Immigration Reform -- NOW!

Logan Square residents braved the winter chill January 16 to march in support of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Along the flashlight procession from the Logan Square monument, the group sang songs of hope as they entered Nuestra Señora de las Américas Episcopal Church for a prayer vigil.  
    The gathering, led by LSNA Immigration Committee chair Rev. Sandra Castillo, also urged support for new comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced by Logan Square’s Congressman Luis Gutierrez in response to inaction by President Obama. A year ago, President Obama promised to pass immigration reform in his first year in office but to date there has been no action.
    At the vigil, neighborhood residents offered testimonies, sharing heart-wrenching stories of family members facing deportation, or already having been deported. The testimonies all ended with pleas to President Obama to move forward on national legislation.
    The Gutierrez bill, called CIR ASAP!, provides a path to citizenship. It also streamlines the big backlog in the immigration system, offers special consideration for families and undocumented students, and moves toward more sensible and humane enforcement tactics.  “We must work hard to move this bill forward,” urged Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). Thousands from Chicago will go to Washington March 20-21 to demand action on immigration reform.    For more information on how to get involved, call Mónica at (773) 384-4370 ext. 14 or mgarreton@lsna.net.