Immigration issues alive for May Day 48 pt COS 3 deck
(http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/hera ... S1.article)

April 30, 2007

By ANDREA HEIN STAFF WRITER

JOLIET -- Protestors calling for immigration reform paraded through Chicago last year with signs proclaiming "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

As of today, the immigration status of people who illegally entered the United States has not changed. So tomorrow, the protesters will march again.

Among those demonstrators will be a contingent from Joliet that will gather at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

"This is an issue that very much affects our community, our people," said the Rev. Ray Corkery, pastor of the predominantly Hispanic parish.

While one year has passed since the first May Day protest, the debate surrounding what should happen to the more than 12 million people who have entered the country without permission or have stayed without approval continues.


Coming to terms

The opposing sides cannot even agree on what to call the men, women and children at the heart of the controversy.
The terms "undocumented resident" or simply "immigrant" are often used by supporters of immigration reform.

People who oppose amnesty, as they call it, use "illegal alien" or just the word "illegal" in making their arguments.

Current immigration law does not provide a path to citizenship for undocumented residents, supporters of comprehensive immigration reform argue. And they want that to change.

Rockdale resident Toribio Barrera knows the frustration of trying to become "legal."

More than a decade ago, Barrera illegally entered the country from Mexico. He later married a U.S. citizen and applied for citizenship, but the marriage ended and so did his citizenship proceedings.

Now an Illinois company wants to hire Barrera, who is educated and speaks English, and has filed a labor petition that could allow him to stay. While the government reviews the labor petition, an immigration court has delayed a decision on whether to deport Barrera.


Reasons to march

In the meantime, Barrera can stay in the country but legally cannot work.
Barrera said he and the other demonstrators are marching for many reasons, including calling on the government to stop the separation of families by ending immigration raids and deportation.

Undocumented residents' children, some of whom are U.S. citizens, may not reach their full potential because they lose a parent to deportation or are shuffled around the country as their parents try to find work, he said.

And Barrera thinks the government hasn't given undocumented residents a chance.

"We love this country as our adopted country," he said.

Other citizens and groups, like the Illinois Minuteman Project, disagree with immigration reform, saying the government should enforce current laws and secure U.S. borders.

But the Illinois minutemen will not protest on Tuesday.


Opposition's points

"We work. We have to continue to pay taxes so the illegals can continue to get their free benefits," said Rosanna Pulido, director of Illinois Minuteman.
Illegal immigrants should be demanding rights of their own government, not of U.S. leaders, she said. Regarding separated families, Pulido points to the families of citizens killed by illegal immigrants who have been separated from their loved ones.

The group opposes a measure in the Illinois Legislature that would give driving certificates to people who lack a valid Social Security number because, among other reasons, it would attract illegal immigrants to Illinois.

Proponents of the bill, which has passed the House and is in the Senate, said it would make the roadways safer and is supported by law enforcement.

Illinois minutemen also take issue with people advocating on behalf of illegal immigrants, including the Catholic Church.

Pulido claims the church is preaching Marxist-liberation theology that is not scriptural.

"It's just another atrocity to see the church not doing the right thing," Pulido said.

The Rev. Raymond Lescher of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Joliet said the church's stance that immigration is a "human rights" issue is based on the Bible and has nothing to do with Marxism or communism.

"It's the gospel of Jesus Christ," Lescher said.

Buses carrying people to Tuesday's demonstration will leave at 11:30 a.m. from Mt. Carmel Church, 205 E. Jackson St.

View Andrea Hein's Web log at http://blogs.suburbanchicagonews.com/ahein/or contact her at (815) 729-6018 or via e-mail at ahein@scn1.com




Current immigration law does not provide a path to citizenship for undocumented residents, supporters of comprehensive immigration reform argue. And they want that to change.

I'm sorry but this struck me as one of the stupidest comments... ..gee whiz I'm in jail for committing a crime and current law doesn't allow me to leave since there's other things I'd rather be doing so we have to change that.