http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=189028

Immigration groups meet in the streets around Hastert's office
BY LISA SMITH and TARA MALONE
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Posted Saturday, May 13, 2006



Cries of "Illegals, go home" nearly drowned out "Si, se puede" ("Yes, we can") chants as demonstrators on both sides of the immigration debate rallied outside U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert's downtown Batavia office Saturday afternoon.

With more than 200 people, the Illinois Minuteman Project's rally had about twice as many participants as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights' march and rally.

The opposing marches marked the first time locally since the issue of illegal immigration heated up months ago that activists on both sides held mass demonstrations at the same location. No problems were reported as the groups demonstrated a half-block apart, separated by police officers and barricades.

Because Hastert's office is traditionally closed on weekends, neither the congressman nor his staff were on site Saturday.

The demonstrations come at a critical time - two days before President Bush is scheduled to take up the issue in a nationally televised address from the Oval Office and three days before congressional leaders again meet to hammer out immigration reform legislation.

The Minuteman group, who were joined by the Aurora-based Citizens Protecting Your Rights, called on the Plano Republican to enforce immigration laws, tighten border security and crack down on employers who hire immigrants living here illegally.

"We have been invaded, folks," said Rosanna Pulido of the Illinois Minuteman Project, a local branch of the volunteer movement that patrols the southern border to keep out illegal immigrants. "There is an invasion going on in America. They have broken into our country and taken our jobs."

For many in the crowd, punctuated by U.S. flags and colorful signs, the issue was one of patriotism as much as border security and law enforcement. A recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance preceded the lineup of speakers during the rally. When confronting immigrants and their supporters across the police barricade, the crowd again erupted into a recitation of the pledge.

David Quig of Batavia enlisted with the Illinois Minuteman Project six months ago, three months before his son, Marine Corporal Nathan Quig, arrived in Fallujah, Iraq.

"What they are going to come home to is not what they left," Quig said.

Demonstrators with the immigrant rights coalition called on Hastert to support immigration policies that allow illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship and to oppose calls for deportation that would separate family members.

They also want him to support a plan allowing immigrant students living in the United States illegally to qualify for in-state college tuition in the state where they live, as now exists in Illinois.

"We need a realistic temporary worker program," said Shirley Sajadi, an Elgin immigration lawyer. "We need a path to citizenship for those who have been here working and paying taxes for so long."

Mexican immigrant Anna Maria Gonzalez-Perdomo, a U.S. citizen since 1995, said her 35-year-old son Luis Pina has been waiting 10 years for his visa. It shouldn't take that long, she said.

"We came here for the opportunity," Gonzalez-Perdomo said of her family. "We came here to tell Mr. Hastert, 'Please, hear all these people.'æ"

Meanwhile, congressional leaders said they hope to reach an agreement by Memorial Day on a plan that could beef up border security and level financial penalties at employers who hire undocumented workers. It also would provide a means for more than 11æmillion illegal immigrants to become legal residents and eventually citizens.

Hastert spokesman Brad Hahn called it "encouraging" that the Senate is working on an immigration proposal.

"The top priority is securing our borders," Hahn said Friday. "There are other questions as well regarding a guest worker program - what the size and scope that would be, how it would be implemented. And there's questions about what to do with people already in our country (who are) undocumented. These are all things the Congress is going to have to work out."

The Batavia rallies follow nationwide rallies May 1 that called for the legalization of illegal immigrants. Those events drew 400,000 to Chicago, 10,000 to Aurora and 2,000 to Elgin.

On Friday, about 100 members of the Minuteman Project arrived in Washington, where they demonstrated against illegal immigration.

Some 400,000 illegal immigrants live in Illinois, which along with California, Texas, New York, Florida and New Jersey ranks as one of the most heavily trafficked entryways for immigrants to this country. An estimated half-million more arrive in the U.S. every year.


lsmith@dailyherald.com

tmalone@dailyherald.com


Headline spec: 2 col; 24pt NewBskvll SeBd BT Regular

Demonstration: Hastert

encouraged by Senate debate