 WASHINGTON -- Hispanic members of Congress and Latino groups said Wednesday they will build on recent immigrant demonstrations by conducting citizenship workshops around the nation on July 1. By helping more immigrants become citizens, the Hispanic lawmakers hope that they will increase the number of voters who might help defeat candidates considered anti-immigrant.
| Newsflash: as Hispanics become citizens, they trend conservative and Republican. |
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said the workshops will "harness the power and potential of the massive marches and peaceful protests we have seen across the country" in response to a border security bill passed by the House.
The bill, whose chief author is Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., included a provision making all illegal immigrants in the country subject to felony prosecution. That provision was considered the primary trigger for protests. "The current immigration debate and particularly the Sensenbrenner bill that passed the House last December has made citizenship a priority for these men and women," Gutierrez said.
| Dumb provision 'cause we're not going to imprison 6 million or so people. Should have been removed at the start, but the Doinks like it in there now 'cause it helps with recruiting and fund-raising. |
Rep. Grace Napolitano, a California Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said an estimated 8 million legal immigrants in the country are eligible for citizenship. The workshops will be open to immigrants of all races and ethnicities, she said. |