By April Drew

AMERICA’S front door, Ellis Island, through which 12 million immigrants over the course of 61 years passed, once again opened its doors to immigrants last Friday, March 30.

Over 150-plus immigrants, including 30 members of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), attended a hearing organized by the House immigration subcommittee to discuss the issue not far from the site where the statue of Cork-born Annie Moore, the 15-year old who was the first immigrant through Ellis Island in 1892, stands.

Faced with a new cluster of 12 million undocumented immigrants, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, the California Democrat who is chairperson of the subcommittee, thought it apt to hold the first of several planned hearings, at Ellis Island, where over 40 percent of Americans can trace their roots.

“What better place to reflect on immigration than in the great walls where immigrants were processed,” said Lofgren, in her opening statement.

The hearing, dissimilar to the more enforcement-orientated hearings held by the House in the past, was called “Past, Present and Future: A Historic and Personal Reflection on American Immigration.”

Lofgren stated she is eager to see an immigration bill pass this year, which will improve border security, provide a path to legalize the 12 million undocumented and create a new guest worker program.

Lofgren, a product of immigration herself (her grandfather, Carl Robert Lofgren came to the U.S. from Sweden when he was 16), said it was time for the U.S. to reform its immigration system in a fully comprehensive way.

“It has to happen this year because it won’t next year,” she said referring to the distraction of the presidential elections in 2008.

Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois, co-author of the new STRIVE act that was introduced into the House two weeks ago, said he is confident that reform would pass this year.

‘We have no other choice,” he reminded people, saying that he was convinced of the compassion of the American people.

Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, Democrat from Texas, also expressed her enthusiasm for passing comprehensive immigration reform by the end of 2007. Jackson Lee gave several examples of immigrants who became famous, including a hometown hero in her state, Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets.

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Democrat of California who favors immigration reform said, “I am the youngest daughter of immigrants who came to this country with very little money and my parents sent every one of my six brothers and sisters to college.”

She informed the subcommittee that all an immigrant in 1847 had to pay was $2, or the equivalent of $216 in today’s money and be in reasonable good health to be given legal status in the U.S.

“We are the wealthiest nation in the world largely due to the hard work of immigrants,” she said. “The desires, hopes and dreams are still the exact same today for an immigrant.”

Not all representatives were so enthusiastic about immigration reform. Congressman Steve King, Republican of Iowa, was doubtful, saying that the “12 to 20 million illegals today are not all contributing positively to the country.” He added that “real enforcement” is a must to prevent criminals from entering the U.S. He said if he sees results in this area then he is prepared to consider legal status for the undocumented. “I’m looking forward to this dialogue,” he said.

Witnesses on the day addressed the subcommittee on various elements of immigration reform, including officials from the Bush administration Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar and Director of Homeland Security Igor Timofeyey as well as an economist, a historian and a demographer.

Aguilar said due to improved security measures at the border, there has been a 30% reduction in illegal crossings at the Mexican border. “1.1 million people have been apprehended coming over the border illegally in the past year,” he said. He stated that 98 percent of illegal entry at the borders is at its southerly one. “We have a responsibility to our forefathers, our children and our children’s children to secure our borders.”

The border patrol chief explained that less than 10% of illegals caught at the border were criminals. “Most people just want to come here to work,” he added, saying that if more guest worker visas were available to those people then his agency would be better equipped to deal with the serious criminals.

“Well-defined immigration reform would help us concentrate on the people really trying to do us harm,” Aguilar said. “The chaotic conditions now create opportunities for terrorists and criminals.”

Dan Siciliano, an economist and legal expert at Stanford University, stated that his findings have shown immigrants both legal and undocumented are needed in the U.S. economy to fill jobs, and become consumers and capitalists.

“New workers are imperative to economic security,” he said. He explained if the country didn’t have low skilled workers, who receive minimum wage then the wage payouts would have to go up and in the long term this could lead to economic problems.

ILIR supporter Peter Coyle, whose parents came through Ellis Island in 1928, said, “It was a great day, we were at a historic place where it all started for a lot of us.”

Coyle wasn’t impressed with King though. “I don’t trust him, he could go either way on this issue.”

Another ILIR supporter, Samantha Melia, felt the meeting was extremely positive and uplifting. “So much of the testimony argued that an immigration bill would make America more secure and economically safe and the House, unlike last year seems to be listening to logic and they are in a better position to pass a bill now,” she said.

The subcommittee is planning several more hearings in the next couple of months with the aim of drafting a bill that will pass the House this year.