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Immigrant families, Dream Act students and community leaders showed their support for the recent steps taken towards immigration reform at a press conference Thursday morning.

A bipartisan group of senators filed an 844 page bill Wednesday, which would establish a 13-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, in exchange for paying fines.

David Huerta, the secretary treasurer of SEIU, a labor union, said he was tired of the toll immigration had placed on families.

“More than 11 million immigrants live and work in the United States without basic and legal protections,” said Huerta. “Our broken immigration system tears families apart, crushes the dreams of young people, and creates an underground economy that hurts all workers.”

One of those young people is Justin Amora, a Dream Act student.  He says his mother has dedicated her life to working so he can get an education. Now he feels optimistic his mother might have a path to citizenship.

“She sacrificed so much,” Amora said. “She worked more than three jobs, sometimes working more than 60 hours per week to give us a better life, to provide us with food, andn to ensure that we graduated from college.”

This bill was unveiled

A coalition of LA immigration groups is preparing for a May Day rally while the Senate debates immigration reform.[/caption]

two weeks before May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day, which celebrates workers and their rights.

“We are here, asking the public to join the movement for immigration rights, asking immigrants to step it up this year because we need to pass immigration reform and to join us on May 1,” said Angelica Salas, the executive director for the Coalition for Humane Human Rights.

This year’s May Day rally will take place in downtown Los Angeles.