WASINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined the Illinois
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and others to call on
Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reforms.
During
a news conference on Capitol Hill, Schakowsky said that Congress must act
on legislation that would allow long time residents to seek legal immigration
status, to restore fairness to immigration laws by providing equal relief
for all Central Americans and Haitian refugees, and to restore Section
245 (I) to ease the process for those applying for permanent residency.
In addition, Schakowsky expressed her strong support for the creation of
a new amnesty program to allow undocumented immigrants currently in the
U.S. to seek legal status.
Below
is Schakowsky’s statement:
“Throughout
the history of this country, immigrants have played an important role in
building our nation and its democratic institutions. New arrivals
from every continent have contributed their energy, talent, and commitment
to making the United States richer and stronger. Newly arriving workers
continue to make indispensable contributions to the strength and growth
of our economy. And I represent many of those hard working
immigrants. My district is wonderfully diverse and serves as a gateway
to America for immigrants from all parts of the globe.
“On
any given day, there are over 5 million undocumented immigrants in the
United States. These are vulnerable individuals who are constantly
living in fear. Fear of being deported by the INS, fear for their
family’s economic security, fear of being exploited by their employers,
and fear of knowing that they have no legal recourse.
“Two
weeks ago in Los Angeles, close to 20,000 people rallied in support of
immigrant rights. This was yet another example of the changing tide
and the need to address our failed immigration policies.
“It
is important that we strengthen our immigration policies to support immigrants
who continue to make indispensable contributions to the strength and growth
of our economy and I look forward to working with all of you to make this
vision a reality.” |
