By Georgina Brennan

THE Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration was due to hear from ILIR Chairman Niall O’Dowd when they met in Washington on Wednesday morning, July 12. The committee is headed by Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania.

Up to 50 ILIR volunteers were to attend the meeting in the Senate Dirksen building on Capitol Hill, including 24 from New York traveling by bus.

“The ILIR really is the voice of Irish America on this issue,” O’Dowd said. “And this underscores the huge effort we have made since we were set up just seven months ago.”

Also testifying will be U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlo Gutierrez and several other immigration experts.

O’Dowd will tell the committee that without immigration reform the entire Irish born community in the U.S. will be under great pressure.

“The facts are clear to us. Without immigration reform the Irish-born community in the United States will no longer exist and one of the greatest contributors to the success of this nation will be no more,” he said.

“Our neighborhoods are disappearing, our community organizations are in steep decline. Our sporting and cultural organizations are deeply affected by the lack of emigration.

“Meanwhile, our undocumented community are under siege. They can no longer travel to Ireland, even when family tragedies occur.

Their drivers licenses will not be renewed which means mothers can not drive their children to school. The day to day struggle of living illegally in America has taken a heavy personal toll on them. I submit that they deserve better.”