Irish Group To Lobby Washington, Again

[Seabird]

Irish Group To Lobby Washington, Again


By Gerald McKinstry
gmckinst@thejournalnews.com
The Journal News

(Original publication: June 21, 2006)

An Irish activist group that has been lobbying for
immigration changes is heading back to Washington. This
time, it is focusing on the House of Representatives.

On June 28, the New York-based Irish Lobby for Immigration
Reform will go to the capital to bolster support for
immigration changes in the House. A Senate bill, known as
the Kennedy-McCain bill, passed last month.

Organizers said they would try to meet with several
congressmen - namely Reps. Pete King, R-Long Island; Tom
Tancredo, R-Colo.; and F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.; and
Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, - who now do not
support the Senate's version.

"We're hopefully going to change their views and hopefully
they'll realize this is the best way to fix a broken
immigration system," said Matt Reilly, a Blauvelt man who
has been active in the immigration movement. "We're going
to talk to them and persuade them to support the Kennedy-
McCain bill."

With the on going problems with the immigration issues in Ireland I was curious to everyone thoughts on the same issues some have here.

[georgedillon]

These people should be escorted to the nearest airport, put aboard a flight for Dublin, Shannon or Belfast, and told if they ever again try to break US immigration law they'll wind up in federal prison.
GD

[Catalpa]

The Irish in the USA should come Home ASAP as they are badly needed. We should be actively recruiting Irish Americans too.

We need as people back in Ireland with Irish roots - that way we can lessen the dependence on immigrants from completely non-Irish backgrounds.

The Irish in the USA who entered the country illegally will just have to swallow their medicine on the same basis as every other group of illegal migrants there.

[Seabird]

Catalpa,

I strongly disagree with you on this. I have met with several groups of Irish that are here illegally and find that my very own country has made it impossible for them to enter legally. I blame this country for creating such measures that force a person to "sneak" into a country that was built on immigration. Every person in this country excluding the Native Americans are linked ancestrally to another country so how can we refuse a person access? What gives us that right? The government opened the ports many years to all people and in my opinion it should stay that way. What is fair for the goose should be fair for the gander!

[Catalpa]

Catalpa,

I strongly disagree with you on this. I have met with several groups of Irish that are here illegally and find that my very own country has made it impossible for them to enter legally. I blame this country for creating such measures that force a person to "sneak" into a country that was built on immigration. Every person in this country excluding the Native Americans are linked ancestrally to another country so how can we refuse a person access? What gives us that right? The government opened the ports many years to all people and in my opinion it should stay that way. What is fair for the goose should be fair for the gander!

You can if want to but either their are Laws or are there are no Laws.

Fact is the USA isn't going to allow anyone from anywhere to enter anytime they choose. That is a recipe for chaos.

They might relax the rules but abolish them?

And there will always be those who will think:

'The rules? oh they don't apply to me!'