Mayor joins call for immigration reforms

Seattle

Mayor Greg Nickels joined Seattle area labor, faith and immigrant advocacy groups Monday to help launch a national campaign calling for reform of the nation's immigration laws.

Nickels noted that Seattle is home to 100,000 foreign-born residents, "here for the same reasons all our parents and grandparents came."

Seattle's status as a sanctuary city means city officials do not ask the immigration status of those seeking service and accepts different kinds of identification, such as the Matricula Consular card, issued by the Mexican government to its citizens living abroad.

But Nickels pointed out that immigration is a federal — not a local — issue. And he urged the Obama administration and members of Congress, including the state delegation, to bring fair and comprehensive changes to the nation's immigration system.

The Reform Immigration for America campaign was launched in several cities nationwide Monday and sponsored locally by OneAmerica, an immigrant advocacy group.

A campaign summit is planned for this week in Washington, D.C.