Pushing the Issue

On Saturday an immigration rally at Federal Plaza marked the anniversary of the huge march a year ago. Organizers are gearing up for a two month onslaught of rallies leading up to another large march on May 1 through the Loop.

The Chicago area has become a hotbed on the issue of immigration, taking part in the driving force that may one day force Congress to provide coherent legislation that doesn't allow for so much discretionary enforcement. In recent weeks the U.S. government has stepped up raids on suspected illegal immigrants. This, in part, is the reason the organizers of the rallies have stepped up their efforts. The groups are looking for some type of legislation to be enacted prior to taking sweeping measures to deport illegal immigrants.

The pressure a year ago came as the result of President Bush making some pretty unpopular-to his base- regarding citizenship for illegal immigrants. While this is an extremely polarizing issue, it has forced groups such as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to become more strategic in their initiatives. They have recently committed funds to lobbying efforts and just kicked off a campaign called Illinois is Home, focusing on forcing the Illinois Congressional Delegation to act on the issue and trying to reverse the recent increase in fees for citizenship.

As Illinois and Chicago continue to play a prominent role on the issue of Immigration Reform we will continue to keep you updated. Previous coverage is here and here.