Mediaboss Marketing

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -

Allentown City Council took a symbolic stand in support of comprehensive U.S. immigration reform Wednesday night.

The seven-member council unanimously passed a resolution recommending "federal enactment of rational solutions to fix our broken immigration system."

The resolution states that an estimated 11 million to 14 million immigrants "contribute to our communities, the economy and the country - yet are denied essential rights."

Saying comprehensive immigration reform is urgently needed and widely supported, council said such reform will .keep families together, recognize the harm caused by deportations and "respect the rights of all persons regardless of where they come from."

Council's action was commended by Rafael Collazo of the National Council of La Raza, which calls itself the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization.

"I'm really proud to be here today," said Collazo. "The National Council of La Raza really thanks you for your leadership."

The resolution was introduced by council president Julio Guridy.

"Unfortunately, the immigration process in the United States is broken," said Guridy.

"We desperately need a comprehensive immigration bill. But the federal government has failed to enact one for the last 10 years."

Read this article:

Allentown City Council takes a stand for U.S. immigration reform