LIVING the American dream is becoming increasingly difficult for the estimated 50,000 Irish people who are illegal in the US.

Thousands of Donegal people have left the county over the years to make a better life, flocking to cities like, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco are now unable to make the trip home to visit family and friends.

Four young people from Falcarragh, now living in New York, are helping to lead out a campaign mounting pressure on the Bush Government to adopt a bill to legalise the Irish in America. Anna Ferry, from Gortahork, Paul Coyle, Falcarragh and Michael and Christine from Falcarragh will march on Capitol Hill, Washington this Wednesday as part of a mass rally organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR). They are hoping that their relatives and friends in Donegal will show their support at a planned ILIR rally in Jury's Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin on April 14.

Christine has been living in Yonkers, New York for the last four years. She left Falcarragh with her husband Michael in search of better opportunities and work. Fearful of the immigration authorities Christine has asked that their surnames not be published.

INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

She had worked in the Slendertone factory in Gweedore industrial estate but was left jobless when the factory closed down.

Like countless other young people from West Donegal she left with her husband Michael to set up home in Yonkers, first living with friends.

Michael has found work in the construction industry and Christine works in a bar. It is the mainstay employment niches for illegal immigrants. Christine and Michael have applied to American Green Card lottery for 12 years in a row without any success.

"This year there are only 200 Green Cards being given out. What is so frustrating is that there is no system at all for becoming legal. There is no application process and very little real opportunity of obtaining legal status if this Bill fails," said Christine.

She says they became involved in the ILIR rallies following a meeting locally.

"That first meeting was so encouraging. We felt that at last someone was trying to do something about our situation. Most people I know here are illegal. There are so many of us, from all over Ireland in need of a Green card," she said.

Christine has been busy drumming up support for the Irish lobby bill, putting up posters in Irish bars and local shopping centres and filling places on the 10 buses leaving Yonkers for the Washington rally on Wednesday.

NO LOGIC

"There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how the American immigration laws work. Our friends, a couple from Armagh and Tipperary, had recently come to New York on an 18 month working visa. They returned home for a family funeral and were refused entry into the US. She got a life ban from ever applying again and her husband was banned from entering for the next 10 years," said Christine.

"I love living in New York but the hardest thing is not being able to go home and see our family. I have nephews and nieces born over the last four years I've yet to see," said Christine.

"The Bill proposes to legalise all those who have been living in America for the last five years undocumented. Those here for three years had to leave and those here for two years were told to go home and try again in the hope they'd be allocated a visa in the future," explained Christine.

CHAIRMAN

The ILRI Chairman, Niall O'Dowds mounted the campaign to legalise the Irish living in America last year and has garnered the support of high profile politicians and US senators, including Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Charles Schumer. In Donegal, Bundoran based Councillor, Michael McMahon is leading the cause. His son, Michael Jr is living in New York at present.

With an estimated 40 million American-Irish living in the US the lobby group are hopeful of wide support however with a population of 50,000, the Irish are simply a drop in the ocean of America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

ILRI are hoping that Irish people on both sides of the Atlantic will join in the fight to legalise the Irish as their is little other way of the thousands of Donegal immigrants to be able to visit in the near future and little prospect for those eyeing the American dream in the future. For further information on the Legalise the Irish campaign log on to www.irishlobbyusa.org.