Thread: Our new citizens

Our next citizens
Voter, citizenship drives aim to win immigrants a voice in politics

By David Garbe
staff writer

Advocacy groups across the country today are launching a drive to recruit enough new immigrant voters to sway — or oust — politicians now taking a hard-line view of immigration reform.

Invigorated by their successes this spring in orchestrating massive street protests, a diverse coalition of groups is hoping to build a powerful political base by launching nationwide citizenship and voter registration drives today in at least 19 states, including Illinois.

With an estimated 20 percent of residents either foreign-born or children of immigrants, Illinois ranks high among places with plenty of immigrants to mobilize.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which spearheaded the pro-immigrant marches across the state this spring, is hosting several large events today, including one in Aurora.

From 9 a.m. to noon at the Prisco Community Center, about 50 volunteers hope to get 100 legal residents on the path to citizenship and to get as many citizens as possible on the rolls of registered voters.

"This is the first of many for the rest of the summer," said Kristin Kumpf, a coalition staffer managing the Aurora event.

This summer's effort is nothing new for the Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which has been helping legal immigrants become citizens through an annual $3 million grant for the past three years from Illinois' New Americans Initiative, a state program supported by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Most of the people who become citizens through the initiative have been legal residents for decades, but either didn't know they were eligible for citizenship or didn't know how to apply, Kumpf said.

In a trend activists attribute in part to fear that the government will crack down on immigration, citizenship applications are already up nearly 20 percent over last year.

As part of the national drive this summer, the coalition hopes to help 10,000 immigrants apply for citizenship, and register as voters an additional 15,000 immigrants who have already attained citizenship.

By the November elections, the coalition hopes to mobilize 50,000 immigrant voters to the polls.

The nationwide campaign aims to register 1 million new voters and persuade many of the 8 million legal residents in this country to apply for citizenship.

The campaign's leaders have also commissioned studies estimating that as many as 3 million U.S.-born children of immigrants will be voting age by 2008.

"We want to make sure no politician will dare propose the criminalization of immigrants in the future," said Angela Sembrano, a top organizer in Los Angeles in reference to U.S. House Resolution 4437, which would turn some violations of immigration laws into felonies.

Organizers have identified more than a dozen swing states with anywhere from 50,000 to 900,000 legal residents eligible to apply for citizenship — enough to influence state and congressional elections if they become Americans.

The citizenship push might not have a major impact in the November elections, because applications typically take at least eight months to process.

Still, organizers believe greater voter registration by immigrants who have become citizens could sway elections this fall in congressional districts where lawmakers identified as anti-immigrant — mostly Republican — are vulnerable.

That is not likely to apply to any politicians in the Fox Valley, most of whom enjoy strong support in their districts.

Activists have targeted U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a supporter of House immigration reform proposals viewed as draconian by immigrant-rights groups, including HR-4437.

Today, some those activists hope to bring several hundred people to Hastert's Batavia office for a noon rally organized by the Chicago-based Service Employees International Union.


- The Associated Press contributed to this story.

[http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/b...ION_S10701.htm

"We want to make sure no politician will dare propose the criminalization of immigrants in the future," said Angela Sembrano, a top organizer in Los Angeles in reference to U.S. House Resolution 4437, which would turn some violations of immigration laws into felonies.

Would DARE make being here ILLEGALLY a crime?

They're registering illegals, like they did during the mob demonstrations,
and Hillary knows it.

Originally Posted by Coto

They're registering illegals, like they did during the mob demonstrations,
and Hillary knows it.

My pic is scarier.

Damn!

How about some advance warning next time, Count Floyd!
Sheesh, I was drinking hot coffee!

Kind of catches ya mid gulp don't it?

Originally Posted by Coto

Damn!

How about some advance warning next time, Count Floyd!
Sheesh, I was drinking hot coffee!

Sorry about that.

You're right, of course.

I came across it late last night, and for a moment thought a visit to the emergency room was in my immediate future.

Count that pic is nasty I can see why you thought you might have to go to the ER. And sorry Coto you almost spilled your hot coffee all over you. I had the same reaction when I scrolled down and saw it

I wish I hadn't just eaten. No wonder Bill played Groucho with Monica!!

That babble about no politician criminilizing immigrants again just proves that they want more than legal status or equality, they want preferential treartment. No one from La Raza (their race) should be punished for mundane acts like illegal immigration, theft of services ,tax evfasion, and forgery.

Illegals' Heros!

FIGHTING FOR LA RAZA AND AZTLAN