PHOENIX - JULY 29: Protesters from California march to Arizona's state capitol building for a demonstration against Arizona's immigration enforcement law SB 1070 on July 29, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
There are mixed emotions in Illinois about the SB 1070 law in Arizona. While 300 protesters rallied on July 29 at the Cook County Courthouse on 26th and California to oppose SB 1070 for being "racist" and "supporting racial profiling," Naperville Tea Partiers support SB 1070. Pop artists like Lady GaGa, who was recently at Chicago's 2010 Lollapalooza, are also protesting against the controversial law. But while the pros and cons of the SB 1070 law are being discussed, north side community-based organization Centro Romero is giving free citizenship classes.
Centro Romero is located at 6216 N. Clark St., in the Edgewater neighborhood. The class schedules are Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Monday through Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
People who are interested in registering need to have a permanent resident card, a Social Security card, and a state ID or driver's license. It's suggested to come one hour early before class to register. Donations are accepted, and 100 percent of the federal funds are used to fund the citizenship classes.
The Obama administration has asked Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to strike down the law. While there is currently no law like the SB 1070 in Illinois, residents are wondering if it's only a matter of time. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton has eliminated certain parts of the Arizona law, including requiring police officers to check for immigration status during traffic stops, detentions and arrests. Judge Bolton blocked the requirement that legal immigrants carry their citizen papers at all times to prove they're here legally or risk being deported.
Governor Brewer still stands firm supporting the law and called Judge Bolton's blocks "a little bump in the road." The Associated Press reports that 26,146 immigrants have already been deported since 2007.
While other states are deciding whether they want a similar law, current Chicagoans who want to obtain citizenship may find the classes at Centro Romero helpful. In the 2000 Census, there were a reported 35.3 million Hispanics. Chicago has the third largest population of Hispanics (753,644 Hispanics out of 2,896,016 total people). The other two cities with higher numbers are Los Angeles with 1,719,073 and New York City with 2,160,554.
Programs from the Centro Romero organization include adult education, women's empowerment projects, legal assistance, youth learning, leadership development and an HIV/AIDS Outreach and Education. For more information, contact 773-508-5300 or visit CentroRomero.org.
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