The Hispanic Leadership Coalition of Northeast Indiana, Inc. (HLCNI) announces the celebration of a peaceful, non-partisan, inclusive “Vigil in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform” this Sunday, October 20, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in front of Allen County Courthouse, 715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. We will gather on Berry Street, between Clinton and Calhoun Street. The objective of the vigil is to call the House of Representatives in Washington to schedule a vote for immigration reform before the end of this legislative session in December. We invite the entire community to express support of a commonsense overhaul of our broken immigration system.
During the vigil, we will ask that the House of Representatives approves legislation that emphasizes family unity, a path to legalization and earned citizenship for undocumented workers, a revamping of employment-related visas, rational border security measures, and the alignment of the enforcement of immigration laws with humanitarian values. Lately, the House has been engaged in discussing vital fiscal, health and economic policies; but that should not preclude our 435 Representatives from discussing immigration reform. This issue is as urgent for our economy as any other matter before the House. Immigration reform deserves a vote this fall. The U.S. Senate did its job by passing S744. The House should do its job before December 2013. We call Representative Marlin Stutzman (Indiana 3rd Congressional District) to vote for immigration reform.
The Vigil on Sunday, October 20, 3:30-6:30 p.m. will be peaceful, non-partisan, interfaith, inclusive, and will embrace and welcome anyone willing to engage in a mature dialogue surrounding the discussion on immigration reform. We call for community-wide support to affirm our desire for a positive solution to the numerous problems created by our broken immigration system. The Organizing Committee has chosen the Statue of Liberty as its symbol, to better convey the purpose of the Vigil, in line with the American values of freedom and welcoming that are at the core of our national identity as a free people.
We invite your family, your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, associates of all kinds, and all your affiliation groups to join us in this public effort aimed at calling the attention of the House of Representatives to this crucial economic-development legislation. We invite your religious entities (churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, pagodas, and other houses of worship) to express your love and solidarity for your fellow human beings living under the shadows. We invite your political parties, your business groups, your unions, your civic/non-profit networks, and all types of organizations to join us in this issue vital to our country and to our region. We invite the media, interest groups, our elected officials, legislators, state and local authorities to join us at this vigil. Please bring with you the American flag and the representation of the Statue of Liberty!!!!
