Thread: N.J. advocates for immigration reform march from Jersey City

N.J. advocates for immigration reform march from Jersey City to Elizabeth
By Jeff Diamant/The Star-Ledger
February 17, 2010, 8:34PM

JERSEY CITY -- Starting in Jersey City near the foot bridge to Ellis Island, nearly 100 advocates for immigration reform staged a 10-mile walk to the Elizabeth detention center today, to highlight the plight of immigrant detainees there and to press for reforms allowing most of the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants to become citizens.

"I hope we can take one step toward restoring the humanity to these people, who all they want to do is come to our country to work," said Kathy O’Leary, co-coordinator of Pax Christi NJ, the state chapter of the national Catholic peace movement, during a prayer service before the march.

The marchers wore cards around their necks with names of people who have died in immigrant detention centers in recent years. After their march to Elizabeth, which lasted approximately seven hours, they held a vigil outside the detention center.

They said they chose Ellis Island as a starting point because of its use for entry into the United States for approximately 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954. While thousands of immigrants were detained at Ellis Island over the years, the advocates gathered today said that policies back then for handling immigrants of disputed status were more humane, on balance, than current ones.

"American’s greatness is represented by the Statue of Liberty over there, not the Elizabeth detention center," said Shai Goldstein, spokesman for the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, adding that the United States should let illegal immigrants settle in this country not just out of kindness to them, but for the nation’s economic benefit.

Opponents of conditional amnesty for immigrants say that the country, already faced with a bleak job market, is not able to absorb them.

It is unclear whether Congress will take up immigration reform this year. President Obama, during his campaign, promised to make it a priority in 2009, but he pushed that promise back to 2010. Then, last month, he devoted two sentences to it in his State of the Union speech, causing concern among supporters it might not come up at all.

www.nj.com

Why don't they march back to their countries where they came from. We don't want them here, we need jobs for americans that pay taxes not send money home to some hole. Why can't they understand the word ILLEGAL? What is so hard about that?

Too bad they don't consider wearing the names of innocent American citizens killed at the hands of illegal aliens. They don't have enough people to carry those names.

They said they chose Ellis Island as a starting point because of its use for entry into the United States for approximately 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954. While thousands of immigrants were detained at Ellis Island over the years, the advocates gathered today said that policies back then for handling immigrants of disputed status were more humane, on balance, than current ones.

Are they freaking KIDDING?!?!?!?! I am extremely offended by this, as should be all who had family go thru Ellis Island!!!

Hope this will serve to completely piss off NJ voters and give Gov. Christie added incentive to enforce the damn immigration laws!

Ironic isn't it..12 million LEGAL immigrants in 62 years, but took only 10 years for 12+ million to sneak over the mexican border? SEND THEM THE HELL BACK!!!!

Let illegal immigrants settle in the u.s. for the nation's economic benefit??
Who's benefit might that be for???
Can't believe how these illegals insist on forcing the issue.