By Debbie McGoldrick

TheNew Year will usher in plenty of good tidings for the Irish undocumented in the form of a comprehensive immigration bill that will set them on their way to legal status in the U.S., Senator Charles Schumer told more than 1,000 attendees at a Bronx rally on Friday night hosted by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR).

“What a difference a month makes!” Schumer told a frenzied audience at St. Barnabas Church, where ILIR kicked off a new round of post-election rallies and meetings that will happen from coast to coast in the coming weeks.

“You have waited a long time. You have lobbied long enough. You have marched long enough. The American dream will come.”

The November election results which gave control of the House and Senate to the Democrats “lifted the block on comprehensive immigration reform,” Schumer said.

“Now as I speak to you, the Senate Democratic leadership is getting the McCain/Kennedy bill ready, and we’re going to strengthen it, and we’re going to pass it!” he added to thunderous applause.

“We are going to do it, and we are going to do it right. We are not going to compromise our security or our safety, and we are not going to compromise our principles. We will do it as soon as possible.”

The powerful legislator from New York who engineered the Senate Dem-ocratic victory said that the incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is committed to dealing with the contentious issue of immigration reform as one of his first acts when the new Congress reconvenes next month.

In May the Senate passed a watered-down version of the bi-partisan reform bill authored by Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy which sought a path to legalization for a majority of undocumented residents, but the measure stalled in the House, where the anti-reform Republican majority refused to bring it forth for debate.

But come January, the GOP will assume minority status in both chambers, but Schumer and his colleagues feel they can muster enough bipartisan support to bring a bill to the White House for approval by President George W. Bush, who also favors measures that offer the chance of legal status to the undocumented.

“We are going to welcome all of our Republican colleagues who want to turn away from the campaign of hatred,” Schumer said, referring to the House bill passed last December which would have criminalized and potentially jailed undocumented residents of the U.S., and anyone who offered them aid.

“We are not going to make this issue partisan. We are going to welcome our Republican colleagues with open arms.”

Schumer, who first went public with his pro-immigration reform stance at an ILIR rally in Queens earlier this year, received a huge welcome from the St. Barnabas crowd who were energized by the midterm election results and the emerging prospects of immigration reform in 2007. The senator’s words offered the best encouragement yet that the Democratic majority will use their new-found power to steer the undocumented on the road to legalization.

“The last time I spoke to you, you know who was in power, guys like Sensenbrenner, and Delay and Hayworth,” Schumer said, as the audience hissed at the mention of each Republican House member. “The Republican leadership played cheap games with one of the most vital issues facing our country, comprehensive immigration reform. They vilified our immigrants, and they thought they could win the election by doing this.

“But now,” Schumer thundered, “there’s no Hayworth! And people like Sensen-brenner are in the minority. And people like Schumer and Weiner are in the majority!” The standing ovation continued for several minutes for Schumer and his Brooklyn protégé Congress-man Anthony Weiner, who was also on hand to address the audience.

Schumer was relaxed and clearly delighted with the audience response, and certainly he didn’t disappoint. Congressman James Sensenbrenner, the author of last year’s House bill who will relinquish his post as House Judiciary Committee chair in January, “tried to make immigration political fodder,” Schumer said.

“He tried to use you as a figure of hatred. But God works in beautiful and mysterious ways, and our day will come. The absurdly nasty, punitive Sensenbrenner bill is dead!”

Though prospects for immigration reform have improved dramatically with the Democratic takeover of Congress, Schumer cautioned that much work needs to be done to get a positive end result. He warned against complacency, and urged ILIR members to rally and lobby like never before.

“We will need your support,” he advised. “Reform will not come with a snap of the finger. It’s going to take hard work and dedicated enthusiasm. I want you to keep showing the love of America and the love of your heritage that you have shown the past.

“You are such an amazing, powerful force,” he added. “The issues are many and complex, but they certainly can be solved.”

Speaking of his affinity for the Irish, he recalled that they were the ethnic group who gave him the most support when he began his fledgling political career as a member of the New York State Assembly.

“I love the Irish because I love America,” Schumer said. “The more Irish there are in America the better we all are no matter what our background is. And I love the history of the Irish. They built the Erie Canal and the Continental Railroad, and they transformed our political system. I see their vitality right here in Woodlawn.”

Schumer further endeared himself the audience by paying tribute to the late Frank Durkan, the prominent activist lawyer from Co. Mayo who passed away last month. And he dusted off a bit of Gaelic when he proclaimed to the audience “Tiocfaidh ar la,” aptly pronounced “Chuck-ee-ar-lagh,” meaning “our day will come” in English.

Schumer’s rousing performance was a hard act to follow, but Weiner, donning an ILIR “Legalize the Irish.org” t-shirt, was up to the task.

Some Republicans, he said, “tried to campaign on hate and fear and anger. But you stood up and said, ‘We are good and decent people. We are Americans. We are not fools.’

“We don’t fear immigrants,” he added. “We want to figure out a way to legalize immigrants, and that’s what we are going to do.”

Other speakers on the night included former Congressman Bruce Morrison, who praised Schumer for his proactive reform efforts. “You have a great leader on your team in Senator Schumer,” he said.

Speaking of immigration efforts that eventually resulted in the creation of the Morrison visa program when he was a member of the House in 1990, Morrison also advised ILIR members to keep their voices loud and strong.

“If people are organized and committed, if they won’t take no for an answer, if they show up day after day, week after week, and if the case they are pressing is just, they will win. You have shown in the past 12 months that you are not going away.”

ILIR Chairman Niall O’Dowd, President Grant Lally and Vice Chair Ciaran Staunton also galvanized the crowd, and asked members to redouble their efforts in the coming weeks.

“President Bush is committed to signing a bill that will legalize our community in the coming year as one of his top priorities,” Lally said. “But we’re not there yet. We’ve got to keep making the effort.”

“Please don’t give up now,” urged Staunton. “If you’re thinking of going home, don’t do it now. We are going to get a result in the end, but we need you now more than ever.”