rfmcdonald | [LINK] "For Irish Illegally In U.S., A Life Locked In Place, Hoping For Change" (Reply)

NPR's John Burnett notes the plight of illegal Irish migrants in the United States, unable to regularize their status and hoping for change.

Among presidential candidates, a crucial point of contention centers on what to do with the estimated 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. About three-quarters of these immigrants are from Latin America — but there are plenty of others who come from around the globe, including Europe.

Gerry is one of them. A 40-year-old Irish bricklayer who lives in a Chicago suburb, he sneaked into the country 21 years ago, crossing at the Canadian border with a fake driver's license. For that reason, he doesn't want his last name used for this story.

Now he's married, with a 5-year-old son and a small masonry business with six employees. One is a Mexican man who is also in Chicago illegally.

Gerry says he feels a kinship with the undocumented Mexican worker on his crew.

"He's got family, and he's worried about his family," Gerry says. "He's traveling from into the city to the job. He's probably worse off than me, because he probably doesn't have a license."