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Source: Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.儲存Oct. 05--Nearly 100 Rochester residents will board buses at St. Francis Catholic Church in Rochester today to travel to Minneapolis to march for immigration reform.Jeff Jurewicz, of Centro Campesino, said he has had little trouble finding people to walk in the National March for Dignity and Respect, which will start at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis at 12:30 p.m., with an interfaith prayer service and followed with a march at 1 p.m., along Hennepin Avenue. At the end of the march, there will be speakers from labor groups, faith organizations and immigrant communities.The march in Minneapolis is one of more than 40 that will take place today throughout the United States. The goal of the marches is to remind federal lawmakers of immigration reform.According to a news release from The Action Network, the marches call for Congress to pass immigration reform with legalization that leads to citizenship in 2013, commonsense immigration reform with legalization that leads to citizenship, legal immigration rules that promote family unity and protect worker rights,an end to the destruction of our families through deportations and a halt to the rush toward massive wasteful spending on unneeded border militarization and for profit immigrant detention prisons.Pastor Jose Morales said St. Francis Catholic Church is more than willing to open its lots for people to park and board the bus."It's not only people at St. Francis that are supportive, I believe people everywhere want to support this event," he said. "It's very important for us because we have a big Hispanic community in our parishes. We know that they are having lots of troubles with immigration. They are struggling with their lives, their jobs."Flores said he has spoken with several members of the St. Francis congregation about job, education and health care concerns."Health care is almost impossible for the undocumented," Flores said.Pathway to citizenshipMarchers also are hoping to make receiving visas easier, especially for undocumented residents who are married to U.S. citizens and undocumented children of parents, who are U.S. citizens, as well as create a "pathway to citizenship.""If there is one key issue, it would be a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented people," Jurewicz said. "Most of them have been here for more than a decade. They are entrenched into our economy."Jurewicz said he hopes lawmakers bring a comprehensive immigration bill to the floor this year,儲存倉although the current shutdown over Obamacare has made that tough."It wouldn't be difficult to pass a comprehensive immigration bill. The votes are there in the House of Representatives," Jurewicz said. "We know that the votes are there to pass a comprehensive bill. The hangup is just getting it introduced."In Minnesota, we have an increasing aging population, and we will need immigrant workers to fill these positions. Currently, there are very few visas available for people to come here and work through legal channels in low-skilled jobs. Immigration reform would provide something called 'W-visas" or work visas."Shawn Hernandez's husband, Alphonso, was born in Mexico and didn't become an American citizen until years after they were married. She said a law passed in 1996 meant an undocumented resident does not automatically receive citizenship by marrying an American."We lived through the immigration process and felt the pains of it," Shawn Hernandez said. "I have also seen the pain that it has caused my family members. A lot of our family has been separated, children from their parents. I can see the pain caused by our current immigration laws and how they are forced."800 people from regionFor marchers such as Letica Flores, too many sad stories about friends and relatives got her on the bus to the Twin Cities."I'm marching because I know of a lot of families who have been split apart," she said. "There are a lot of children who are not with their parents. They are forced to stay with an uncle, neighbors. ... There are a lot of undocumented who work hard, pay their taxes, volunteer in their communities, at their churches."Local marchers are not just looking at federal issues but also potential changes in state law. Flores, who was born in Mexico and has lived in the U.S. since 1985, said she would like to see undocumented residents qualify for driver's license."It would benefit the whole community," Flores said. "It's really is a big issue, a safety issue."In addition to the Rochester contingent, Jurewicz said there are buses leaving from other southern Minnesota cities. More than 800 people are heading north to the march. Jurewicz said 25 percent of the marchers are white.The Rochester buses were scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Church. There still is room on the buses."Simply bring a lunch. We have coolers," Jurewicz said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Post-Bulletin Visit the Post-Bulletin at .postbulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉最平