Carlotta Mohamed, Amsterdam News – This weekend protestors and organizers around the country are planning rallies in more than 100 cities on Oct. 5 to demand that Congress moves the Immigration Reform Bill forward.
The New York Immigration Coalition will lead the March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect at Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn on Sat. October 5. at 12 noon.
“The fight for immigration reform has been ongoing for more than a decade; it hasn’t been easy, but momentum is on the side of reform,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “There are enough votes in the House for a reform bill that includes a path to citizenship; the public increasingly supports it and is tired of the divisive tactics that have been brought to bear on the immigration debate.”
There are about 11.7 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. and this number is on the rise, according to the Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends project.
According to the survey immigrants from South America, the Caribbean, and other parts of Latin America represent about 12 percent of unauthorized immigrants. About 10 percent come from Asia and 15 percent from Mexico.
“This week, lawmakers returned from recess after an entire summer of dragging their feet on comprehensive immigration reform. As Congress gets back to work, let’s make sure they really do get back to work and move immigration reform forward. Enough is enough!”- The coalition said in a statement.
The coalition in New York is inviting community members to join the rally at Cadman Plaza and march with the group over the Brooklyn Bridge.
New York City elected and immigrant community leaders met at a press conference at City Hall to urge Congress to move forward with a comprehensive immigration bill introduced by House Democrats that mirrors the bipartisan Senate bill passed in June—but without unnecessary harsh border measures that were included in the final senate version, according to a press release. The votes are already in the House to pass the bill, but Speaker John Boehner has yet to give his vote.
During the press conference, State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “We need comprehensive immigration reform that is effective, meets our economic and social needs, and honors American values. We need a reform that establishes a direct path to citizenship and that gives our youth a future by including the DREAM Act.”
Angela Fernandez, Esq. executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights said, “We are mobilizing on Oct. 5 to send a clear message that our communities will no longer wait, and we demand reform with no less than a clear, path to citizenship.”
