Supporters of immigration reform are not giving up. Rallies in support of the undocumented were held in both New York and New Jersey.
Starting in Jersey City, almost 100 immigrant advocates marched on Wednesday [February 17] from the footbridge leading to Ellis Island all the way to the immigration detention center in Elizabeth. The participants of the 10-mile walk demanded better treatment of prisoners and the introduction of reforms that would open up a path to citizenship for almost 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The rally ended with a vigil next to the detention center.
"America's greatness is represented by the Statue of Liberty, not the Elizabeth detention center," said Shai Goldstein, executive director of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network.
A day later, on Thursday, at a rally organized by the New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform, Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY District 15) spoke on the need for immigration reform at The Riverside Church.
The Catholic Church itself is leading yet a separate act in support of immigration reform.
Similar rallies and acts aimed at reminding the members of Congress about the need for comprehensive reform are being held all throughout the country.
Throughout the week [February 15-19], a caravan called "New York Road Trip for Our Future," which promotes the message of immigration reform, traveled around New York State. This was an initiative organized, among others, by the New York Immigration Coalition and a nationwide organization, Reform Immigration for America. The participants of the "Road Trip" have planned to stop in 11 New York towns, including Saratoga Springs, Carmel, Syracuse, Pittsford, Greece, Batavia, Buffalo and Ithaca. They are planning to end their trip in Brooklyn on Friday.
In response to the "New York Road Trip for Our Future," Scott Murphy (D-NY District 20), the congressman from Saratoga Springs, issued a statement in which he supported reform.
However, the chances of passing comprehensive immigration reform this year seem to be dwindling after the defeat of Democrats in Massachusetts and the little attention Barack Obama devoted to the issue in his State of the Union address.
