Thread: IL: Young immigrants declare illegal status

Young immigrants declare illegal status


By Serena Maria Daniels, Tribune reporter

9:10 p.m. CST, March 10, 2010

Overcoming their fear of deportation, a group of college-age immigrants publicly admitted their undocumented status at a rally at the Federal Plaza on Wednesday in hopes of putting a face on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Members of the newly formed Immigrant Youth Justice League spoke of missing out on typical high school experiences and not being able to apply for driver's licenses and jobs. They urged people to phone or send texts to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to urge him to use his leadership to pass immigration reform.

The emotional speeches followed a peaceful march of about 1,000 Chicagoans between Union Park and the Federal Plaza as part of "National Coming Out of the Shadows Day," a nationwide immigration reform effort.

One organizer, Nico Gonzalez, 23, of Pilsen, said he was 5 years old when he entered the U.S. illegally with his family from Mexico. He said his undocumented mother died of lung cancer two years ago after working in a bad factory job for many years. Gonzalez said her death inspired him to become more active in the immigrant rights struggle.

"People who are documented would not be working under such horrible conditions," Gonzalez said.

The league was joined by several Latino City Council members at a news conference before the protest in calling for support for a larger rally in Washington on March 21.

Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th, was among several officials who angrily expressed disappointment that the Obama administration did not keep a promise to introduce a reform bill within the president's first year in office.

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