Vigil Held Ahead Of HB 1804 Becoming Law

Church leaders opposed to the new immigration law were looking for help from a higher power Wednesday night. News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports dozens of people gathered in downtown Tulsa for a vigil, the day before the new law goes into effect.

Dozens of people gathered in downtown Tulsa Wednesday, praying for divine intervention. Religious leaders led the vigil calling the immigration law unfair.

People in the crowd dressed in white as a sign of peace and hope. Hope that the immigration law taking effect November 1 would not affect their families.

"It's affecting everybody. For the families, I think it's hard for people to even live that way. It's stressing people out," Tulsa resident Araceli Rivas said. "I did meet a woman here yesterday that had to start working because she's here by herself with her children."

While church leaders lit candles, Andrus Rodriguez worried about her family. Her husband of three years is here illegally. She's afraid if he gets deported it'll break up her family and scar her kids.

"I know it's going to affect them, they've already built up a relationship with him here, so to try and break up a family because of his status, even though were in the process of it, it's going to be hard for them," said Tulsan Andrus Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says the fight is not over, and she's ready to move her family if her husband gets deported.

"I'm a citizen, I'm used to my life here, my family is here, but if it comes to that point, we might have to," Rodriguez said.

Originally aired 10/31/2007 8:28 PM - Updated 11/1/2007 6:10 AM