination share the costs and other responsibilities of migration? What factors are at the intersection of domestic and regional concerns? What are possible approaches to this complex issue?

The conference’s select group of stakeholders will explore foreign and domestic immigration policies and develop recommendations for effective strategies on both sides of the border.

Public registration for the event is closed. Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised  to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 15 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.

AJC, the premier global Jewish advocacy organization, has long been at the forefront of Jewish organizations working to establish and strengthen ties to the increasingly influential countries of Latin America and with the large U.S. Latino community. AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs partners with local Jewish communities throughout Latin America and engages the diplomatic representatives of Latin American countries in the United States to advance relations among Latin America, the United States and Israel. The Institute is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with staff in Miami and São Paulo. The Bridging America Project, generously supported by the Ford Foundation, is a national effort to convene, connect and engage new and experienced voices from mainstream sectors that can bring additional access and new political power to policy makers, influence the public debate and promote, support and enable the passage of comprehensive immigration reform. AJC works to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.