Immigrants' stories are key to reform effort

I don't know how anyone could ignore these stories or not be affected by them.    - - Donna Poisl

By Heath Haussamen / New Mexico In Depth

LAS CRUCES — Standing before a crowd of more than 500 people and several television crews, Alejandra Gomez choked up as she tried to speak.

The 22-year-old immigrant, a Mexican citizen living in the United States without legal status, raised her left hand to her face and wept. A number of political and religious leaders sat behind her on stage.

The crowd was silent as Gomez took a deep breath, then spoke about the two empty chairs at family gatherings. Some in the friendly crowd at the May 1 event cried with Gomez as she described the hole the deportations of her brothers — Reymundo, 22, and Julio, 20 — leaves in her heart.
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