Congressman says Immigration Legislation Coming This Week

Comprehensive immigration reform legislation is scheduled to be introduced in Congress this week. It was one of the immigration reform-related tidbits I picked up this past weekend at the United States Hispanic Leadership Conference where some of the most prominent names in immigration spoke.

The conference, titled “Empowering New Leaders and Shaping a New Latino Century,” focused on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Speakers included such luminaries as Rev. Jesse Jackson; activist and PFAW board member Dolores Huerta; Frank Sharry, the executive director of the National Immigration Forum; Rosa Rosales of LULAC; Illinois Senator Dick Durbin; and Chris Dodd, Connecticut senator and Democratic presidential candidate.

During Saturday’s “Defining Elements of Comprehensive Immigration Reform” session, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois announced that he would introduce his Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill on Thursday, March 22 along with Congressman Jeff Flake, R-Arizona. The session was co-headlined by Sharry who spoke eloquently about the need for reform and urged us all to assist the immigrants living and working here. “When people tell me immigrants need to go home, I tell them that they already are home,” exclaimed Sharry.

Another session that I particularly enjoyed, “Building a Black and Latino Alliance Around Immigration Reform,” featured Rev. Jackson, Rosales and Arturo Vargas of NALEO. It was refreshing to see national Hispanic and African American leaders speak honestly about challenges that we face in working together. It was also good to hear the African American leaders in attendance pledge to educate other black leaders on the need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Vargas announced that NALEO is working with more than 40 national African-American and Latino organizations to form a coalition that would lobby Congress for immigration reform.

The conference culminated Saturday evening with Henry Cisneros receiving the conference’s National Hispanic Hero Award. A Hispanic political icon, Cisneros is the former Mayor of San Antonio and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Rafael Collazo
Democracia Ahora

Frank Sharry (back left), Dr. Juan Andrade (back right) and Henry Cisneros (speaking) on need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform during USHLC

Congressman Xavier Becerra and Senator Chris Dodd at USHLC

National leaders Discuss Black and Latino Alliance around Immigration Reform.

Dolores Huertas (right) with conference participant Yolanda Bueno