Column: S. County Man's Arrest Highlights Need for Immigration Reform
PITTSFIELD, Mass.
The Berkshire Immigrant Center and the MIRA Coalition are deeply saddened to learn of the recent detention and possible deportation of a well-respected South County community member, Albaro Francisco. As The Berkshire Eagle reported Monday, Albaro, a Mexican citizen, is a beloved Berkshire County DJ and co-owner of the popular Taqueria Azteca restaurant in Great Barrington. Over his many years in Western Massachusetts, Albaro has touched many lives in our community, as demonstrated by an outpouring of support over the past 10 days. About 80 students attended a recent meeting at Monument Mountain Regional High School to demonstrate their support, and we have received dozens of calls at the Immigrant Center regarding his case.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as he struggles to remain in the United States, but we also feel this case boldly illustrates the need to reform immigration laws that have affected thousands of less celebrated yet equally deserving community members across America.
Our outdated and unjust immigration laws do not meet our economic and labor needs or our values of fairness and commonsense workability. Our country needs to provide a pathway to lawful permanent residence and eventual citizenship for the estimated 12 million to 20 million undocumented residents, thus addressing the needs of employers and workers alike while helping to keep families and communities together.
We hope that this recent detention will encourage others to join us in the fight to dispel immigration myths and reform our laws. On Tuesday, Oct. 13, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., is slated to disclose the principals behind his immigration reform bill, and thousands of organizations will support him with a national day of action.
We encourage everyone on that day to call to his or her congressman and senators, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to insist that immigration reform come next on Congress' agenda. We hope that the outrage felt by our community galvanize the work towards creating a fair and enforceable set of laws that supports our communities and the principles our nation was built upon.
Submitted by Hilary Greene and Brooke Meade of the Berkshire Immigrant Center and Frank Soults of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
