Immigration advocates celebrate election firsts, plan next steps for reform

  • Immigration-reform advocates gather Wednesday at the offices of Casa Michoacan in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood to celebrate the election of reform-minded candidates.

    Immigration-reform advocates gather Wednesday at the offices of Casa Michoacan in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood to celebrate the election of reform-minded candidates. Brian Rich/Chicago Sun-Times

  • As Illinois' first Latina in Congress, Delia Ramirez promised to bring the immigration-reform policies she championed in the state General Assembly to the federal level.

    As Illinois' first Latina in Congress, Delia Ramirez promised to bring the immigration-reform policies she championed in the state General Assembly to the federal level. Brian Rich/Chicago Sun-Times

 
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
 
 
Updated 11/9/2022 4:20 PM

Pro-immigration activists gathered Wednesday to celebrate the election results of their grass-roots campaign efforts.

"I don't know about you all, but I am fired up right now," said Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, addressing a crowd inside the Pilsen offices of coalition partner Casa Michoacan.

 

Amid cheers of "si se puede," (roughly, "yes we can") he listed their achievements, including registering 23,000 new immigrant voters, new strategies to reach Arabic speakers and the victories of reform-minded candidates they supported.

"When pro-immigrant voters get to the polls, pro-immigrant officials win elections," he said.

• For the full story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.

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