Amidst a government shutdown, thousands of people descended upon Washington to bring forth an important issue – immigration. The immigration reform rally was held on Capitol Hill earlier this week where politicians, lobbyists, and workers gathered to fight for the rights of millions of undocumented workers. The participants of the movement rallied behind the slogan “The Time Is Now!” which is symbolic in its own way as it comes in the middle of one of the most divisive and uncoordinated times in American History. The government has stopped running, the country is on the brink of default, political parties are sabotaging each other, and the commander in chief has been powerless to control the country. America needs to get itself together. There has never been a more appropriate time than now.
But beneath the politics, a rare and unifying event is taking place. The immigration rally has been unprecedented in bridging the gap between America. For one event, you are able to see Republicans and Democrats, the rich and the poor, immigrants and non immigrants fight on the same side. As congressmen feel the pressure of being out of work for the first time, there has been an increase in the level of sympathy and support for the life of the undocumented worker.
Many immigrants who have fought to be in the US have the toughest jobs, working long hours to support their families here or back home. At the forefront of the cause, Luis Gutierrez emphasizes the hardship of being an immigrant, “Our communities and our families do not have the luxury to rest or relax” It is not just the physical sacrifice that makes life as an immigrant so hard, it is the emotional experience that many face. Over one thousand people as deported each day, and for those who are already struggling to keep their lives together, deportation marks the end of a dream. When the reality of what many of these immigrants go through sets in, it is easy to see why so many people are fired up. Historically, the immigration has been too controversial a topic for either political party to take a stance, and this has led to neither side convincingly appealing to Latino voters. Perhaps people were not looking at the issue from the right standpoint, because for those who joined in on the rally any question surrounding immigration is completely drowned out by the topic of human rights, which American congressmen Frank Sharry conveys below.
“There are 11 million reasons why I’ve decided to get arrested today. In today’s America 11 million people work hard, sacrifice for their families and make this country stronger, but are denied the opportunity to live freely and contribute fully.”
There is no reason that immigrants should be treated as poorly as they are today. Although America has been slow to unify under the cause, it has always come through. The government will one day be back, the default crisis will one day be lifted, and immigration will one day be accepted. The time is now.
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