Irish US illegals call for ‘fairer’ visa system

UP TO 50,000 Irish illegal immigrants are choosing to spend Christmas alone in the US rather than give up the fight for green cards.

The illegal immigrants face a 10-year ban on returning to the States if they return home and are caught coming back.

Instead they are choosing to stay in the US in the hope they will be granted residency rights through the green card scheme. The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) reckons the US is home to 50,000 illegal immigrants. A weekend pro-immigration rally in New York saw 1,100 campaigners hear how illegals were being forced into staying by US immigration laws.

“I am staying here for Christmas because I believe that the battle for Irish green cards is too important to give up on,” said illegal immigrant Samantha Melia, 31, who is from Dublin but now lives in New York.

Illegal immigrant Mary Brennan, 39, said her own mother had pleaded with her not to come back to Ireland for Christmas and risk losing her home in the US.

“I’ve been here 16 years and I call New York home. But it’s not a real home if you’re not free,” she said.

Ms Brennan, who is from Co Kerry, also told how US immigration laws prevented her from attending her brother’s funeral earlier this year in Ireland.

The women took the stage at a rally in an Irish section of the Bronx which also featured New York Senator Charles Schumer.

Making a “V” for victory sign, he said the Irish immigrants had “set fire to the whole immigration debate”.

“Without the Irish this would be very difficult to get done,” he said.

“The Irish are a hugely important part of the lobby on this issue. They have proved in the past how successful they can be when they address this topic.”

ILIR chairman Niall O’Dowd said recent US election results which saw the Democrats take both houses of Congress meant immigration reform was on the agenda and could boost the illegal migrants’ cause .

“The Irish lobby will play a critical role in this — we’re back in action in a big way and are demanding progress. We will be back in Washington, we will be back in the corridors of power, we will be back to get what is rightfully ours.

“We want a fair immigration system which will allow the Irish undocumented to legalise their status and which will allow future generations of Irish to emigrate legally to the US.”

ILIR vice-chairman Ciaran Staunton said Sena tor Schumer could help the Irish get the green cards.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said Ireland would continue to press the US to tackle the issue of Irish illegal immigrants and grant them residency. “Mr Ahern has been back and forward to the US 16 times in recent years to get [residency] rights for the undocumented Irish,” he added.