LSNA Presents Movie Screening of 'Immigrant Nation!: The Battle for the Dream'

CHICAGO - Over 26,000 immigrants have been deported after the SB 1070 law went into effect, and although it's only in Arizona for now, Illinoisans are concerned. Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) is reminding Illinoisans about the deportation threat in a free movie screening of "Immigrant Nation!: The Battle for the Dream" at 6 p.m., Sun., Aug. 22, at 2840 W. Logan Boulevard at Central Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church.

This documentary details the deportation fight with a Chicago mother named Elvira Arellano after the HR 4437 Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 bill. This bill passed the House of Representatives on Dec. 16, 2005 with 239 yes votes, 182 no votes and 13 present/not voting selections.

The purpose of the bill is to hire more Border Patrol representatives to control who comes into the U.S. and avoid high levels of illegal entry into the U.S. Aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground-based sensors, satellites, radar coverage and cameras would be used to monitor who crosses the border. This bill would amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and add two layers of additional protection between the U.S. and Mexican border.

According to a press release distributed by LSNA's Committee for Immigration Reform, "(Immigration Nation!: The Battle for the Dream") illustrates the opposition to the controversial HR 4437 immigration bill as well as the ongoing struggle and demand for comprehensive immigration reform."

Chicago has been active about the fight for immigration and equal rights, marching on March 10, 2006 and again on May 1, 2006. In the 2000 Census, Chicago was calculated with the third largest population of Hispanics (753,644 Hispanics out of 2,896,016 total people).

The movie screening event is open to the public. This documentary has won six awards, "Best Documentary" from the 26th Chicago Latino Film Festival in 2010, the "2010 Cine Latino Award" from the DC Independent Film Festival, the "Official Selection" from the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival in 2010, the "Official Selection" from the 17th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival in 2010, the "Official Selection" from the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival in 2010 and the "Official Selection" from the 10th Kansas International Film Festival in 2010.

LSNA was started in 1962, and their eight-strategy mission, started in 1994, is to provide "affordable housing; parks and community spaces; education and community schools, commercial corridors; industrial retention and business development; health, safety, and well-being; arts and culture; supporting community leadership and immigrants rights." In April 2005, they received a Community Organizing Award.