Immigrant advocates head to D.C. for rally

October 13, 2009|Associated Press

A group of immigrant advocates from Massachusetts and New Hampshire are traveling to Washington to rally and lobby Congress in anticipation of changes in immigration laws.

The delegation of about two dozen members of the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition was scheduled to board a bus last night to join groups from around the country in the nation’s capital.

Representative Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois promised last month to introduce a bill today aimed at overhauling the nation’s immigration system. The groups are expected to hold a rally at the US Capitol to coincide with planned rallies around the country. Immigration activists are seeking changes that would allow undocumented immigrants in the United States to obtain legal status.

In related state news, a co-chairwoman of Governor Deval Patrick’s panel appointed to gather public comment on immigration reform says the panel’s report will be made public Nov. 17.

Eva Millona, executive director of the coalition, said yesterday that the panel’s report will include a list of recommendations that the state can immediately implement and others that may require further state legislation.

Patrick sent the Governor’s Advisory Council for Refugees and Immigrants around the state last year to seek suggestions for a new immigration policy. Last week, he told reporters from ethnic media outlets that the panel made 131 recommendations, but he declined to give details.

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