Chicagoans tell Emanuel to stay in D.C. until immigration bill passes
by Kelsey Sheehy
Sep 28, 2010


Don’t come back to Chicago without handling immigration reform.

That’s the message Chicago immigration reform advocates want delivered to White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

Maria Pesqueira, president of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, asked U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, both Democrats, to tell Emanuel that if he wants the support of the immigrant community in a mayoral race, he should make sure a plan to grant citizenship status to certain groups who are here now illegally.

The suggest came Saturday at Casa Michoacan in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, whereDurbin and Gutierrez joined leaders from the Latino community at a rally for immigration reform and to support Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias.

Giannoulias, who now is state treasurer, told the mostly Latino crowd he would vote for the measure, known as the DREAM Act, if he is elected in November.

One member of the crowd spoke for many in welcoming Giannoulias’ support.

Cindy Agustin, a University of Chicago senior, said she was happy to hear a candidate explicitly say he supported the act.

“It’s a relief,â€