A group of Chicagoans who demonstrated Monday evening will join approximately 5,000 people from around the country Tuesday in Washington. Their message: it's time for immigration reform.
"This is our final notice to let them know that, if they do not deliver on the promise, we may have to withhold our support," said activist Emma Lozano.
Doris Aguirre and her 10-year-old son, Vladimir, are making the trip to Washington. They have lived in the United States for a decade, but both are citizens of Honduras. Her husband and daughter are American citizens.
"They want to deport my mom and me," Vladimir Aguirre said.
"I have in this country my husband, my daughter, my home," Doris Aguirre told ABC7 Chicago.
Chicago Congressman Luis Gutierrez plans to introduce immigration reform legislation in Washington and will unveil it to those at the rally Tuesday.
Supporters say they realize health care reform is dominating the president's attention right now, but they say immigration may be more important.
"We're not gonna be able to resolve health care. We're not going to be able to resolve issues of education, issues of the economy, until we get serious about resolving this for our nation," said Joshua Hoyt of the Coalition for Immigrant Rights.
Members of the group will travel 14 hours overnight to Washington. They have a full day of activities Tuesday before heading back to the bus for the trip back to Chicago. Most have to be at work on Wednesday.
