http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S ... 4&nav=2HAB

Activists push for immigration reform


DES MOINES, Iowa Immigration advocates today asked the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to help push for national immigration reform and to keep anti-immigration legislation off the books in Iowa.

Sandra Sanchez is the coordinator for the Immigrants Voice Project.

She says that so far this year, there have been 500 pieces of immigration legislation introduced at statehouses around the country. She says many are redundant because there already is federal legislation in place that covers the issues.

Sanchez says the proposed legistion is being used for political advantages in midterm elections.

She asked to the civil rights commission to help keep such legislation off the books in Iowa, and to push for Iowa lawmakers to pass a resolution for immigration reform at the federal level.

Alicia Claypool, a commissioner from West Des Moines, says the panel invited immigration advocates to their meeting to help educate them on the immigration issue.