Sunday, March 21, over 2,100 Make the Road New York members–the largest delegation of Latino immigrants from New York City–joined 200,000+ in the nation’s capital to march for comprehensive immigration reform. This enormous event united immigrants and their supporters from across the country who came together to deliver their message to lawmakers: "Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha!"
The march recaptured the attention of President Obama, who vowed to fix the broken immigration system. In a video message, President Obama told the hundreds of thousands gathered on the National Mall that he would harness bipartisan support to make reform happen.
Make the Road New York went a step further to get our message heard. During the trip to DC we were proud to host conference calls with New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Nydia Velazquez, Joseph Crowley and Anthony Weiner. One thousand of our members on 42 different buses participated in the calls to share their experiences as immigrants and to hear commitments from the legislators to pass reform in 2010.
The march has helped put immigration reform back on the national agenda, but we need your support to quickly win strong, fair reform for the 12 million undocumented immigrants who are separated from their families, denied rights as workers, and prevented from attending college. Please tell your elected leaders to support immigration reform now!
Thank you to the Center for Community Change, Congressman Joseph Crowley, New York Foundation, North Star Fund, Reform Immigration for America, Surdna Foundation, the New York Immigration Coalition and all the individual supporters who sponsored our members and helped us make history. Your continued support makes our work possible. Please consider a making a donation today.
Washington Post: Immigrants heading to Washington to push reforms
New York Times: Thousands Call for Immigration Reform in Capital
NY 1: Local Activists Prepare For D.C. Immigration Reform Rally
El Diario: Obama puede, dicen activistas
MSN Latino: Decepcionados con Obama, hispanos se vuelven a movilizar