By Georgina Brennan

THE 25 Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) volunteers who attended a field hearing on immigration reform in Miami on Monday, July 10 were warmly welcomed by Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona.

“I am really glad to see the representatives of the ILIR here today. They have been following me around this country, and I am delighted to see that they are well behaved because when I saw them in Washington they were a little unruly,” McCain laughed.

“We were mentioned three times and Senator McCain even stopped his speech to mention us,” said ILIR volunteer Brian McKenna, 30, who flew from New York to Miami to attend the hearing.

Lisa Handley from Dublin organized the Miami turnout, and is hoping to capitalize on the new ILIR chapter in Florida gaining momentum by drawing out more volunteers (her number is 954-643-0898 for anyone who wants to join the effort).

“The ones that came from Fort Lauderdale are really seeing how serious this issue is. It was great to see them turn out and the ones from New York,” she said.

“I was a Morrison visa recipient and got my citizenship four years ago. It would be great to see more Morrison holders coming out for this, even if they aren’t in Fort Lauderdale where I am, even if they are in Tampa or Miami or neighboring states. Everyone is welcome,” she added.

Tom Woodlock and Siobhan Barry joined Micheal Corridan, a former U.S. Marine, for the hearing, where they met Dubliner John Timoney, the Miami police commissioner who was thrilled to see the Irish community out in force.

There are an estimated 2.5 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who are not from Latin America but from Asia, Europe, Canada, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. The Irish at the Miami hearing were there to speak for them, to put a new face on the immigration debate.

Senator John Warner, Republican of Virginia, chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the city that is a hotbed of immigrant activity. The hearing focused on the contributions of immigrants to the U.S. armed forces.

One of the speakers was Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace who was reduced to tears as he recalled his Italian immigrant parents working to the bone to offer him a better life in America. Pace, America’s top general, is a Marine who has served in Vietnam and Somalia.

“My dad came here, sometimes worked three jobs, but the jobs were there for him and the opportunities were there for him,” Pace said. “There is no other country on the planet that affords that opportunity to those who come.”

The hearing, McCain said, was designed to highlight just why there should be comprehensive reform and would serve as leverage in the upcoming Senate and House conference.

Corridan, a Donnelly visa recipient in 1989, had been an illegal immigrant for one year before he got his green card. In 1990 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps until February 1995 when he was honorably discharged as a sergeant after five years of service. He served with the 22nd and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operation Desert Storm and with the United Nations in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.

He became a member of the NYPD from 1998 until he medically retired in 2005 after a vehicle accident. Corridan said being at the hearing was important for him and for the rest of the Irish who want a better life in America.

“I am supporting the ILIR in its cause to secure green cards for the undocumented Irish in the U.S.,” he said.

“I was the recipient of a green card and it provided me the ability to stay in the U.S . It lead the way to great career opportunities, eventually being able to become a citizen of this great country.

“I would like to be able to assist in providing green cards for the undocumented Irish citizens that currently live in the U.S. The Irish have always been of great service to this country and I would like to see those traditions continued,” he said.

As the hearing wound down, the Irish contingent took pictures with McCain and other attendees and spoke to military veterans about the international dimension to the U.S. immigration debate.

“It was a great effort by the grassroots and the volunteers,” said ILIR Executive Director Kelly Fincham. “They organized buses and transport, flights and everything. It has been inspiring to see how determined they are to stay with this.”