Gillibrand added that one of the concerns she has been hearing a lot from immigrant communities involves home raids, which she described as “a very inhumane treatment for many people.” The senator has called for a moratorium on home raids until immigration reform comes about and added that she’s confident President Barack Obama will put immigration on the national agenda during his first term in office.
   Immigration and healthcare are related issues, Gillibrand said, in part because the country has to decide how to deal with undocumented residents who get sick or are injured. The current legislation before Congress would not provide for health coverage for illegal aliens, but Gillibrand said it’s important to discuss providing immunizations for immigrant children, and she said 9/11 first responders should be covered.
   Several immigrants who live in or near Woodside came to hear the senator speak and expressed concerns about the proposed health care legislation. Some said they fear the quality of care would decrease, some worried that Medicare would be cut back and others said they are concerned that taxes would increase.
   Gillibrand attempted to assuage their fears, assuring them that Medicare would not be scaled back, taxes would not be raised and medical services would not become less good. She said the legislation has two purposes: to make health insurance less expensive, and to ensure that more people have access to affordable plans.
   Not everyone was convinced, though. “This is all lies,” said Kathleen Darcy, a Sunnyside resident who was at the immigration center when Gillibrand visited. Darcy said she’s worried about “illegal aliens raiding the system.”