Thread: OR: Diaz friends rally at Capitol to change immigration laws

CAUTION, APPROACHING SPIN CYCLE:

http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/...77383554472500

Diaz friends rally at Capitol to change immigration laws
Family greeted by lawmakers pushing helpful resolution
By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Mar 1, 2007


Jonathan House / Times Newspapers
After meeting with the Beaverton family, Sen. Ryan Deckert gave Jennifer, her friend Sylvia Gomez and father Luis Diaz Sr., a tour of the Capitol Building, above right, before joining them outside to talk with supporters rallying for immigration reform.

Diaz family supporters took their case for immigration reform to Salem last week and returned with a sense of hope.

Luis Diaz Sr. and his 12-year-old daughter Jennifer met Friday afternoon with state Sens. Avel Gordly and Ryan Deckert and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici to discuss possible legislation that could reunite families like theirs, torn apart by broken immigration laws.

Members of the Jenny Diaz Reunite My Family Foundation stood in the rain on the front steps of the Capitol as Luis and Jennifer visited Gordly’s office.

Luis presented the North Portland senator with a thick stack of petitions seeking immigration reform and thanked Gordly for her willingness to lead the charge for change.

“I appreciate this moment that you are giving us,” Luis said.

Gordly is sponsoring Senate Joint Memorial 4 that urges Congress to make family reunification a priority in federal immigration reform. She also is the author of Joint Resolution 12 that calls for state agencies and local governments to encourage policies that give legal status to noncitizen parents of children who are U.S. citizens.

Both measures could help the Diaz family.

The senator, who has newspaper clippings of the Beaverton family on her office wall, offered words of encouragement to both Luis and Jennifer.

“Know that in the broader community, there is a great deal of support and encouragement and prayer for your family,” Gordly said. “We use our voice and our office to stand up for justice for all people.

“As a state, we need to think broadly about the immigrant community of Oregon. Families come here to work hard, settle and build their lives. Our community is growing and changing every day, and it’s our challenge to look at how we can be more compassionate and become our higher selves.”

Gordly encouraged the Diazes and their supporters to continue to share their story and add their voices to the immigration reform movement.

In return, Gordly, Deckert and Bonamici said they would do what they could to help.

Luis and Jennifer Diaz were overwhelmed by the welcome they received in Salem.

“I couldn’t believe how much they knew about our case,” Luis Diaz said. “It made me feel good to know that Sen. Avel Gordly has been working to help.

“I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all the support my family has received.”

Following the rally in Salem, Luis called his wife Irma and two oldest children Luis Jr. and Monica, who were forced to return in October to Guatemala.

“Irma was very happy and very excited about what I told her about the rally,” Luis Diaz said. “Before Friday, she was beginning to lose hope.

“It’s been very hard for them over there. They just want to come home.”

___________________________________

give legal status to noncitizen parents of children who are U.S. citizens.

Translation: give amnesty to illegal alien parents of anchor babies

-- Jaded

Send the children with the parents then they will not be separated.

I support the reunification of their family totally. Perhaps two one way tickets to Guatemala would give them the reunification they want and deserve.

ARGH!!!!

Not another one. I can't take anymore. This is total BS!!!

Originally Posted by anniealone

ARGH!!!!

Not another one. I can't take anymore. This is total BS!!!

You took the words out of my mouth. At what point do these losers realize we are not responsible for their plight, circumstances, family members, anchor babies and their homelessness because the county they love so dearly doesn't give a crap about them or whether they live or die. I am so tired of reading these stories. What part of illegal, personal responsibilty or reality don't they get?

Since this is taking place in my state, let me provide a little background which went without mention in the story...

A lot of illegal-sympathizers have tried to make this family into the 'poster family' of the pro-illegal cause. So, I'm not really surprised by this attempt to sway public opinion (which is all that it is).

Second, I suspect the timing of the event is curiously timed to precede a scheduled appearance at the state capitol tomorrow (3/2 - Friday) by Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). Which, by OFIR's announcement, is designed to be a public info/'meet the legislator' type event.

Third, in a relatively rare combination of circumstances, the local bills floating in the State legislature were introduced by Democrats (yes, someone pinch me), and seem to be gaining a fair amount of bipartisan support - so they *sound like* they have a reasonable chance of being made into law in the end (plus, the Democratic Governor has been at least luke-warm supporter of these for the most part - which helps too).

I'm all for family reunification too - just let it happen in Guatemala - not here. We have way more illegals than we 'need' here already.