Published Monday March 22, 2010

Immigration overhaul urged

By Juan Perez Jr. and Susan Szalewski
World-Herald staff writers

A south Omaha Catholic church overflowed Sunday with 600 people calling for an overhaul of immigration laws.

Across town, 100 people at a United Methodist chapel heard personal stories from immigrants hoping that Congress will create a path to legalization.

The local events coincided with a national march in Washington, D.C. -- attended by more than 30 Nebraskans -- that was intended to inject life into the stalled immigration debate.

The ultimate goal: to nudge Congress to revamp the country's immigration system, including finding an avenue for undocumented immigrants to gain legal status.

Luis Marcos stood before the group inside the Mead Chapel at Omaha's First United Methodist Church to tell his story.

He left Guatemala for the United States at age 17 to join family members who already had made the trek north. Now he works as a phlebotomist.

Drawing people's blood for a living has taught him a lesson about humanity, Marcos said.

“It's red, and it's nice and warm,â€