Thread: Immigrant advocates plan walk from Miami to Washington

Immigrant advocates plan walk from Miami to Washington
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``This is a great thing for everyone,'' said Walter Lara, a 23-year-old former Miami Dade College student from Argentina who almost got deported in July after immigration officers discovered he had no papers. ``If this passes, this is the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country.''

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"This is a great thing for everyone," said Walter Lara, a 23-year-old former Miami Dade College student from Argentina who almost got deported in July after immigration officers discovered he had no papers. "If this passes, this is the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country."

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"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

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BY HERALD STAFF
dadenews@MiamiHerald.com
A coalition of local immigrant advocacy groups will take part next month in a 2,000-mile walk from Miami to Washington, D.C., to urge passage of legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to become legalized U.S. residents and citizens.

Called the ``Trail of DREAMS,'' the organizations are trying to build momentum for the latest immigration reform bill that was introduced this week in Congress.

Organizers said the walk, to begin Jan. 1, is a project of Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER), a Miami-based organization affiliated with the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

Among those expected to join the walk are undocumented immigrants who would benefit from passage of the legislation.

The groups have scheduled a news conference Friday to talk about their plans.

The lobbying effort follows the introduction of the first comprehensive immigration reform bill in the current Congress. The bill is sponsored by a group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

Prospects for passage remain as uncertain as ever.

Provisions in the Gutierrez legislation -- Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 -- are somewhat similar to those in prior bills.

Undocumented immigrants in the United States prior to Dec. 15 would be encouraged to come forward and register with the government in exchange for a future path to residency and citizenship.

Certain immigrants in deportation proceedings, facing removal or ordered to depart would be able to apply for legalization under Gutierrez's bill. Applicants would pay a $500 fine -- lower than the thousands of dollars sought in prior bills -- and must have clean criminal records. If approved, applicants would receive a six-year visa, which eventually could be replaced by a green card -- the path to possible citizenship.

The bill also incorporates provisions of the DREAM Act, separate legislation filed earlier that would provide green cards to children of undocumented parents who are in high school or college and were brought to the United States as minors.

Similar bills in recent years have failed because of fierce opposition by conservative and anti-immigrant forces. Whether the political climate has changed is difficult to say, but most experts say debate on immigration reform will be as emotional and polarizing as the healthcare reform debate.

President Obama has signaled he will push immigration reform, but not until healthcare reform is out of the way.

Long-standing opponents have vehemently criticized Gutierrez's bill.

``The bill proposes to reduce illegal immigration by making all illegal immigrants legal,'' Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, a longtime legalization opponent, said in a statement.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breakin ... 88660.html

``This is a great thing for everyone,'' said Walter Lara, a 23-year-old former Miami Dade College student from Argentina who almost got deported in July after immigration officers discovered he had no papers.


There should have been no "almost". This guy should've been detained and deported. Period


`If this passes, this is the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country.''


If this passes it will make the United States an even bigger doormat. Nothing more, nothing less.

You know, these people really burn me up with this horsesh*t. This country admits, what, 100,000 legal immigrants, refugees and asyless, every 30 days and we need to be "more welcoming"?

Illegal aliens pour across our borders like they're flowing out of a faucet, steal identities, jobs, grab every penny in benefits they can get their hands on, enjoy free education and health care, have USED and ABUSED this country to within an inch of it's life while our system is held hostage to special interests, treasonous politicians, a judiciary too intimidated and/or corrupt to uphold our laws.....these people, literally in many cases, have gotten away with murder for decades as the United States has plummeted to Third World status.

And this little piss ant has the nerve to accuse the US of not being "welcoming" enough?

When the amnesty fails.....and it WILL fail.....I hope he's the first in line getting his dumb ass deported outta here



"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus


Hey Velazquez.....where's your moral obligation to the native born and legal immigrant hispanic population?

That's WHO you were elected to represent.....the native born and legal population, of any race.

They're the ones who put you into office, to do your job for them. You weren't elected to work for the reconquista movement you twit.

Certain immigrants in deportation proceedings, facing removal or ordered to depart would be able to apply for legalization under Gutierrez's bill. Applicants would pay a $500 fine -- lower than the thousands of dollars sought in prior bills -- and must have clean criminal records. If approved, applicants would receive a six-year visa, which eventually could be replaced by a green card -- the path to possible citizenship.

This is patently unfair to the good people that stand in line and come here legally. It costs them thousands of dollars and takes years to complete the process.

There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

And you have a moral obligation to act in the best interests of your constituency - legal American citizens.

...the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country."

We know... That's the problem. Don't repeat past mistakes. Amnesty, concessions, loopholes and benefits bring more illegal aliens into the US.

Stop the policy manipulation and enforce our immigration laws!

Dixie

This is a great thing for everyone,'' said Walter Lara, a 23-year-old former Miami Dade College student from Argentina who almost got deported in July after immigration officers discovered he had no papers. ``If this passes, this is the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country.''

Yea..I suppose the millions of immigrants this country allows in legally every year (more than any other country on this planet) is unwelcoming!

Another open-borders, illegal invader. Get the hell out!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

This is a great thing for everyone,'' said Walter Lara, a 23-year-old former Miami Dade College student from Argentina who almost got deported in July after immigration officers discovered he had no papers. ``If this passes, this is the type of change President Obama has been talking about. It will make the United States a more welcoming country.''

Yea..I suppose the millions of immigrants this country allows in legally every year (more than any other country on this planet) is unwelcoming!

Another open-borders, illegal invader. Get the hell out!

LOL....NB

I know huh? That's pretty much how I feel about it myself anymore


"Blah, Blah Blah" Get the Hell out

"Blah blah blah" Good for you........now, get the hell out.

"BLAH BLAH BLAH......BLAH BLAH" Shut the hell up.......AND get the hell out



I know that must seem terribly uwelcoming but enough is enough already for God's sake

I think you will have a tough time getting hired at Wal-Mart as a greeter, azwreath!

Originally Posted by vortex

I think you will have a tough time getting hired at Wal-Mart as a greeter, azwreath!

LOL.....


Believe it or not, I'm actually really very personable And keep alot of what I'm thinking to myself

Besides, our Walmart is all but devoid of illegal aliens these days. I figure another year and we'll be more likely to spot Bigfoot shopping for boxers in Big Men's than we will an illegal alien shopping in Infant and Children's

IM Finding it hard to believe anyone is going to walk from sunny FLA to Washington DC in the middle of winter, and on any given time along the trip it can rain, sleet, snow and people will give up because they dont want to get out in that

[quote="jamesw62"]


IM Finding it hard to believe anyone is going to walk from sunny FLA to Washington DC in the middle of winter, and on any given time along the trip it can rain, sleet, snow and people will give up because they dont want to get out in that



I wasn't buying into the idea of them making that trek period but hadn't even considered the weather james....you have a point

Right from the beginning I figured this was going to be just like one of their "hunger strikes". They make it sound like they're devoted to suffering for their "cause", following the lead of others who refuse to tke anything but water.

Then we find out that they're consuming all kinds of broth, milkshakes, gatorade, protein shakes, etc.

In this case, I foresaw them most likely travelling in buses for the most part, being dropped off to walk into, and through, cities where they would get the most attention, reboarding and then on to the next whistlestop.

I think we've all seen enough of these peoples' tactics by now to understand that they talk a really big game and never back it up with any meaningful action.

It's one big farce....one giant stage play. If any of these blowhards had the guts to effect real change they'd be focused on their home countries and willing to actually fight for it there. Or, if there was any legitimate need for change in this one, they'd be willing to do whatever it took same as blacks did in fighting for their rights.

But no....we don't see any of that occuring.

Instead, all we see from this bunch is half assed, token acts of "protest" while their special interests get what they want through political arm twisting and litigation.