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Immigration reform movement looks to evangelicals, children of deported parents(Chicago Tribune Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NORCROSS, Ga. _ On a recent afternoon, 15-year-old Marlon Parras stood on a stage in front of 3,000 people and talked about the hardships he and his 13-year-old sister, Emiely, have faced since their parents were deported to Guatemala. He wept as he spoke softly of their parents' decision to leave the children, both American citizens, with relatives and church members so that they could continue their education in suburban Atlanta. "This is not a family," Parras told the crowd, which rose to its feet during his emotional testimony. "This is not fair." Two years after a sweeping immigration reform bill failed in Congress, Latino leaders have revitalized the effort, positioning children who were left behind when their parents were deported as the new face of the movement. The campaign is designed to place pressure on President Barack Obama to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority. Borrowing a page from the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Latinos have taken their cause to churches, drawing upon the growing population of evangelical Latinos, who like their white counterparts, are strong advocates of family values. While Hispanics overwhelmingly remain Roman Catholics, nearly one in six in the U.S. identify as evangelicals, the second largest religious group in the Latino community, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. "We know there's a huge economic crisis confronting America, so there is a vigorous response to it. So are health care and foreclosures. We want to make sure President Barack Obama understands that while all these things are urgent and need his attention, we want him to keep his promise to address comprehensive immigration reform during the first year of his first term," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who has organized rallies in 17 cities. "Our families are the cornerstone of our society, and we want to protect those families." Packing a large evangelical church in suburban Atlanta, the mostly Latino audience shouted "amen" and waved as ministers preached about how God would protect them. For more than three hours, they prayed, sang spirituals in Spanish and listened to the testimonies of families torn apart at the hands of federal immigration agents. The stories are designed to tug at the heartstrings of Americans and focus attention on what community leaders said is the most tragic consequence of the federal government's crackdown on illegal immigration _ the breakup of families, a problem they said affects up to 5 million children, most of whom were born in the U.S. and automatically are citizens. (EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM) Immigration reform has always been a controversial and divisive issue in America, and during tough economic times, opponents said, it could be difficult to gain public support for legislation that could provide legal citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants. Still, sharing the stage with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon, Gutierrez brought the movement deep into conservative Republican territory, where many residents support efforts to secure the borders rather than granting widespread citizenship to illegal immigrants. Georgia has one of the fastest growing illegal immigrant populations in the nation, rising to about 490,000 in 2008 from 228,000 in 2000, according to state estimates. Latino leaders are hoping that concern and empathy for broken families will galvanize the Latino community and draw the support of other Americans. Organizers are gathering thousands of petitions and plan a huge rally in Washington in July. "When you have a 15-year-old American citizen speak very emotionally and eloquently about his pain, most Americans will say, 'We didn't know the system was that broken,' " said Gutierrez, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Immigration Task Force, which is promoting the movement. "Americans do support the basic premise that children should not be held accountable for the actions of adults." (END OPTIONAL TRIM) Latinos turned out for Obama 2-1 in the 2008 election, according to exit polls, and helped him capture key battleground states such as New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida. Now, they want him to honor his campaign promise. "We understand that Mr. Obama is in a difficult position and he is trying to be a reformer," said the Rev. Miguel Rivera, president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, which represents 20,000 churches in 34 states. "Latinos supported him because they were extremely disappointed with Republicans and the ultra conservative right wing evangelical movement. So it is important that he make immigration reform a priority." It would be difficult to get an immigration bill through Congress at a time when big spending bills are causing controversy, according to Michael Franc, vice president for government relations for the conservative Heritage Foundation. It is a subject, Franc said, that is as divisive among Democrats as well as Republicans. "They hate it. It's radioactive on both sides of the aisle," Franc said. "There was a schism on the Democratic side during the last immigration debate, but because the Republicans were so vocal in their opposition, no one noticed the Democrats' reluctance." When people are out of work and struggling to keep their own families together, there is less sympathy for illegal immigrants, he said. A tight job market and the competition for jobs provided in the stimulus package could also influence public perceptions about immigration. "If you are trying to reach out to newer audiences and expand the pro-immigration reform level of support, it is easier to feel sympathy for the horror stories coming into your living room on your TV screen when things are going well for everybody," Franc said. "If you have a job, the story of those kids pulls on your heartstrings, but it is perceived differently when you are wondering how you are going to pay your bills because the economy is tanking." (EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE) Still, Latino leaders are pinning their hopes on people like 12-year-old Tanyia Lopez, whose mother was deported to Honduras last year, leaving behind her and her four young siblings, including a chronically ill 2-year-old. Their 16-year-old aunt dropped out of high school to care for the younger children full time. They recently faced eviction because their grandmother lost her job. They have depended on their church for survival. "The little ones don't understand what happened to our mom," Tanyia said, adding that they have no money to join her in Honduras. "We all miss her and we want to be together." ___ (c) 2009, Chicago Tribune. Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. _____ PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. Copyright ? 2009 Chicago Tribune |