February 4, 2006
Omaha World-Herald
Cindy Gonzalez

A candlelit march kicked off an Omaha rally in which about 200 people were urged Thursday night to work for legal changes favorable to immigrants.

Jill Gerschutz of the U.S. Jesuit Conference reported on the momentum in Congress to change immigration laws.

Increasingly, Gerschutz said at the Creighton University event, she and other immigrant advocates are on the defensive as more restrictive and enforcement-heavy proposals have hit Capitol Hill.

Among them is a bill the House of Representatives passed in December that would build more border fencing, and which threatens to punish church workers and others who help illegal immigrants.

"It's going to be a long haul," Gerschutz said at the event, which was co-sponsored by Nebraska Appleseed, a Lincolnbased group that focuses on public policy related to low-income self-sufficiency.

Of the numerous legislative proposals before Congress, Gerschutz said her Catholic organization supports legislation by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005, also backed by several other faith-based groups, offers a legal path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, as long as they pass various background checks and meet other criteria.

Gerschutz said the Jesuit network also likes ideas offered by Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel. But, she said, his legislation was not as attractive after it was splintered into four separate bills.

Like Kennedy and McCain, Hagel supports some border enforcement measures, a guest worker program and increased visas to reunite families.

As part of Thursday's rally, participants were asked to write to their congressional leaders and volunteer for follow-up activities, including letter campaigns and personal visits with policymakers.

At least one attendee didn't sign up.

Don Schleiger, who identified himself as a construction worker and Omaha native, said he lived in California as a tide of immigration affected that economy.

"To say that people (workers) aren't displaced is an absolute farce," Schleiger said during a small group session.

Schleiger was in the minority, as most sympathized with the plight of illegal immigrants working in this country.

"I think white Americans are afraid of losing power," said Diane Greenfield, who is white.. She noted that non-Catholics like herself also support the immigration agenda pushed by Jesuits.

Greenfield said she lives in south Omaha and has seen it "come alive" with immigrant entrepreneurs and workers. "It's no longer blighted."