Labor Unions and activist groups held a rally for immigration reform in front of Nashua City Hall Saturday.
More than one hundred marchers descended on Nashua’s main street as they left letters at the offices of New Hampshire Senators Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen. They want to see Congress rewrite the immigration laws to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, worker protections, family VISA expansions and an end to the detentions and deportations that have increased under the Obama administration. But they also highlighted some of the recent movement with the immigration laws. Like with Juan Zamudio.
Zamudio, an undocumented immigrant, came to the U.S. with his parents from Colombia when he was six years old.
“I began first grade here in the United States not knowing any English…”
Now, he’s seventeen and after applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (or DACA) last year, has obtained a workers permit and a driver’s license.
“And I’m a Junior now and I’ll be going to college in 2014 and I do consider myself an American because I grew up here.”
Union officials argued that improved worker protections for immigrants will mean better workplace conditions for everyone.