by Luis Carlos López Hispanic Link News Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With a loud but peaceful protest, more than 100 pro-immigration-reform and faith-based activists showed up unannounced at Republican National Committee headquarters March 22 and demanded a meeting with party chairman Michael Steele.
Their chanting, praying persistence resulted in Steele’s promise, delivered on the spot in a letter, to meet with representatives from the religious and other reform groups at the end of this month.
Their visit came fewer than 24 hours after 200,000 protesters gathered at the National Mall to press President Obama and Congress to act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year.
With a light rain falling, Joshua Hoyt, executive director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights, made his way into the RNC building with a few pastors and other protestors while the rest, representing constituencies across the country, stood outside chanting for the Republican Party to show support for their cause.
Nicaragua-born Manuel Rosales, an RNC deputy, served as a spokesperson for Republican officials with the protesters.
“I’m more an immigrant than you are,” Rosales joked to Hoyt to demonstrate his desire to accommodate the group’s wishes.
Hoyt related to Rosales and those who were kneeling and praying in the lobby that they had already tried to schedule a meeting but were unsuccessful in getting Steele’s attention.
“We’ve been pushing and they’ve felt the pressure. We are up, we are moving, but Lindsey Graham is very lonely,” Hoyt said.
Graham, the Republican Senator from South Carolina, is working across the aisle with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) to structure a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will gain support from Republicans as well as Democrats. Rosales then returned inside and, following a series of songs, prayers and petitions, handed Hoyt the letter promising that Steele would meet with them on the morning of March 31 to discuss the Republican commitment on immigration.
Hoyt told Hispanic Link News Service that the group will delegate six or seven people to work on gaining Republican support.
Francisco López, lead organizer for Oregon’s CAUSA Immigrant Rights Coalition, emphasized that the successful March 21 rally was only the beginning. “Yesterday we showed we were serious,” he said. “This will not stop. It will only get louder and better until we get what we want.” Hispanic Link.
(Luis Carlos López is editor of Hispanic Link Weekly Report. Email: luisl@hispaniclink.org)
