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Support pledged for immigrants
By TERESA SICARD ARCHAMBEAULT
Courier-Post Staff


CAMDEN

South Jersey government officials, clergy and pro-immigrant organizers gathered Tuesday at Camden City Council chambers to announce support for a rally on immigrant rights next week in Trenton.

Organizers expressed their opposition to a House of Representatives bill introduced in December that deals with illegal immigrant issues. They also showed support for comprehensive immigration reform.

"This city council is deeply concerned that this proposal, if approved by Congress, could bring negative effects to our economy and our lives," said council President Angel Fuentes during the news conference.

The House bill, called the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act, sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., passed the House Dec. 16 and has been referred to a Senate committee for review before March 27. The bill would criminalize illegal alien smuggling and make undocumented immigrants subject to arrest, not just deportation.

"We have to do something to convince our senators that we need a good immigration reform," said Carlos Avila, from the Immigrants Public Advocacy Coalition of Trenton, who added that he is expecting a large number of people to show support at the March 20 rally.

A resolution that denounces the House bill was passed by Camden City Council March 9, Fuentes said.

"This bill erodes the principles on which this country stands. Here we are all immigrants," said Fuentes.

Instead of Sensenbrenner's bill, rally organizers support a bill proposed in 2005 by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act would be more like amnesty, allowing qualified undocumented immigrants to obtain citizenship or stay in the United States legally.

Father William J. "Jud" Weiksnar from St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cramer Hill said his church and school depend on the participation of all immigrants.

"If it wasn't for them we would have to close our church and our school and the economy at the parish would collapse," said Weiksnar.

Reach Teresa Sicard Archambeault at (856) 486-2917 or tsicard @courierpostonline.com
Published: March 15. 2006 3:00AM