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“Although we are here in the cold you should know across the country there are rallies like this everywhere. The time is absolutely now for comprehensive immigration reform,” shouted Javier Morillo, a representative for SEIU Local 26, Minnesota’s Property Services Union at an immigration reform rally this week.
This issue is one that hits close to home for millions who live without the documentation they need to legally reside and work in the United States. “I once came to this country without documents and went through the process of having residency and citizenship. Many people are displaced from their home countries because … this global economy forces people to move here,” said Francisco Segovia, a representative for the immigrant rights group, Mesa Latina, to Mint Press News.
More than 100,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to demand comprehensive immigration reform for the more than 11.1 million undocumented immigrants currently living and working across the United States. The strong demonstrations sent a message to the Senate ahead of a bipartisan immigration deal that is expected to be announced later this month.
Protests took place in dozens of cities, including Minneapolis, where hundreds gathered in unseasonably cold weather to demand recognition and a clear path to citizenship.
Immigrants stand up
The boisterous crowd, representing immigrant rights groups, labor unions and activists, sent a clear message to legislators as chants of “Si, se puede,” or “Yes, we can,” filled the air as snow began to fall upon the government plaza center in downtown Minneapolis.
“When we speak about the issue, immigration, we usually speak about people who have broken the law, what they speak about is criminalizing workers,” Segovia said. “Once they close borders, the system criminalizes them.”
“It is about people having human rights, respect and having the documents they need to work and participate in local economies,” Segovia said.
A fraction of the more than 1.5 million deported under Obama have committed crimes, usually for small offenses like driving without a license. The legal recognition sought by millions is recognized by the labor movement, a prominent pillar of support for immediate immigration reform that union leaders believe will lead to improvements in working conditions for all.
“What we do in the labor movement is raise the floor on wages and benefits for workers. If there is any group of workers, for whatever reason, who can exist below that floor, that hurts everyone, Morillo said to Mint Press News. “That is what happens when you have 11 million undocumented workers and you have employers exploiting those workers for profit.”
“It is incredibly important for us because we have immigrant members,” he added.
Millions remember the failed effort in 2006 to enact comprehensive immigration reform. The immigrants rights movement held mass demonstrations that year, reaching a peak in April 2006 when organizers brought together mass marches of 300,000 in Chicago, 500,000 in Dallas, 500,000 in Los Angeles and millions of others in more than 100 cities across the United States.
That effort was channeled into advocacy for The Dream Act, which has yet to be fully adopted by Congress. In 2013, crowds remained upbeat and determined not to miss out on another opportunity for reform. “We are going to get this done this time,” shouted Morillo to the crowd.
Cecelia, an immigrant from Ecuador, addressed the crowd in Spanish, speaking with the help of a translator. Like millions of immigrants, she came to the U.S. to make a better life for her young daughter, working hard and paying taxes like the vast majority. “I came to this country to work hard and support my family. I have never taken anyone’s job, I’ve always paid my taxes and I’ve always contributed to the society.”
“My daughter does not know her family, and it is hard to describe to her why our family is divided. My dream is to improve our lives and give my daughter the best life I can as her mother,” Cecelia said. “I’ve seen many families broken apart because of an immigration system that isn’t working.”
Despite the calls for reforms that will keep families together, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sharply increased the number of detentions and deportations of undocumented immigrants during the Obama presidency. As of December 2012, Obama has overseen the deportation of roughly 1.5 million people, a record 409,000 in 2012 alone.
Last year, Obama extended a renewable two-year reprieve to undocumented immigrant youth, brought to the U.S. as children. Since the program began in August, applications from more than 355,000 people have been accepted and nearly 103,000 have been approved, according to the government figures. This still has not remedied the larger problem of mass deportations that split up families, considered a non-negotiable “line in the sand issue” for representatives.
“We need to be ready for the fact that the law isn’t going to be perfect, but there are certain lines in the sand. We have to have family reunification that doesn’t pit one immigrant group against another,” Morillo said.
Washington appears poised for a bipartisan effort to address immigration. Democrats appear to be leading the way in calling upon their colleagues to work toward legislation that will extend work visas, create a clear path to citizenship and keep families together.
According to an NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll, a full 64 percent of Americans now support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Think Progress reports that this would not only help millions of immigrant families, it would significantly boost the economy with increases in tax revenue.
Granting citizenship after five years, a policy supported by a majority of poll respondents, would provide a boost of $1.1 trillion in economic growth, contribute $144 billion more in taxes and add $618 billion to all American incomes.
“I support the principles outlined in comprehensive immigration reform,” said a staff member speaking on behalf of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) “I believe that there must be a reasonable pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.”
The so-called “gang of eight,” a bipartisan group of senators, is expected to announce an immigration deal within a week.