NEW YORK—Council Speaker Christine Quinn and several area religious leaders joined Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito at City Hall on Thursday to announce a large-scale gathering taking place on Saturday to address Immigration Reform.
“The purpose [of the gathering] is to bring together U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who fear that a family member, friend, or loved one may be at risk of deportation, and come to share their stories,” said Council Member Mark-Viverito.
“All of us here fully understand that our current immigration system is broken and that our current laws tear families apart,” added Mark-Viverito.
The event will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Iglesia La Sinagoga in Harlem on East 125th St. Thousands are expected to turn out for the event. Similar events have been held previously in Chicago on Dec. 6 and 7, and another is scheduled for Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Jan. 17.
Those sharing their experiences at the meeting will be providing testimony that will be given to President-elect Barack Obama to encourage him to address immigration reform.
Religious leaders and policymakers will call on President-elect Obama to champion comprehensive immigration reform legislation during his first year and to end the raids that have targeted immigrant workers and families.
Speaker Quinn, the granddaughter of four immigrants, shared her thoughts on the importance of reform in immigration laws.
“Immigrants have played an integral role in the economic development and livelihood of our city and across the nation … The current immigration system has torn families apart which goes against the very grain of achieving the American dream. I urge New Yorkers affected by immigration to attend this meeting, it will give them the opportunity to have their voices heard and ask President-elect Barack Obama to make immigration reform top priority,” said Quinn.
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