Supporters Of Immigration Reform Speak Out To Political Leaders


By Maggie Alexander, NBC17, 14 hours ago
Updated: Aug. 15 9:47 pm
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DURHAM, N.C. -

The hot topic of immigration was the focus at a meeting in Durham.

More than 1,500 supporters of immigration reform joined forces Sunday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church to deliver a message to political leaders.

Pilar Rocha-Goldberg works with the Durham group El Centro Hispano. Their mission is to help Latinos feel at home in America, but without immigration reform she believes Latinos will always feel like unwanted guests.

"Everybody thinks when they see your skin and how you look they think first everyone is from Mexico and everyone is here with no documents," said Rocha-Goldberg.

Her other concern is how enforcement is tearing families apart.

"Many men come to work and then they start bringing families and when they are here and the kids are born here we see all the families separated with deportation," said Rocha-Goldberg.

Groups traveled from all over the state to show their support.

"We do feel there is a community full of Latinos who are good people and they want to work here, they want to be apart of our community and that's why we're here supporting them," said Rev. Willard Bass with the group Change in Winston-Salem.

The goal of the meeting was to connect with political leaders and candidates about the need for immigration reform now.

"Everybody is saying you've got to have a comprehensive approach so I came in here today thinking that and I leave here today encouraged there's something of a head of steam behind this," said Rep. David Price D-NC.

"It was disturbing though from the perspective that throughout the entire event not a single American flag," said Republican Congressional candidate, B.J. Lawson. "I honestly felt like we transported ourselves into the Mexican embassy. Our country was E pluribus unum - "out of many one" and that comes from people who honestly want to embrace American culture."

We also talked to William Gheen by phone from Americans for Legal Immigration about this issue.

"Over 80 percent of Americans oppose illegal immigration and any form of comprehensive amnesty that would turn illegals into voters," said Gheen. "We need to secure our borders and enforce America's existing immigration laws."

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