LGBT Leaders Hold Immigration Meeting

The LGBT Coalition for Immigrant Rights met Sept. 8 at Nookie's Tree in Lakeview to update its members about Arizona's recently passed anti-immigrant law and continue their fight for comprehensive immigration reform.

The coalition - formed by the Immigrant Youth Justice League, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Association of Latino Men for Action, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Latinos Progresando, the National Immigrant Justice Center, Salud Latina and the Heartland Alliance - has been advocating for immigration reform that will keep all American families together, including bi-national same-sex couples, and enhance our nation's security, safety and economy.

Eric Berndt, supervising attorney for the NIJC, said Arizona's SB1070, which would require police officers to check the immigration status of those they suspect are here illegally, should be taken as an assault on all minorities.

"It will fall on marginalized groups, especially transgender individuals," Berndt said. "They are creating an atmosphere similar to a witch hunt. They are the same people who are trying to stop LGBT rights."

This provision of the law, however, was put on hold by an Arizona judge until its constitutionality is decided.

Another provision of SB1070 - also on hold - would make it a crime to pick up illegal people for the purpose of work.

"So you could get in trouble for giving your mom a ride from the airport, for example," Berndt added.

Michael Jarecki, a local immigration lawyer attending the meeting, said that it is great that immigration is being kept on the front burner.

"At least we have congress people talking about it, and that's great!" Jarecki said.

He also mentioned that there may even be a sliver of Republican support for LGBT immigration reform because of recent events such as the coming out of former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman and Cindy McCain's and Laura Bush's public backing of same-sex marriage.

As to bi-national LGBT couples with a partner in the country illegally, Jarecki said that comprehensive immigration reform would be their best choice, because the undocumented partner wouldn't have to leave the country until he/she becomes legal, a current requirement for those who enter the country illegally and marry a U.S. citizen.

The Dream Act, a bill which would give legal status to those who entered illegally by the age of 16 and have finished high school, may be introduced in September or later in the lame duck session of Congress by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Jarecki said. This bill has had huge support from youth across the country, and they have been the most vocal activists for immigration reform.

Stephen Smith, campaign manager for ICIRR, noted that 1100 evangelical leaders and politicians, including U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago), had scheduled a public forum and other actions to promote reform - 1100 is the number of immigrants deported every day from the country.

While Congress ponders an immigration fix, deportations are at their highest levels since the 1930s, when, according to the Christian Science Monitor, there were "quasi-official" deportation campaigns against Mexicans, with 130,000 of them removed from the country in 1931.

Last year there were 380,000 deportations countrywide, and they are likely to increase in our area, now that Chicago is getting four more immigration judges.

"The increase in deportations," Smith said, "is something that goes up to the White House. President Obama has a high aim in the number of deportations."

AIDS Foundation of Chicago Vice President David Munar said that "the best way to go about it is comprehensive reform," and that the aim of the LGBT Coalition for Immigrants should be to keep lobbying those in Congress until they achieve their goal.

About 63 percent of U.S. citizens favor a path to citizenship, according to research by the Pew Research Center, and this support has been steady since 2007. And since that year as well, the number of illegal immigrants has declined by about 1 million.