On Saturday, February 18 about 350 people packed into Nueva Esperanze Methodist Church for a follow up forum to one held a few weeks ago. As people were entering the forum organizers asked people to sign up to send letters to Senators Stabenow and Levin, since the Senate is expected to take up the issue of immigration reform within the next few weeks. The forum this time included an array of speakers beginning with Grand Rapids School Board member Luis Pena. Pena made the point that unless you are Native American, "all of us are immigrants."
Next Andres Abrue, editor of El Vocero, addressed the crowd and called upon all media, particularly media in the White community to get the word out on this important issue. Following Abrue was Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, who said that he wants to see the spirit of Cesar Chavez drive this effort to defeat the proposed immigration legilation. Heartwell also stated that he would introduce at the Grand Rapids City meeting on February 21 a resolution against House bill 4437. Jeff Smith was asked to addess the crowd next to demonstrate that this issue effects all of us not just the Latino community. Smith, a member of Koinonia House, talked about how in the 1980s his community house became a sanctuary for political refugees fleeing violence in El Salvador and Guatemala. And just as then, they defied the law by providing safe haven for undocumented people, Smith said they would do it again and risk going to jail under the proposed legislation which would criminalize people who help undocumented immigrants.
Lastly, lawyers Rick Kessler and Jose Sandoval explained what the proposed legislation was and what it would mean if passed in the Senate. After the lawyers spoke they opened it up to the crowd to make statements and ask questions. There were members of the Latino media there, but the only English language media was the Grand Rapids Press. The published a great photo that showed a crowded church, but the article would not have provided any information about what really took place at the forum.
The Press article begins by quoting a woman named Gloria who came to the US 14 years ago as an undocumented immigrant, but quickly the article shifts to provide the perspectives of 2nd Congressional District Pete Hoekstra, who voted for this legislation in the House, 3rd Congressional District Rep. Ehlers, who also voted in favor of this bill, and Jared Rodriquez, from the local Chamber of Commerce. At the very end of the article Gloria’s son is quoted talking about his memory of crossing into the US at age 7. He’s now a 21 and says that he can’t get a student loan as he is undocumented. However, there was no mention of the speakers, the letter writing campaign or that the Mayor was planning on introducing a resolution against the proposed anti-immigration legislation.
