April 15, 2005: Media Advisory - Monday morning Press Conference in Lebanon - Immigrant Mother scheduled to take English Test or Lose Child

April 15, 2005

Contact: Hedy Weinberg 615/320-7142

Local and national civil and immigrant rights groups, joined by immigrant leaders and supporters, are holding a press conference on Monday, April 18 th on the steps of the court house in Lebanon, Tennessee following the hearing in Judge Tatum’s courtroom. They will respond to the Judge’s decision about the scheduled English test.

Who: American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee; Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition; Southern Poverty Law Center; Advancement Project (Washington, DC); local immigrant leaders and supporters.

What: Press Conference

When: Monday, April 18, 2005 Noon

Where: Wilson County Criminal Justice Center, 105 East High Street Lebanon, TN (On the steps at the main entrance.)

The large majority of immigrants in Tennessee, as in the rest of the country, are working hard to learn English, and become active members of their new communities. According to the National Academy of Sciences, 97% of immigrants to the US over time learn to speak English well. Nevertheless, based on the false premise that immigrants will not learn English unless ordered to do so, Tennessee Judge Barry Tatum has ordered a young Mexican mother living in Lebanon, Tennessee to learn English on a 4th grade level by Monday, April 18th or risk losing her child.

Despite the fact that immigrants, hailing from all over the world, contribute to the economy, the culture, and the tax base, the newest Tennesseans are finding it increasingly hard to obtain justice in our state. Courts often fail to provide interpreters, fail to contact the appropriate consulate when required to do so, and now may impose unconstitutional language requirements as a condition of parenthood.

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