Families of undocumented Irish workers in the US will gather in Dublin today as part of a campaign to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the US and work legally.
The rally, organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, will be addressed by a number of senior political figures including the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.
Mr Ahern, who yesterday announced that the Government is providing an additional $50,000 (€37,000) to the US-based reform group, said the State could not turn its back on undocumented Irish living in a "twilight world" in the US.
Mr Ahern said that following the meeting with President Bush and key leaders in Congress last month, he believed the prospects for the passage of a Bill that would assist the undocumented were better now than at any stage in over 15 years.
"Many of these people [undocumented Irish] have set up home and have deep roots in the US, raising children and contributing to their community. I have heard their sad stories at first hand on my many visits to the US," he said.
"On Saturday, we will hear tales of loneliness and separation from their siblings, parents and loved ones. We must do all we can to reunite these families."
Niall O'Dowd, chairman of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, said the demise of the Irish-born community in the US would have a "hugely detrimental impact" on relations between our two countries.
"Much of the Celtic Tiger economy was driven by the links established between Irish Americans in business and Ireland. The future of those links is in severe jeopardy if there is no longer an Irish community in the US to nurture them," Mr O'Dowd said.
"Those links took generations to nourish but will be wiped out unless there is a continuing flow of immigrants from Ireland to the US to continue to build the bonds of friendship."
He pointed to the Irish-American role in being the first to reach out to then candidate Bill Clinton in 1990 as an example of how important the Irish community can be.
"Without that outreach and early support from Irish Americans, it is highly doubtful that President Clinton would have become so involved in Irish issues. Other countries would give billions of dollars to enjoy the kind of access that Ireland takes for granted in the US," he said.
He pointed out that last year just 2,000 out of 1.2 million green cards went to Irish citizens.
"Within a generation the Irish community in the US will be finished if immigration reform is not successful," Mr O'Dowd said.