The President of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, Ciaran Staunton, made a passionate speech at an ILIR meeting in Denver Saturday where he urged Irish Americans to remember that the Irish made up an estimated 50,000 of the 12 million undocumented people in the United States.
Staunton added that immigration reform was not about an exclusive concern of any one community; it was about people who want to share in the American Dream.
“The Irish community has as big an interest in immigration reform as any other community,” Staunton told the Denver Daily News before addressing the meeting.
Staunton pointed out that some 15 percent of the Denver population have some Irish in them.
But, he said, it was not possible right now for an Irish American in Denver to help a family member from home to come over and take their shot in the land of opportunity.
“There is no legal way for an Irish American in Denver to bring his cousin to America to work and to participate in the American dream,” Staunton said.
The meeting took place at the Celtic Tavern in Denver.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.plasticpaddy | Apr 24, 2010, 01:25 PM EDT
"help the muslims take over Ireland" - pathetic. I am here legally, I am married to an American citizen,it is clear you can;t handle the criticism because you don't have an intelligent argument to make as the quote at the start of this post displays.
surfclub66 | Apr 05, 2010, 11:30 AM EDT
This is a disgrace. This country is overcrowded and those of us who are born here can't even accomplish the American dream. ALL illegals regardless of race need to get booted back to their own country and there should be a 50 year moratorium on legal immigration. Ireland is currently paying immigrants to leave because of the havoc they cause, yet we should grant amnesty???? You know what else? Every Irish immigrant business I know of hires illegal Mexicans in order to fleece this country out of tax money. Their citizenship should be stripped along with all wealth they've made in this country. Business owners who hire illegals should be treated like mafia....seize all proceeds.
MAGHNUS | Apr 02, 2010, 03:22 PM EDT
You know, PlasticPaddy, I've been reading through quite a lot of these articles, and ironically, I've seen your postings in a lot of them. You constantly make it a point to call people racists and uneducated; you constantly defend Ireland as if it were your own personal island, and yet, you sit here in America, safe as can be, and constantly put down many people for their opinions. You sound very much like a socialistic politician, so I say, why don't you leave the sanctity of America, and go help the muslims take over Ireland. It seems to be your destiny in life.
simplesandy | Mar 26, 2010, 09:27 AM EDT
I feel that those HERE ILLEGALLY should go back to their native land and apply for a green card or visa, just like everyone else.. no other country would allow this to happen... what makes me angry is my b/f would love to come to america from Ireland ..but he can't because the waiting list for green cards is sooooo long....not fair for those there ILLEGALLY should get a free pass..NOT FAIR...NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!
plasticpaddy | Mar 24, 2010, 05:00 PM EDT
Hateful people make hateful laws, good job people, ye are xenophobes, racists and do a good job of insulting intelligence at every point of your arguments. The fact remains that had your ancestors tried to come here today, they would have had to come here illegally, making you all also hypocrites. I feel sorry for you and your backward opinions.
plasticpaddy | Mar 24, 2010, 04:58 PM EDT
Michael Joseph Mc Garry - you are a very sad and pathetic man
GraceOmalley | Mar 11, 2010, 03:19 PM EST
Let's start with the word ILLEGAL. I don't care if they entered this country from Ireland or Switzerland or Nigeria or Chile or anyplace else - they got here ILLEGALLY. This makes them people who apparently have NO RESPECT for the laws of this country. Why would we want to encourage people who already broke the law with impugnity to stick around and do it again?
Richards1 | Mar 09, 2010, 12:49 PM EST
If we don't get over this obsession with endless massive immigration there is not going be any "American Dream" to share in; it has alreadey turned into an American Nightmare, in my opinion. Why should the desire of an Irish American in Denver to help his cousin take precedence over the country selecting immigrants --if any-- based on skills needed and character of the potential immigrant? Is this the only place in the world where a "dream" is possible? If so, then the solution would be for those in other countries to follow the original meaning of the Statue of Liberty (Lady Liberty Enlightening the World) and adopt some of our ideals and ideas; but, they all can't come here. I also think the concept, which this guy seems to promoting, of separate foreign communities living within the USA rather than the traditional E Pluribus Unum needs to go. Not telling anyone to abandon their heritage; but, that the welfare of the country should take precedence over enlarging these foreign communities.
lizzie1 | Mar 08, 2010, 03:06 PM EST
I think that we have SRO in the United States. Please, as we advise the illegal Hispanics and others who have broken into our country, go home and make your own country livable. Right now, we have a big mess in this nation. We cannot support all the poor of the world. Each nationality think it should be the one who can demand citizenship and get by with it. Teddy Kennedy said "this is the last amnesty. There won't be any more people coming illegally." Lies! But of course, he was a politician, so we must expect that. We cannot take care of you and even if you paid your own way, our natural resource are being drained. Our idiot government continues to import all sorts of people as well as shutting their eyes to the millions of illegals. Would that we had Mexico'd immigration laws. They get rid of people pronto, but their laws don't apply to them when it comes to sneaking into our country. More and more Americans are banding together and we'll stop illegal immigration as well as try to set a moratorium on all immigration for a ten-year period. We simple don't have room, so go home. We're broke and out of room. By the way, I come from a long line of Foleys.
Gaelicpiper | Mar 08, 2010, 02:03 PM EST
For those Irish here illegally- go home and apply legally. Your continued illegal presence makes the rest of us look bad; Guilt by association. The Irish can, and should, do better that third world illegal Mexicans and the the like!
CrazyEyesKillah | Mar 08, 2010, 01:36 PM EST
Get the hell out of my country, you Irish illegal-alien criminals! Michael Joseph McGarry ASPEN CO
AztlanBuster | Mar 08, 2010, 12:20 PM EST
Illegal aliens are parasites who need to be ejected no matter where they snuck in from. Any politician who would support an amnesty for millions of uneducated, unskilled third-world sponges while we are experiencing the worst recession and highest unemployment rates in decades should be immediately recalled or impeached, including that knuckle-dragging Marxist NWO puppet in the White House.
IrishAndProud | Mar 08, 2010, 04:03 AM EST
In other words, 'Irish Lobby Maintains Push to Legalize Illegal Aliens at Denver Meeting.' That's what this whole sorry thing is about, folks...in plain, simple terms. And they're flatly flying in the face of the huge majority of legitimate, REAL Americans and immigrants, in the process.
U2rocks | Mar 07, 2010, 08:13 PM EST
Our movement is a lot stronger now than in the past. Keep it up!!
U2rocks | Mar 07, 2010, 08:12 PM EST
Keep up the fight!!!