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16 New Haven Busloads Hit D.C. For Immigration Reform
by Neena Satija | Mar 22, 2010 7:17 am
(3) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Immigrants
Washington, D.C.—Julio Hernandez and his 9-year-old son, Andy, woke up before 5 a.m. Sunday so they could arrive here by bus around 12:15 p.m. They spent about five hours on the National Mall before returning to New Haven near midnight. And Andy has school Monday.
So why did they do it? “Estamos aquí porque somos ilegales” – We are here because we are illegal immigrants, explained Hernandez. “Y queremos que Obama nos ayude” – And we want Obama to help us.
Sixteen buses, most full to their capacity of 55 people, headed down to Washington D.C. on Sunday morning to join the march for comprehensive immigration reform. That makes nearly 900 in a crowd that some estimated to be as big as half a million.
“It’s the largest rally of the Obama era by far,” said Henry Fernandez. He was one of the coordinators for the city’s effort, along with representatives from the mayor’s office, the Junta for Progressive Action, Connecticut’s 95th district, and other locally-based organizations. According to official tallies, he said, more people from New Haven attended the rally than from any other state in New England.
For her part, Samantha Alberti was shocked at the numbers. “I didn’t expect this many people and I didn’t expect this many cultures,” she said. “I’m glad I came.” Alberti, a Spanish minor at Central College in New Britain, heard about the rally from a friend and decided to take her first trip to D.C.
It was Hernandez’s first trip to D.C., too. Ten years ago, he was living in Tlaxcala, Mexico, which is about two hours from Mexico City. He earned about $50 a week working for a factory.
“At times it is very difficult to survive,” he said in Spanish, describing his life in Mexico. He struggled to support his wife and two kids, 16 and 18. At the urging of his brother, who lives in the area, he and his family began a harrowing, two-week journey all the way from Tlaxcala to New Haven. Most of that journey was on foot, with only a few stretches of relief by bus. Sometimes, with no place to stay overnight, the family slept under trees.
Now Hernandez makes $350/week working for a pizza restaurant in New Haven. (He declined to name the restaurant, since he is not authorized to work there and is paid in cash). He sends his parents some money regularly. But life still has its challenges. Since everyone in the family except Andy was born in Mexico, only Andy is eligible for Medicaid; no one else has health insurance. And there is always the fear of deportation, especially in light of the immigration raid two years ago.
So Hernandez and his son marched for access to government services – which are all tied to getting a visa. “If they give us a visa, we’ll be fine,” he said.
For the better part of the afternoon the crowd listened to a variety of speakers on the National Mall, from activists to congressmen to families facing deportation. One boy from Chicago told the crowd that he and his mother would soon be deported, leaving the rest of their family behind.
Mayors from various cities had a brief turn at the podium, too – including John DeStefano. “Let’s celebrate America by passing immigration reform!” he shouted, to wild cheers and applause.
DeStefano (pictured) said it’s been a couple years since he’s taken part in organizing a New Haven contingent at a Washington rally. “I didn’t know what to expect when we first started,” he said of the eventual number of New Haven residents who participated. But ultimately he wasn’t surprised at what he called a great turnout. “From my sense, this is as much about New Haven as it is about anything.”
Most of the event’s speakers did not reference the immigration reform proposed by U.S. Sens. Lindsay Graham and Chuck Schumer this week. But Hernandez spoke in support of it.
He would be all right with admitting that he broke the law by crossing the border, and would even be willing to pay a fine that the senators propose, “because we know,” he said, that they came here illegally. And he acknowledged that the increased border protections in the proposal might have made his family’s immigration to the United States impossible. But ultimately, the bill could get him a visa.
Post a Comment
Comments
posted by: Ali on March 22, 2010 10:23am
... [T]he AMERICAN people were promised that the 1986 amnesty would be the last one and that we’d get enforcement. That promise is the only one that matters ...
posted by: The Professor on March 22, 2010 12:22pm
Um Ali, care to explain why that’s the only promise that matters? What about a father’s promise to provide for its family? And a nation’s promise to give the “poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free” a chance to prosper?
Ali doesn’t sound like a Native American name to me. Way to slam the door behind you.
posted by: Brittanicus on March 23, 2010 10:07pm
No amnesty, No Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). They keep repeating the—SAME TIRED NUMBER—but the US border Patrol in just the Tuscon sector, expressed, “Only one out of ten is caught.” The Tucson sector Border Patrol union local 2544 on the number of illegal aliens in our nation: “There are currently 15 to 20 million illegal aliens in this country by many estimates, but the real numbers could be much higher and the numbers increase every day because our borders are not secure (NO MATTER WHAT THE POLITICIANS TELL YOU-DON’T BELIEVE THEM FOR ONE SECOND) Said a Spokesman for the Border Patrol. “Our illegal immigration numbers are based on an estimated twenty million illegal aliens having been present in our nation as of -JANUARY 1, 2004.“almost four million people crossed our borders illegally 2002” end of quote. Other experts on the subject agree that illegal crossings have only increased since then. Please don’t believe my numbers? Go to the US Census Bureau and read we could have a population of 438 million people by 2040, unless we halt this travesty for good?
Americans cannot afford 10 million more families. Foreign nationals are very knowledgeable at cheating the IRS and the US taxpayer. They can even get child credits for their children, either not in America or in some other country. Once those here receive appropriate green cards they can then sponsor immediate family member, including people with infirmities as long as they are financial sponsored. But this is a joke, because once here the law—IS NOT ENFORCED. They then become public charges. They can collect Supplementary Security income (SSI) and other benefits. The number can never be truly calculated? Even the US Census will be off the mark, because hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions will stay silent. Now the number of illegal immigrants who have no intention of renewing their entry visa, or have slipped past the Border Patrol (Canada and Mexico, South American countries and islands) must be deported.
We need professional and highly skilled workers, but not desperate uneducated, non-or semi-skilled. We have millions of Americans and legal residents in that category. Guest workers for farms and agriculture, but they must stay in that job until their visa expires. No options!.Then go home? California the SANCTUARY STATE, ARIZONA & NEW YORK have been bled dry.
The true estimate of foreign nationals in America is somewhere between 20 and 30 million? If AMNESTY is forced through the numbers will skyrocket, as countless numbers will be ready to bridge the border, just before President Obama signs the new reform. (with the females and kids this would amount to 40-50 million people) on welfare, in subsidized housing, food stamps, WIC, more teachers, covered by Medicaid and other payments. They will not be paying any taxes because of the EIC and Child Tax credits will reimburse them. The IRS does not follow up on this type of fraud? This is a cruel trick on every honest taxpayer is this first generation of newly legalized immigrants, could escalate with thousands bring in brothers, sisters, Mothers and Fathers. By the year 2040 the population of America could be unsustainable with limited resources, water shortages, highways crammed to capacity and a infrastructure that is falling apart.
THOSE INTERESTED-THE HISTORY CHANNEL IS ONCE AGAIN TELEVISING “The Crumbling of America.” This Friday observe the depreciating bridges, dams, levees and 50 year old underground system of sewage in some areas. Our Survival is in peril, but they do not enforce immigration laws. In fact Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has cut the budget for the Border Patrol and other enforcement tools in the SAVE ACT and REAL ID Act. Yet the Congress keeps appropriating money to fight foreign wars or aid other countries. There is much more to learn-not- the propaganda given to us by the business world Learn so much more by surfing the Internet or go to NUMBERSUSA. Read about the corruption from both political parties at JUDICIAL WATCH. Don’t hesitate in calling your Senator or Representative at 202-224-3121 In addition Don’t forget to give your State assembly a piece of your mind.
Not copyrighted. TELL THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW—NO AMNESTY! It will entice Millions more to come for free government entitlements.
