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LOCAL News :: Civil & Human Rights

Immigrant and Refugee Rights Rally 9/25

By 11:30 am this past Saturday, Federal Plaza was slowly being filled with people ready to rally in the name of immigrant and refugee rights. The rally culminated in about 4,000 – 5,000 people, after the arrival of feeder marches that began in Pilsen and Humboldt Park. The last march to arrive was led by an indigenous, cultural dance troupe, raising the question of how indigenous rights are examined within immigrant and refugee issues. Organized by the Illinois Coalition for Human and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the march drew the participation of a number of organizations representing the Filipino, Latino, Korean, Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and other immigrant communities, the religious and labor sect, organizations addressing domestic violence, as well as anti-imperial groups. Juan Salgado, Board President of the Illinois Coalition for Human and Refugee Rights, shouted, “Immigration built this nation!” as the crowd echoed the chant.

Marissa Graciosa, an organizer for the ICIRR, described the massive campaign known as the “New Americans Vote ’04.” According to Graciosa, historically the immigrant communities have had a low voter turnout in past elections. This campaign, which began in January, addresses immigrant communities and the need for them to vote. So far over 23,000 immigrant voters have been registered, which makes this the largest non-partisan voter registration and mobilization of immigrants in Illinois history. The list of diverse speakers expressed their experiences of discrimination and erosion of civil liberties through unfair policies aimed at immigrant populations, such as the separation of families through deportation, expiring work visas, and backlogs (the number of years to wait before a petitioned family member may enter into the US…sometimes 20 years). Natalie Hamdi told of how her husband was racially profiled and detained for a crime he did not commit. Despite being found innocent and also married to a US citizen, he was deported to Morocco. “It is wrong to have immigration laws that do this to families,” said Hamdi, “I am registered to vote and I will vote. I am joining with others in the immigrant community and their supporters to vote for people who will support changes in immigration policies.” Hamdi and other speakers stressed the importance of voting for a candidate who would reform immigration laws and also to vote on election day for those who are unable to, namely for the millions of residents and the undocumented.

Legalization of the undocumented was an issue strongly pushed forth, although there have been gains such as House Bill 60, which allows undocumented people to go to school. This bill has helped students like Yesenia Sanchez from the Sclabrinian Lay Movement to receive a college education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. However, under the bill, she, like others, cannot receive financial aid, nor are they guaranteed a job after graduation since they do not have a social security number. And, as always, there is the threat of deportation. She said, “We’re not terrorists. We’re not criminals. We just want an education. We pay taxes, we work hard, and nobody can tell me I’m not American. I see myself as Mexican and American.”

The rally concluded by 2pm with light police presence and 10 buses packed with organizers, activists, and families returning to their communities. Two remaining Filipinas from Committee on Pilipino Issues discussed how seeing different communities rally in solidarity for immigrant rights showed how these issues intersect not just one community but the issues are “shared and relevant.” The connection between voter registration, the needs of immigrant communities, and possible implications of this were demonstrated through the stories being shared and feedback from the organizers to supporters of the rally that day.

Tina Hernandez-Lasquety
 
 

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