Immigrant leaders hold convention
Chicago Tribune
Orlando sentinel
Aug 15, 2006
The organizers of massive coast-to-coast immigrant marches tried to keep their growing national movement headed in the same direction yesterday by devising a strategy for the fall elections.
About 400 people from 25 states gathered for a two-day national convention in Hillside, Ill., to debate how best to achieve legalization for the nation's 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and a moratorium on raids and deportations by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Immigrant leaders created their first formal national structure, taking the place of a loose catch-all of labor unions, immigrant advocacy groups, ministers and students whose informality was once viewed as a strength.
The convention appointed about 60 volunteers to form a national steering committee called the National Alliance for Immigrant Rights. The group will help coordinate a national series of events on Sept. 30 that could include pickets and prayer vigils.
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