The Immigration march/rally that took place in Chicago the afternon of Oct. 12 was far more then a rallying cry for the hot-button issue of immigration reform. With more than 1,100 undocumented aliens being deported from the United States a week, the event addressed the disruption of families as well as the economy and a betrayal of this country's bill of rights.
With the elimination of Section 3 of DOMA ( the Defense of Marriage Act ), it could be assumed that the fight for LGBT people in bi-national same sex relationships has diminished as a crises by comparison. The reality is that approximately 267, 000 LGBT undocumented adult immigrants live in the United States and without the passage of a stalled legislation bill in congress they still remain without a path to citizenship.
Saturdays march was not only a protest against the lack of reforms or a pointed dig at the Republican Party—particularly, U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam ( R-Ill. )—but also a show of support from groups as diverse as Operation PUSH, the Teachers Union, SEIU Healthcare, and the Teamsters Union. Though the large turnout was mostly Mexican and Hispanic there was a prominent presence from Filipino and Korean groups as well.
Meeting and then kicking off at Teamster City Park, the group—estimated at 5,000—chanted "Families united will never be divided" as it trekked to the rally in Daley Plaza. Among the speakers at the kickoff were Ald. Joe Moreno ( 1st Ward ), Walter Burnett Jr. ( 27th Ward ) and Bob Fioretti ( 2nd Ward ), along with Sik Son ( of the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center ), Vicante Del Real ( of Proyecto de Accion de los Suburbios del Oeste, West Suburban Action Project ) and Brendan McGee ( of the Irish Immigrant Support Network ).
Once at the rally, despite a light drizzle the throng was briefly entertained by a mariachi band, and then was engaged by various speakers ( some of them pre-teens ) on the constant fear of having family and friends deported. The various speakers—among them, the Rev. Jesse Jackson—emphasized the importance of using the ballot as a weapon and to continue the public pressure on the Republican house to bring the stalled legislation to a vote.
