Thread: Illegals feel handicapped in Illinois

Rally for reform
Immigrants, supporters call for changes to rights they receive

By Madhu Krishnamurthy
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Sunday, September 18, 2005

For Rafael Perez-Guzman of Palatine, walking more than a mile on crutches Saturday at a Round Lake area rally for immigration reform was worth it.

After all, he endured greater pain on his journey from Mexico to the United States 12 years ago, crossing the border over a mountainous region on crutches with his family in tow.

Perez-Guzman says he risked his life to find work and a better life for his family in America.

He molds artificial limbs for an area clinic and hopes to make one for himself to replace the leg he lost working as a lumberjack in Mexico. He pays taxes and is putting his five children through school.

He says he feels handicapped by not having the same benefits as legal residents.

Hundreds of immigrants march in Round Lake Park Saturday in support of immigration reform legislation, before a forum on the issue at Round Lake High School.

Suburban immigrants march in a rally sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Saturday in support of proposed national legislation that would fast-track undocumented workers toward legalization.

Immigrants rights advocates say hard-working immigrants shouldn’t be denied the right to vote or access to health care and hospitals just because they came here illegally.

Nearly 400 undocumented and legal immigrants and their supporters from Lake County, the Northwest suburbs and Chicago marched in support of a proposed national legislation for broad immigration reform.

“This is just the beginning of immigrants organizing in the suburbs,� said Lawrence Benito, regional organizer for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Workers are being abused because of fear that they may be deported. People want to follow the law, but our immigration system is broken and is forcing people to make hard decisions.�

The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act â€â€

More Pro Invasion Horse Huey. They need to be deported.

Rep Bean should be aware based on these statistics that there are 86% of the population who are citizens...more likely to be able to vote.

Immigration policies in any country are supposed to be set to maximize benefit for their own citizens not immigrants or would be immigrants. This is true of any and every country. The number and skill level, even origin is supposed to be set internally through a democratic process. It is the case even in Mexico which has stricter laws and stricter enforcement. A nation's citizens interests are not well served by politicians pandering to people who have so little respect for the public good that they would immigrate illegaly.

The physically handicapped are unable to fully function without making accomodations. For the public good we now have the ADA laws which mandate things like ramps, audio aids and braille in public buildings. Do we need also to make laws to accomodate moral cripples, the people whose morals instead of limbs, ears and eyes do not work.

He says he feels handicapped by not having the same benefits as legal residents.

Tough. You are NOT legal.

People want to follow the law, but our immigration system is broken and is forcing people to make hard decisions.

If they want to follow the law, then why are they here illegally?

A group of immigrant community leaders have met with Bean for months trying to garner support for the legislation.

Rep. Bean will not support this legislation if she wants to be reelected.