People who attended a Wednesday discussion about anti-illegal-immigration ordinances by local governments were largely supportive of the rights of immigrants, both those with and without papers. Most said they enjoyed hearing the ideas of community leaders but acknowledged the debate was a meeting of the like-minded.
“It was sort of preaching to the choir,” said Laura Valle, executive director of La Voz of Loudoun, an immigrant-advocacy group.
Valle said she valued local leaders’ suggestions to highlight the positive contributions of immigrants and will try putting that into practice in her county, where immigrant advocacy groups are fighting a local ordinance to study denying services to illegal immigrants.
“I think the best message to appeal to folks who are misinformed is to provide them with the cold, hard facts of how all immigrants help our community,” Valle said. “Then they’ll come out against these ordinances.”
Some said they were seeking more out of Wednesday’s dialogue.
“The thoughts of these leaders are interesting, but we need solid plans for the future,” American University student and Bethesda resident Kulsom Kahn said. “There were not a lot of practical suggestions offered; it was more rhetoric.”
Moderator Daniel Restrepo, director of the Americas Project at the Center for American Progress, said he felt the event moved the immigration debate forward.
“I think it’s easy in Washington to lose track of the consequences of action and inaction in Congress,” Restrepo said. “There are things that are being done, or not being done, in the federal bubble of Washington that are having real effects on communities just outside the bubble.”
