An Irish Catholic Bishop addressed thousands of marchers in Dallas on Sunday, who came out to show their support for comprehensive immigration reform.

An estimated 5,000 people waving flags and carrying signs took to the streets of downtown Dallas on Sunday afternoon for the peaceful march.

Over the coming weeks the Senate's "Gang of Eight" will attempt to get a 70-vote consensus to pass sweeping immigration reform that could put the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. on a path to citizenship.

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, who was born in Dublin joined Domingo García, a Dallas lawyer and one of the demonstration’s organizers to lead the march which began at Cathedral Shrine of Our Virgin of Guadalupe and ended  a Cinco de Mayo festival at City Hall Plaza, the Dallas News reports.

“This nation was founded and built on immigrants, and we must continue to always welcome the immigrant in our midst,” Bishop Farrell said as the crowd responded with applause.

Born in Ireland, he served in Mexico and Washington, D.C., before coming to Dallas.

He prayed that the nation’s leaders “accept and treat every person with justice.”

In other developments this week, Sen. Rand Paul expressed doubts over border control on Tuesday.

"I am worried that the bill before us will not pass. It may not pass the Senate. It will not pass the House," warned Sen. Rand Paul, during a Senate Homeland Security hearing Tuesday.

"If the border is not secure, we will be blamed for the next 10 million people who come here illegally."

Under the ‘Gang of Eight's’ plan an additional $5.5 billion would be designated to secure the border as well as a program which would require the Department of Homeland Security to increase surveillance along the border.