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Activists take debate on immigration law to legislators' offices


By Oscar Avila
Tribune staff reporter

May 9, 2006

Activists on both sides of the immigration debate plan to take their case directly to elected officials, after two massive marches in Chicago in support of illegal immigrants.

Twin rallies are scheduled Saturday at the Batavia office of U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a key player in the ongoing congressional debate over immigration reform.

Organizers of the Chicago marches said they have chosen Mother's Day weekend to urge Hastert "not to separate families" and instead back a bill that would legalize the nation's 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants, event co-organizer Martha Rodriguez said.

Supporters of stricter enforcement of immigration laws, including the Illinois Minuteman Project, will make a plea Saturday to House Republicans to not accept any compromise involving amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The rallies illustrate how both sides intend to channel the emotion of nationwide pro-legalization rallies into direct political action.

Toward that end, march organizers and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights sketched out plans Monday that include a grass-roots campaign to capitalize on the marches' success by registering naturalized citizens to vote and urging legal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.

Rodriguez, a volunteer at Centro Cristo Rey in Aurora, said the massive Chicago marches have helped immigrants in the suburbs become politically active.

"If we're all here [in the suburbs] and want the same things, we can get together here," she said.

The Illinois Minuteman Project has put out a call to its supporters to be in Batavia as well.

"The American people are really excited that we're doing something," said Rosanna Pulido, founder of the Illinois Minuteman Project. "People are really hungering to get out and let their voice be heard."

Batavia police said they are prepared for the presence of the two groups that have clashed verbally, including at a February rally at Hastert's office. Last week, a scheduled debate between the two sides in a Logan Square church became a screaming match.

Batavia Police Cmdr. Gregory Thrun said he expected Saturday's event to be peaceful, especially because police will separate the two groups.

"There will probably be some yelling back and forth, but I don't anticipate any problems," he said.

Across Chicago, immigrant-rights groups said they hope to make the transition from a movement that can turn out thousands for a rally into an effective agent of change, by targeting key members of Congress.

Neighborhood groups have planned a protest Wednesday at the district office of U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), who backed an enforcement-heavy bill approved by the House.

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oavila@tribune.com