Clinton backs Irish ‘illegals’ campaign

11 March 2007 By Niall Stanage in Washington DC
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton last week spoke out on behalf of illegal Irish immigrants in the United States.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton last week spoke out on behalf of illegal Irish immigrants in the United States.

The former first lady and frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination told a rally organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) that ‘‘America would not be America if it were not for Irish immigration’’.

Estimates of the number of Irish people illegally residing in the US vary wildly, ranging from 20,000 to 50,000. There are thought to be about 12 million illegal immigrants in the US as a whole, a plurality with roots in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.

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Other high-profile speakers at the ILIR event, held in Washington DC last Wednesday, included Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Senator Charles ‘Chuck’ Schumer of New York and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Clinton was undoubtedly the focus of most attention, but she paid tribute during her speech to the role played by Senator Kennedy in the immigration debate. ‘‘I am waiting to fall in behind our leader Senator Kennedy, and the rest of us who are in his army are going to send the message through Congress that we have to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” she said.

The meeting was the culmination of a day that also saw Irish ‘illegals’ and their supporters walk the corridors of Capitol Hill seeking allies. Irish activists arrived in Washington from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Cleveland and several other cities. Organisers estimated that 3,000 people attended.

The ILIR is seeking legislation that would provide Irish illegal immigrants already in the US with a path of American citizenship, and also make greater provision for Irish immigration in the future.

Those goals are part of the larger struggle for immigration reform. Last year, a bill jointly introduced to the Senate by Kennedy and maverick Republican senator John McCain proposed a raft of measures, including a process by which illegals could become citizens, which created considerable excitement in immigrant communities across the US.

Those ideas ultimately foundered due to a lack of support in the House of Representatives. (Proposed legislation must be agreed upon by both houses of Congress, after which the president can either veto it or sign it into law.)After last year’s legislation failed, the Democratic Party scored a big victory in November’s elections, wresting control of Congress from the Republicans.

Supporters of immigration reform feel that the switch has given them a better chance of success, even though immigration is not an issue which divides neatly across party lines - some business-friendly Republicans, including President George W Bush, favour liberalising the laws, while some conservative Democrats are much less enthusiastic.

The optimism felt by supporters of reform is balanced by the knowledge that there are still significant hurdles to overcome. There is also a seemingly widespread feeling that if change does not come within the next year it is unlikely to come at all. Clinton noted that ‘‘we have some formidable opponents’’. Those who oppose the provision of a path to citizenship argue that it amounts to an amnesty and, therefore, a de facto reward for those who have broken the law.

As last Wednesday’s event wound down, Niall O’Dowd, founder of the ILIR and publisher of the New York-based Irish Voice newspaper, said: ‘‘We came down here to energise the debate, and I think we have done that. An important statement was made today that the Irish are very much part of this issue.” ILIR president Grant Lally said: ‘‘The leaders of the US Congress got the message that our community is suffering under the current limitations that being undocumented has caused.”

On a lighter note, Hillary Clinton at one point during her speech gently mocked ILIR organizers for presenting her with a ‘Legalize the Irish’ T-shirt that, as she demonstrated by raising it up in front of her, was several sizes too big.

‘‘I came in and they handed me this t-shirt. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” a smiling Clinton said, ‘‘but it doesn’t matter because I am going to be proud to pass it to my husband.”

Lally and O’Dowd expressed confidence that an immigration bill will emerge later this year. The ILIR will attempt to raise support among people in Ireland on the immigration issue with a ‘Friends and Family’ meeting in Jurys Hotel in Dublin, on April 14.

Voices from the shadows

Niall Stanage spoke to three Irish people who are living in the US illegally and who attended last Wednesday’s event in Washington.

Mary from Dublin, who is living in New York

‘‘I’ve been here 11 years. My husband is also from Dublin. The biggest problem is we can’t travel out of the country. We can’t get medical insurance. I just had a baby boy a few months ago and I couldn’t get any kind of health insurance because I didn’t have a social security card.

‘‘The longer you’re here, the harder it is. You miss your family. You’re missing half your life, your roots and everything. We love living in the US and we love New York and we don’t want to leave. But now we’re at the stage where we just can’t stay any longer. We’ve said we’ll give it another year.”

Sean from Tyrone, who is living in San Francisco

‘‘It has been three years since I got home. I can do whatever I want here, but the fact of being unable to go home is the biggest problem. I’ve missed christenings, weddings, all the big occasions when you want to be there.

‘‘All you see is the photograph and you’re missing from the photograph – it’s a bit heartbreaking at times. All you can do is hope that today is going to help push it forward.”

Pauline from Cork, who is also living in San Francisco

‘‘The biggest problems are you can’t get a driving licence, can’t open a bank account. But going home is the killer. Everyone dreads getting the phone call saying something has happened at home: ‘Can you come, can you not come?’

‘‘I’ve a nephew at home who hardly knows who I am. I’ve lived here almost five years. Everything is getting harder. This [event] is the one chance we have to show people that we’re here. We’ll do anything if it helps get the Green Card.”