This week, the U.S Senate passed a bill to reform immigration in the U.S.

The bill gives illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship and removes some roadblocks from the visa process. 

Iowa immigrants say they’ve waited long enough for sweeping reform.

Today, they marched to raise awareness of this important issue. 

 “My parents came here in pursuit of the American dream,” says immigrant Hector Salamanca.

Salamanca says living in America as an immigrant is hard. Things that citizens take for granted such as, a driver’s license or a social security card, illegal immigrants can’t have access to because of current laws. To Salamanca the push for change means everything.

“We really want this immigration law to pass because it would give us opportunities that we can hand off to our children or our siblings.”

They marched through the streets on Des Moines East Side, Saturday afternoon, getting the word out about what the immigration reform bill.

“We really wanted to focus that were here, we proud to be here, we want to be American citizens. We want to give back to this great nation of ours that has given so much to us,” says Salamanca.

Latino business owner, Juan Rodriguez says many of customers have been arrested or deported because they didn’t have their papers.

“We are hard workers, good people, very involved in the community and the only problem is the documents,” says Rodriguez.

The immigrant community says they can’t put up with this any longer. The bill passed comfortably in the senate and now waits on the U.S House.