Posted: 10/17/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Adam Babcock La Colectiva´s delegation meets with Representative Tim Johnson´s staff on Saturday during an immigration reform rally outside Johnson´s office. The delegation did not meet with Johnson, but drew attention by leaving more than a thousand leaflets signed by supporters of immigration reform.

A crowd of almost 100 University students and local residents rallied together in front of U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson's Champaign (R-IL) office Friday afternoon determined to be heard.

With their voices united in protest and hope, the group shouted slogans such as "immigration built this nation" and "the people united will never be divided" as they waved brightly colored poster signs echoing similar messages.

The rally, organized by La Colectiva, a University activist group that seeks to raise political awareness on immigration issues, was an attempt to gain Johnson's attention and support for a pending federal bill titled, The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, recently introduced in May 2005.

The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Sens. McCain (R-AZ) and Kennedy (D-MA) and is commonly referred to as a comprehensive immigration reform bill or CIR.

Yesenia Sanchez, junior in LAS, said the bill, which would allow undocumented immigrants to be able to work legally, adjust their legal status and place them on a track towards legal residence, is a realistic solution to the current "broken" immigration system.

"What we ask of him (Johnson) as an elected official is to take a stand on issues that are affecting the community that he represents," Sanchez said. "We want him to take a stand-understand the necessity and urgency of immigration reform and immigrant issues."

If passed, the bill would create a six-year track for qualified undocumented immigrants to get green cards. In order to qualify, immigrants must have been employed or attending high school or college full-time before and since May 12, 2005. Applicants would then attain six-year temporary visas that would allow them to work and travel.

After six years, these immigrants could apply for residency if they prove they have worked and paid all federal income taxes, passed medical and security checks, passed an English and civics test, and registered for Selective Service, according to a Fact Sheet released by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

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