A coalition of more than three dozen California pro-immigrant organizations and community leaders gathered at a recent press conference in Los Angeles to call for a march on May 1 to press for President Joe Biden’s promise to fight for the legalization of more than 11 million undocumented people.
“We are determined to organize and mobilize the immigrant community to show broad support for President Biden’s 2021 U.S. Citizenship Act,” said Juan José Gutiérrez, executive director of One Stop Immigration and Educational Center Inc.
Activists are encouraging the undocumented community to join efforts to gain the support of enough U.S. senators to approved the legislation..
Salvador Sanabria, the director of the refugee advocacy organization El Rescate, says the “unity and mobilization of immigrants [is] key to driving the passage of the bill” in a released statement.
“President Biden’s proposal for comprehensive immigration reform needs the full support of those benefiting from it, which is why it’s a call to take to the streets of LA as immigrant families to show our unconditional support.”
The proposal aims to legalize millions of undocumented people who can prove their presence in the United States before Jan. 1, 2021, and have no criminal record.
Immigrants protected by the Deferred Action and Temporary Protection Status programs would obtain permanent residency immediately and citizenship in three years, as would agricultural workers who have worked in the field for at least five years.
All other eligible undocumented persons would obtain a five-year permit, after which they could apply for permanent residence and naturalization three years later.
Some changes include softening punishments for deportees and giving more opportunities to family petitions and workers on temporary visas.
“Our immigration system is broken,” said County Supervisor Janice Hahn, commenting on the action. “It has held back countless families in our community who have been met with broken promises of reform for too long. We finally have yet another opportunity for change. We cannot let it pass us by.”
Jesse Marquez, a long time Wilmington resident and executive director of Coalition For A Safe Environment, expressed solidarity with the undocumented community.
“The United States over the past 200 years has become home to millions who chose to leave their country for a better life that offers them peace of mind, freedom from dictators, the opportunity to pursue their dreams, food for their family and a healthy environment. We must support them, not forget them.”
A statement released by Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, president of the San Pedro/Wilmington chapter of the NAACP, suggests that support is growing among mainstream civil rights organizations:
Our NAACP branch is in full support of the California pro-immigrant organizations and community leaders coalition May 1st march to fight for the legalization of undocumented individuals. We believe that it is a human right for all individuals to be given the equal opportunity of a good quality life. America is the place where dreamers can dream, families can thrive, and opportunity is abundant. This hope and possibility should not be limited to one race, culture, or group of people.
The Black community continues to experience discrimination at the hands of leadership that should trusted. Yet, instead we are on a continuous fight for our civil and human right to live free of disparities and disproportionate injustice. This fight is bigger than one race or group of people. This is a human being fight! We are proud to support our immigrant brothers and sisters! And, we are proud of their courageousness to stand for what’s right.
The coalition calling for the march includes: the Federation of Mexico, the Federation of Zacatecan Clubs of Southern California, the Federation of Clubs of Puebla of Los Angeles, Honduran United of Los Angeles, the Union of Guatemalan Emigrants, the Honduran Alliance of Los Angeles, and the National Mexican Brotherhood.
We are in a continuous fight for our civil and human right to live free of disparities and disproportionate injustice. This fight is bigger than one race or group of people. This is a human being fight! We are proud to support our immigrant brothers and sisters! And, we are proud of their courageousness to stand for what’s right.