Up to the last minute CIS' Irwine Clare was still awaiting a response to a formal request sent weeks ago to Guyana's Consul General to New York, Bretnold Evans and a subsequent follow-up sent to the President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo; and the country's Home Affairs Minister, Gail Texeira. Clare, who flew to Guyana on Wednesday night in hopes that the approval would have been secured at the last minute, voiced disappointment but said he's optimistic that the team will be able to present the forums in the future, given the numerous queries and requests he has received from nationals there for such seminars.
Through informed presentations on immigration and the need for economic social and political on empowerment, Irwine and his partner, Attorney-at-law Winston Tucker, have established themselves as major community advocates on immigration reform and issues germane to the Caribbean community. In fact since 1995 Irwine and his organization have assisted in excess of 150,000 Caribbean nationals in becoming citizens of the United States. They single handedly led the lobbying effort for an amnesty for undocumented immigrants, collecting thousands of petitions at local events and even taking their call to the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.
"[Bush]'s proposal soared like a rocket and ended like a squid," [Colin Moore] said. "It's not an immigration reform but a temporary status to immigrants coming in, but what about those living here already?" he asked. Moore wanted to know what would happen to immigrants in the fifth year after applying for permanent residency, when in fact it takes 10 years for legal permanent status to be effected. "It's not an amnesty, but most thought it was," [Joan Foy] said. "However, it's better than nothing and it opens the issue for discussion where there was none. There has been no discussion on immigration since 1996 with the Antiterrorism and Death Penalty Act when many were caught by surprise and residents who were affected faced deportation.
