Cicilline, Gutierrez put on pressure for immigration reform

David Cicilline has brought his colleague Luis V. Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat from I here to the Ocean State to rally for immigration reform. Today at 5:30 at the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Providence. Gutierrez is leading the effort among House Dems for a bi-partisan immigration bill and he will be joined in Providence by Sen. Jack Reed, Laurie White, CEO of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, George Nee, president of the AFL-CIO and Mario Beuno, executive director of Progreso Latino.

Cicilline will have more opportunities to work on this issue with Gutierrez, now that he’s been appointed to the judiciary committee. According to a press release from his office, “In his new role as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Cicilline will help oversee federal immigration policy and help guide legislation through Congress to reform our broken immigration system.”

Here’s the full release:

U.S. Representatives David N. Cicilline (D-RI) and Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), both members of the influential House Judiciary Committee, will be joined by federal, state, and local leaders, including many elected officials, this Friday, January 17^th at 5:30 p.m. at the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Providence to rally for comprehensive immigration reform and call on Congress to enact this important legislation.

Congressman Gutierrez, who is a lead negotiator in the U.S. House of Representatives on a bipartisan immigration reform bill and Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, will be travelling to Rhode Island at Cicilline’s request.  Over the past year, Gutierrez has visited states across the country as part of his ongoing effort to build public support for immigration reform legislation in Congress.

Last summer, the U.S. Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation to grow our economy, provide a path to citizenship for deserving immigrants, and secure our borders.  Cicilline is an original co-sponsor of similar legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that over the next 10 years this bill would promote job creation and wage increases, cut the deficit by nearly $158 billion, and increase America’s GDP by over $800 billion.

Groups from the business, faith, and labor communities that support immigration reform include: Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Small Business Majority, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Caterpillar, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Interfaith Immigration Coalition, American Jewish Committee, Muslim Public Affairs Council, AFL-CIO, SEIU, UFW, AFSCME, NEW, and TEAMSTERS.

WHO: U.S. Representative David N. Cicilline (D-RI)

U.S. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL)

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

Laurie White, President and CEO at Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce

George Nee, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO

Reverend Donald Anderson, Executive Minister at Rhode Island Council of Churches

Mario Bueno, Executive Director at Progreso Latino

Rhode Island First District residents

WHEN: Friday, January 17^th at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Saint Michael The Archangel

239 Oxford Street

Providence