The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform will meet Republican Congressman in Washington tomorrow as part of the group’s “Irish Lobby Day” and its continuing push for an overhaul of US immigration laws.
The group is lobbying Congress arguing that Irish immigrants have been unfairly discriminated against since 1965 immigration legislation “effectively shut the door on the Irish” cutting off an annual route to legal status for new immigrants and leaving an estimated 55,000 “undocumented” in the US.
Ciaran Staunton, the group’s co-founder, said they hoped to meet Republican leaders in the House of Representatives where a cross-party immigration bill passed by the Democrat-led Senate has stalled amid concerns over border security and a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants.
Mr Staunton said that the lobby group was bringing Irish-American tconstituents from districts where Republicans are seeking re-election in the November midterm congressional elections.
He believes there will be a window in the summer to pass immigration reform in the House following primary elections where sitting Republicans face more conservative anti-immigration challengers.
“Our message to Republicans is that there are Irish-Americans in your constituency who want immigration reform and will support you for doing it,” he said.
In the first series of events marking the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the American Ireland Fund will honour US Vice President Joe Biden with an award at the philanthropic organisation’s annual gala in Washington on Thursday night.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will give the keynote address at the gala, which will also attended by Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Congressmen Peter King and Richie Neal. The fund will also honour Robert McCann, chief executive of UBS Group Americas, the American division of the Swiss investment bank.
