By Georgina Brennan

THE Irish American community has been urged to keep the fight for the undocumented going this week after the successful ILIR town hall meeting with Senator John McCain last Friday.

ILIR Executive Director Kelly Fincham said, “We must continue to make our voices heard.”

Offering her ideas of the way forward, Fincham said the plan was simple. “Get back on the phones and continue sending e-mails. Contact your senators and let them know you support comprehensive immigration reform.

“Don’t limit your calls to your local representatives. Call your friends and family across the U.S. Call anyone you know in Irish organizations across the U.S. and ask them to call their legislators.”

Meanwhile, ILIR is encouraging anyone who can get the time off to attend the nationwide rally with other immigrants scheduled for this Monday, April 10.

Local immigrant-rights and labor group activists and organizations are planning a march and rally in each city across the U.S.

In New York thousands are expected to turn out for the “Full Rights for All Immigrants” rally at Battery Park, from 3-6 p.m. ILIR is encouraging its volunteers and the people who have already attended rallies to go to Battery Park wearing their t-shirts that say “Legalize the Irish.”

“Monday will be around the time that both the House and the Senate bills will be in Congress. And around that time, members of Congress will be in recess and back home. It’s a way for community members to really voice their opinion,” said Maricela Donahue, field organizer with Community for Change, a Washington-based organization that is coordinating the grass-roots movement across the nation.

The nationwide rally is tipped to be the largest mobilization for immigrant justice in the nation’s history.

“Our goal is to stop anti-immigrant legislation from becoming law and to pass real, comprehensive immigration reform that provides a legitimate path to earned citizenship, unites families, and ensures workplace and civil rights protections for all,” said Donahue.

While Congress goes on recess for two weeks another immigrant rally will be planned for May 1. This time it will be a rally with a difference.

Calling it the Great American Boycott of 2006 immigration rights organizers responsible for the walk out in LA last month on Tuesday, called for a nationwide boycott of work, school and shopping on May 1 to protest anti-immigrant legislation in Congress.