Immigrants Rights Group Approves Overhaul

May 17th, 2007 @ 1:40pm by Pamela Hughes/KTAR
Pro-immigrant rights groups in the Valley are cheering today's agreement on immigration reform.
Several local immigration organizations have been a part of developing this agreement.

Founder of Immigrants Without Borders Elias Bermudez said he worked with Senator Jon Kyl on this issue and he's excited about this bipartisan agreement.

"We are elated and very emotional about this," Bermudez said.

Bermudez is pleased with the temporary worker program, but he has a warning.

"And I'm just hoping that the Hispanic community be very cognizant of the fact that maybe you may not be eligible for some kind of an immigration benefit," Bermudez said.

But Bermudez is excited because those who are here illegally, "you will be able to come out of the shadows so hopefully everybody will respond and come out of the shadows instead of living the way they live right now, in fear of being deported almost on a daily basis," he said.

What does Bermudez have to say to those who are calling this agreement amnesty?

"To those people who are anti-immigrant, I tell them to get a life," Bermudez said.

He calls this a compromise and said everyone can't get everything.

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