Immigration reformers march through Palatine

Between 400 and 500 immigration reform advocates peacefully marched a short stretch of Palatine and Arlington Heights Saturday afternoon in hopes of raising awareness about their cause among their neighbors and elected officials.

Similar rallies were held in Chicago, Naperville, Glen Ellyn and Aurora, as protesters delivered a common message that they believe millions of immigrants are already contributing to the local and national economies through their labor, and they deserve a chance to attain legal status in the U.S.

The Northwest suburban march began at St. Thomas Villanova Church in Palatine and proceeded east along Anderson Drive to Mision San Juan Diego on Wilke Road in Arlington Heights.

Marchers carried signs reading "Shame on Arizona/ Reform, Not Racism" and "We Live Here, We Work Hard, Open Your Hearts, Give Us a Chance."

As they proceeded through the quiet residential neighborhood they chanted, "Show Me What Democracy Looks Like" and "This Is What Democracy Looks Like."

The suburban rallies took place without much in the way of counterprotests, though one man did attend the Naperville event to make his feelings known.

Jim Barna of Naperville said he has no problem with immigrants living in the U.S., as long as they don't break the law to get here. He held up a sign at the rally that said: "My dad came here legally; why can't you?"

"He came here from Germany in the 1920s," Barna said. "And he did it the right way. He came here legally and considered himself an American from then on. I don't see why it should be any different today."

In Palatine, three Palatine police officers were on hand to lead the procession in a squad car and briefly halt cross traffic at each intersection. Arlington Heights police took over for the last stretch of the march at the bridge under Route 53.

A dozen speakers from various fields throughout the Northwest suburbs then addressed the crowd on the front lawn of Mision San Juan Diego.

No protestors of the rally were seen, and the rain that began after the march quickly diminished a portion of the hundreds who'd walked.

Organizers and participants said their main message was one of social justice and the continuing value to America of legal immigrants.

The new Arizona law granting law enforcement officials the right to ask for documentation of anyone they believe to be an illegal immigrant likely provided a rallying point for the event, even though it's been scheduled for a while.

"I think the Arizona law will make all of today's marches bigger," said co-organizer Jessica Palys of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights.

"People who came here came here to work," Palys said. "People would come the legal way if the legal way wasn't backed up 20 years."

She explained that different countries have different annual quotas and waiting lists. The Philippines has the longest at 22 years, and one of the speakers at the event was a woman who waited that long, Palys said.

"I think today's event is about all the immigration laws that are unjust," said Rev. Larry Mokert, the retired pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights who now works for a ministry that visits immigrant detainees at the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock.

Nancy Cowger of Wheeling believes the economic downturn has raised awareness of the need for immigration reform, as those on the bottom of society are being affected worst of all. She said her two granddaughters are biracial and among those who could be adversely affected by Arizona's new law.

Joe Gump, a criminal defense attorney from Palatine, said local residents don't have to look as far as Arizona to see examples of racial profiling.

"Working in the Rolling Meadows courthouse, I see on a daily basis examples of racial profiling," he said.

Lee Goodman of Northbrook said he's challenging U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk to meet with immigration reform advocates like himself. He said that as a candidate for senator, Kirk carries the greatest potential for either help or harm to the cause.

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<li><a href="/story/?id=377651">Immigration reformers march through Palatine <span class="date">[05/01/2010]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=377620">Activists rally in Chicago, across country <span class="date">[05/01/2010]</span></a></li>

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