Rarely does a news story bring together the issues of immigration and those families who lost loved ones in the 9-11-01 attacks. Yet some of the most vulnerable victims left in the 9-11-01 aftermath are undocumented immigrant relatives of those who lost their lives in the attacks. There are at least 25 such families (the number is likely higher)and some of those families are hoping that Congress will listen to advocates who are urging the passage of legislation that would grant permanent residence status to the illegal immigrants who lost family members on Sept. 11.

The bill, called the September 11th Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act, is attached as an amendment to the immigration reform package that is tied up in the lame-duck Congress.

“It’s an easy thing for Congress to do,” Bill Fugazy Jr., vice chair of the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations said, pointing out that the bill has bipartisan support. “Give them green cards so they have status here, so they can buy the homes that they would want to, and so they are not in the shadows of society.”

Naturally, those against the bill state that no undocumented immigrant should get special privlages, even if they lost their lives on 9-11-01, a date that has been held up by members of both political parties for various reasons.

It should be interesting to watch how this bill progresses. One can’t help but wonder with all the 9-11-01 rhetoric and all the talk of remembering those who lost their lives, if undocumented immigrants fare anywhere in the political imagination and imagery.

Via / MSNBC

Image Via / The Washington Post