City Council Calls on White House to Reform Immigration Laws

By Kevin Robinson in News on Mar 11, 2010 3:20PM

Chicago's City Council passed a resolution Wednesday demanding that the Obama Administration tackle comprehensive immigration reform. “Our President — a President we’re very proud of — promised to address this issue after the first 90 days of his administration, then after 180 days, then after a year. It’s been 14 months,” said 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis. “In the meantime, there’s been more deportations. There’s been families that have been broken. It’s a national disgrace. ... This has to stop. Enough is enough.”

The resolution, which calls on President Obama to keep his campaign promise to tackle immigration reform during the first 90 days of his term, comes as immigration rights activists prepare for a march on Washington later this month. Noting that Democrats control both chambers of congress as well as the White House, 31st Ward Alderman Ray Suarez said that the party has found excuses not to tackle the tough issue. “When people run on a platform, excuses are unacceptable,” Suarez said.

Meanwhile, a group of college-aged students publicly announced that they are in the United States illegally. Members of the Immigrant Youth Justice League took the stage during a rally on Chicago's Federal Plaza to announce their status as undocumented immigrants and make the case for reform. 23-year-old Nico Gonzalez, from Pilsen, told the Tribune that he came to the United States with his family when he was five years old. His mother died of lung cancer two years ago after years of working in a factory. Gonzalez says that her life and death inspired him to speak up for other undocumented immigrants in the nation. "People who are documented would not be working under such horrible conditions," Gonzalez said. The organization is asking supporters to contact Illinois Senator Dick Durbin to urge him to use his leadership role in the senate to push for reform.