Illinois Democrats call for U.S. House vote on immigration reform

BY JON SEIDEL Staff Reporter June 9, 2014 7:18PM


U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton listen to the speakers at a news conference Monday sponsored by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition. Democratic leaders, the coalition, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of Latino and Asian business leaders at "Immigration Reform: Bottom-Line 2014," which called for House Speaker John Boehner and and President Barack Obama to pass immigration reform in 2014. | Al Podgorski/Sun-Times Media

A who’s who of Illinois Democrats called on immigration reform advocates Monday to demand a vote on the issue in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined other state officeholders and several members of Illinois’ congressional delegation during a Loop rally at the University Club of Chicago, hosted by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition.

Emanuel told the crowd Chicago is a “city of immigrants” and that “immigrants have come to this great city to give their children a chance at the American Dream.”

“You cannot be pro-small business and anti-immigration reform,” Emanuel said. “The two go together.”

Quinn said Illinois should lead the charge to get immigration reform passed in the House.

“It’s not going to happen from the top down,” Quinn said. “It’s going to happen from the grass-roots people all over America, all over Illinois.”

Other speakers included state Senate President John Cullerton and U.S. Representatives. Tammy Duckworth, Luis Gutierrez, Robin Kelly, Brad Schneider, Jan Schakowsky, Bill Foster and Mike Quigley.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate passed a sweeping immigration overhaul in June 2013 with a path to citizenship for the estimated more than 11 million people in the U.S. illegally.

Since then, it has stalled in the GOP-run House.

Email: jseidel@suntimes.com

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2...on-reform.html