Irish converge on Washington for immigration protest

An estimated 1,500 Irish people living in the US are expected to converge on Washington today for a  rally on Capitol Hill to…

An estimated 1,500 Irish people living in the US are expected to converge on Washington today for a  rally on Capitol Hill to lobby for immigration reform.

US Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain are expected to attend the event, organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR).

Demonstrators are expected from Boston, New York and Pittsburgh and as far away as San Francisco.

They will attend a rally on Capitol Hill and will distribute letters to legislators calling for an immigration reform bill that could regularise their status.

Formed to campaign in favour of a Bill proposed by Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy that would make a temporary worker visa with a path to US citizenship available to undocumented immigrants, the ILIR has recently broadened its focus to consider other strategies for resolving the problems of Irish immigrants.

The group has received $30,000 from the Government, which has identified immigration reform as a priority in its relationship with Washington.

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