On Sunday,\u00a0March 3, 2013 Bronx County\u00a0Division 5 Woodlawn,\u00a0 honored Retired Judge John P. Collins, Bronx Division 3 President Bob Nolan and my wife, Siobhan Dennehy, AOH JFK Medal awardee\u00a0&\u00a0Executive Director Emerald Isle Immigration Center.<\/p>\n
Division 5, a newly reorganized Division\u00a0has a long history of leadership on Immigration reform and leadership. Along with his fellow honorees \u00a0Judge Collins spoke to a capacity audience of clergy leaders, NYC elected officials, United Irish County Assn\u00a0and AOH and LAOH National, State, County leaders.<\/p>\n
Judge Collins, now retired,\u00a0is\u00a0a lifelong Bronx resident and Hibernian and has been a friend and advocate\u00a0for all AOH issues over his long and impressive career in the Bronx courts. He is a veteran of the fight against Irish Visa quota removal in 1965, the fight for Irish republican detainees of the 1980’s and 1990’s, and the 1990 Morrison Visa battle.<\/p>\n
My late father, Dan\u00a0and I were both Past Presidents of Division 5 who along with many other great Hibernians worked with Judge Collins on these issues.<\/p>\n
I am proud to represent the National Board on the range of issues that concern immigration and I look forward to working even closer with all of you in the coming months. Two weeks ago, we fought to have Brian Pearson\u00a0removed from the TSA NO-FLY list so that he could attend a reunion with his family. Just yesterday, Malachy McAllister received word that he has been granted another year in his fight to remain here in his adopted land. We will not stop until he and all the detainees’ are given permanent status in the US. Nor have we ever stopped fighting for all of our undocumented and detained Irish immigrants. Often, when a person’s future is at stake, \u00a0this sensitive\u00a0work is best done without blast emails, herald or headline.<\/p>\n
In January, when talk of immigration reform made national headlines, I called upon the coalition of\u00a0Irish lobby groups\u00a0to resume our weekly\u00a0legislative updates. Along with ILIR, the Chicago Celts, Bruce Morrison & other key lobbyists\u00a0and Irish Embassy official, I, as your\u00a0representative to these talks, continue to hone the Irish elements of Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). When at last we have the wording of that component, I will share it with you all.<\/p>\n
Until such time as that, please use this St. Patrick’s season to urge your elected officials to support CIR and that they must\u00a0insure that the future flow of legal Irish immigration is vital to both Ireland and all of us.<\/strong><\/p>\n