Demonstrators rally for immigration reform

With a flag draped over her shoulders, Lucy Ferguson sat in a wheelchair as she told a gathering of mostly Latino immigrants and their supporters that she is an American citizen in support of their cause.

Ferguson told the Deseret Morning News that the cause was important enough to her that she attended Wednesday's "Liberty Rally" at Liberty Park shortly after undergoing an operation on her foot.

"I am in pain because I feel the pain of the undocumented immigrants," said Ferguson, a naturalized citizen from Peru. "These people have a dream to make a better world for their children.... Please Mr. Bush, do your best in Congress."

Ferguson was among several people who spoke at the rally in the hours before President Bush's arrival in Salt Lake. About 100 people attended, hoping to encourage the president to push for immigration reform to legalize many of the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, while securing the borders.

U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon , R-Utah, told the gathering he predicted Congress will have a bill ready for the president's signature by Christmas. Talks on immigration reform halted after the House passed an enforcement-only bill and the Senate passed a comprehensive measure.

"We have a problem in this country we need to solve," Cannon said. "We're going to clean up the problem. ... We're going to have an immigration bill that is good for America."

Salt Lake County Councilman Mark Crockett presented a resolution signed by Republican council members supporting comprehensive reform.

The gathering was much smaller than rallies earlier this year that drew thousands. Organizer Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah and chairman of the Utah Hispanic Democratic Caucus, downplayed criticism of his rally by some other Democratic Hispanics.

"I don't think we'll ever be able to re-create what happened before," Yapias said. "I think the majority of us support immigration reform."

For Christina and Antonio Robles, the federal debate hits home. They're undocumented, but their two children are native born U.S. citizens.

"President Bush listen," Antonio Robles said. "We came here to work, we are doing nothing but work."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com