Tens of Thousands of Americans To Rally This Weekend For Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Reform Rallies Feature Prominent National Leaders, Most of Senate Democratic Leadership

Washington D.C. -In March, 200,000 Americans marched for comprehensive immigration reform in the nation’s capital. They’ve taken the message and momentum from the March for America back to their states and have organized rallies and events allover the country. This weekend tens of thousands will rally for reform at major events in Las Vegas, Chicago, Seattle, El Paso, Philadelphia, Providence, Brooklyn and other places. Americans are clamoring for immigration reform and elected officials are taking notice.

In Nevada, at least ten thousand are expected to rally in Las Vegas at the Rally for America, and will be joined by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), a long-time champion of immigration reform. Immigration reform supporters will be joined by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Representative Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Representative Dina Titus (D-NV), President Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO, President John Wilhelm of UNITE-HERE and President Arturo Rodriguez of the United Farm Workers.

The impressive line-up at the Las Vegas event is testament to the growing power of the immigration reform movement.  In fact, three key members of the Senate Democratic Leadership will participate at Reform Immigration FOR America events this weekend. A rally on the same day in Seattle, Washington will be addressed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), and Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA). In Chicago, Senator Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) will address Illinois’s labor and immigrant communities and reiterate his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. And in El Paso, Texans – whose state suffers disproportionately from the broken immigration system – will be telling their Senators Hutchison (R-TX) and Cornyn (R-TX): It’s time to lead.

“The immigration reform is more energized than ever after the March for America,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum and Chair of the Reform Immigration for America campaign. “The March put Washington on notice, and now advocates are doing it in their states. They want action NOW from their Senators in Washington, and they are rallying, marching, chanting, praying, lobbying, and calling their elected leaders out until they get it. This movement will not rest until the President, and the leadership of both houses of Congress have fulfilled their promises to fix our broken immigration system this year,” Noorani added.

The events this weekend, while impressive, are a pre-cursor to major events on May 1^st and part of a steady escalation of pressure on lawmakers to deliver. Reform Immigration FOR America will be holding elected officials answerable to their promises and will launch a major accountability campaign later this month to ensure that Americans know who is on board for solving our nation’s toughest problems and who is not.