By: Ashmar Mandou

Upon the passing of the “Boarder Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act,” by the Senate, which would allow a form of legal status for millions of undocumented individuals in the U.S., a press conference was held Wednesday afternoon to address children from mixed status families across the country.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held the press conference to put more focus on a better passage way for families of mixed status. “We must stand together and help defend all the Latin American children whose families will be destroyed,” said Julio Cesar Chazaro, member of the Lake County LULAC Youth Council. “We ask our Congressmen and women to do the right thing and pass immigration reform.”

Chazaro, and the rest of the LULAC Youth Council, know that many lives are at risk as many of their parents are being deported due to current immigration law. A special town hall meeting was held after the press conference to provide information for the families impacted by the current laws and steps they can take to be part of the process in passing comprehensive immigration legislation.

“Lobbying for your family is very simple,” said Camile Viano, LULAC Youth National VP for the Midwest. “You look up your Congressman and woman on the internet, call the office and make an appointment for your family. You can go visit in person so that your family can ask your Congressman or woman to support immigration reform.”

LULAC Youth members set up PetitiononChange.org so that U.S. Citizen children who are part of mixed status families can log on and vote to help maintain families. “My family came here like most undocumented families for a better life. We came to work and contribute to the United States of America,” said Ana Muñoz, La Familia Latina Unida member. “We need both Republican and Democratic Congressional Representatives to help save our families.”

Ariana Aprim, member of the Lake County LULAC Youth Council said, “Each day when an American child’s parent is deported we can say that an American child is being repatriated. We do not want history to be repeated as in 1929 when anti-immigrant hysteria allowed millions of Latin American citizens to be deported back to Mexico. As LULAC Youth we have to assure that our entire community is safe and we must lobby for a humane legalization bill for all undocumented immigrants and their families in the United States of America.”