CHIRLA "Educating, Organizing, Advocating"

Town Hall Attempts to Revive Immigration Reform Movement
By Gloria Angelina Castillo, EGP Staff Writer

Hundreds of immigration reform supporters gathered at Placita Olvera’s Our Lady of Angels Church on Monday night for an Immigration Town Hall and gave U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois), author of an Immigration Reform Bill presented in Congress last year, a rock star welcome.

The event took place just a week after President Barack Obama’s disappointingly brief mention of “fixing our broken immigration systems” in his first State of the Union Address. Immigrant rights groups instead had hoped to hear Obama say a comprehensive immigration reform would take place this year, as he had while campaigning.

In line with his Familiy Unity Tour, which includes over 16 stops nation-wide, Congressman Gutierrez on Monday touched upon family separations as a result of deportations and raids.

“No man, not even the President of the United States, can break what God has created,” Gutierrez told the audience about the importance of family ties.

Besides asking immigrants who are now citizens to flex their voting power and support Republicans or Democrats who support comprehensive immigration reform, Gutierrez asked for participation in a national march in Washington D.C. on March 21.

Executive Director of CHIRLA, Angelica Salas, said that even if you cannot attend personally, you can make a donation to help pay for others who are able to go, but cannot afford the cross-country trip.

The Town Hall drew a cross section of city leaders and celebrities, including LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO head, Maria Elena Durazo, U.S. Reps, Lucille Roybal-Allard and Judy Chu and others.

For more information, visit: EGP News