Adriana Pelaez never considered herself much of an activist. But when she learned of a congressional proposal that would make felons out of people like herself, she took to the streets with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and their supporters, demanding an opportunity to live without fear.
Pelaez, 31, who fled Mexico three years ago and works as a nanny in Baltimore, has even lobbied her representatives on Capitol Hill, who she knows hold the answer to whether she can stay or must go.
Whoever is elected to the U.S. Congress in November will be forced to confront the intractable issue of illegal immigration and the fate of nearly 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, including an estimated quarter of a million in Maryland.
Indeed, a flood of illegal immigration has become a major political hot potato nationally, with cross-currents of advocacy from business owners who depend on illegal workers, people concerned about border security and immigrant advocates.
The front-runners seeking to represent Maryland in Congress have avoided suggesting specific immigration reform solutions, relying instead on generalities. While many offer rhetoric that embraces a comprehensive solution, some others argue that enforcement of existing laws and tightening the Mexican border should be the utmost priority.
Meanwhile, Congress is at an impasse. Enforcement-only measures passed last spring by the House of Representatives sparked immigrants and their advocates to wage huge demonstrations in cities across the country. Some of those get-tough provisions resurfaced last week when the House passed three Republican-backed bills, including one that would force voters to show proof of citizenship at the polls.
This summer, the Senate took a different tack, passing a comprehensive measure that included a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and a temporary worker program.
Political observers say it's unlikely the disparate sides will come to any agreement on immigration this year.
While advocates on the two sides of the debate are at odds over illegal immigration, they agree that Maryland politicians cannot afford to evade the issue for much longer. Though the state has largely escaped the ugly political clashes that have troubled border states, Maryland's undocumented population will only continue to swell and the dilemma over how to cope will grow more complex.
