More than 100,000 immigrant families and their supporters arrived from more than 30 states to fill the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, demanding that Congress act now to pass immigration reform legislation that provides a clear and direct path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented Americans.
The Rally for Citizenship featured the country’s most prominent labor, civil rights and political leaders; clergy and grassroots supporters; entertainers; and the working families impacted by the immigration crisis.
The rally began with an interfaith prayer service that invoked the Bible’s decree to “love thy neighbor” and called for compassionate immigration reform.
Hosted by local organizations CASA de Maryland, SEIU 32BJ, and supported by prominent local and national organizations including the Alliance for Citizenship and the Center for Community Change, the Rally for Citizenship closed a week of events in dozens of communities across the country to urge immediate action to address the nation’s immigration crisis.
Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), fired up the crowd, making the case that immigration reform cannot wait any longer:
Now is the time for immigration reform because we will not standby, silently, while families are torn apart. Now is the time because we will not standby, silently, as members of our churches and communities live and work in the shadows unable to fully participate in our economy or in our democracy. Now is the time because we will not allow 11 million people – a population the size of the state of Ohio – to be relegated to second-class citizenship. Now is the time because Americans are looking to their elected officials to set aside partisan politics and restore the promise that those who work hard can achieve the American Dream. Americans are ready for immigration reform and the time is now to get it done.
Labor, civil rights, environmental, LGBT and other progressive leaders and activists joined the immigrant rights rally to show solidarity and a commitment to reform. Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, stated in his keynote address:
We need common sense solutions that uphold our nation’s values and move our nation forward. It is time to put to rest far-right-wing delusions about mass deportations and massive racial profiling programs like those in Alabama and Arizona. The very idea of America demands and deserves that we fix our nation’s broken immigration system in a way that would make Lady Liberty proud.
The most stirring speeches came from families who have been impacted by the immigration crisis. Millions of families have been separated from loved ones or live in constant fear of having a family member deported. Every day that Congress fails to address our broken immigration system 1,100 families are torn apart, workers continue to suffer abuse and children are traumatized by the loss of a parent.
17 year-old Katherine Tabares took the stage with her mother to thank her for all of the sacrifices she made to support her education. They emigrated from Colombia almost three years ago, and the mother and daughter came to the rally to call on Congress to provide a path to citizenship for both Katherine and for her mom. “We are here to fight for equality and justice for all: documented and undocumented, families that are here and those who have been separated,” said Tabares. The young activist then led the crowd in a rousing chant for citizenship.
The crowd was visibly moved when Elia Lizzet de la Cruz Valencia told her story. She fought for six years to be reunited with her three children. Elia sang a song she wrote while being held in an Arizona detention center.
Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland and a host of the rally told the crowd that getting immigration reform right is about defining who we are as a nation. He emphasized that this is an opportunity for America to do the right thing and to make our country stronger.
“We’re talking about 11 million people who are Americans in all but paperwork,” Torres said. “They are hard workers and risk takers, who came here to build a better life for their families. They make a huge contribution to the country they now call home. They are here to stay and it’s time we created a roadmap for them to earn citizenship.”
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL-04), Judy Chu (D-CA-27) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and other local elected officials attended the rally, representing the politicians who have the political courage to stand up for immigration reform.
Rally-goers were energized for weeks ahead of time by a viral social media campaign adopted by immigrant rights activist and Grammy-award winning music star Olga Tañon, who urged other Latin superstars to tweet, submit photos in support of the campaign and more.
At the rally, Elizabeth Alexander, the poet whose stirring verse was read at President Obama’s 2008 inauguration, read a bilingual interpretation of that poem. Bachata sensation Andy Andy, La Santa Cecilia, local deejays and media personalities livened up the crowd performing hits and shouting out chants.
In addition to the afternoon rally, advocates participated in the largest lobby day members of Congress have ever experienced and met with policymakers about next steps and principal demands to pass legislation quickly.
“We have a movement that is ready to deliver immigration reform. The Time is NOW for immigration reform that puts 11 million people on the path to citizenship, once and for all,” said union and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta in her call to action.
