By Julia Cosans
Over a thousand immigrants, religious leaders and activists rallied in Annapolis on a cold February night to lobby state legislators on pending legislation that would affect Maryland’s immigrant population.
From mid-January to April, the state passes legislation on many subjects important to immigrants, said Mario Quiroz, spokesman for the CASA de Maryland advocacy group, which organized the Feb. 23 demonstration for the tenth straight year.
Annapolis, the state capital, is an important place for immigrants and supporters to voice their opinions on issues such as access to in-state tuition and driver’s licenses for undocumented residents and laws protecting tenants and workers, Quiroz said.
The group rallied and waved hand-made signs in the air at the General Assembly and Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis and in front of the governor’s mansion.
They also met with delegates and senators to discuss the issues.
“It’s always a great thing for legislators to know the community on a face to face level,” Quiroz said. “That way when they make their decisions they have a face to connect with the issue.”
CASA de Maryland provided buses to Annapolis from Langley Park, Baltimore and the Eastern Shore, plus several other locations statewide for the rally, Quiroz said, bringing in different types of people from all over the area.
However, few university students were in that mix.
The Latino Student Union is concerned with creating a viable immigration program, improving education and promoting better acceptance of immigrants, LSU advisor Dave Jones said.
Student members said they did not attend the Annapolis rally because many were unaware of the lobbying event. However students participate in other events hosted by campus clubs, said Jorge Cordova, a member of LSU and Gamma Phi Sigma Hermanos Unidos Fraternity Inc.
“The LSU sponsors cultural, advocacy and community service events meant to make the undergraduate Latino aware that as a community we faced serious issues affecting us everyday and that we can make a difference too,” Cordova said.
Jones noted that members of LSU individually and as an organization regularly attend marches and rallies to fight for rights within the Latino and other minority communities.
But even without students, there was a strong turnout.
“There were lots of people present,” said New Harvest Ministries Pastor Marcus Johnson Sr., who attended the rally. “They turned out because they are desperate. I expected this crowd despite the frigid weather on that night.”
Johnson said the night demonstrated the raw passion of the immigrants and that he hopes the representatives will find a way to process immigrants: making things easy for some to get citizenship while turning away others.
“In light of the fact that America is a melting pot of immigrants and a land of opportunities, something must be done to address the needs of those who are here and have served while being underpaid and mistreated,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he attended the rally because he shares aspects of CASA de Maryland’s mission to provide support to those in need and because he is aware of the multiple struggles immigrants face.
He added that he will continue to fight for immigrant’s rights by spreading awareness, partnering with CASA de Maryland and others to fulfill missions to serve people in need, and attending future events such as Feb. 23’s lobby and rally night.
But will this lobbying effort actually translate into immigrant-friendly legislation in Annapolis?
“We are confident,” Quiroz said. “Maryland has a tradition of being a progressive state and we are optimistic that the legislature will be on the same track as it has in the past and will take into account everyone’s needs including those of the immigrant community.”
