To lawmakers, cries from local U.S. immigrants may be muffled by the protests of those in cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago, where many have rallied against tougher immigration laws.

But Bowling Green voices are no less important, said Vanessa Arguello of Bowling Green, a native of Nicaragua and Hispanic ministries director at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Church Avenue.

She and others have planned a demonstration for 2 p.m. Sunday in front of the Warren County Justice Center at 1001 Center St. to raise awareness of pending legislation in Washington, D.C., that could affect illegal immigrants.

Some local religious leaders are expected to speak.

“This is not about any nationality in particular,” Arguello said. “We’re talking about human beings whose rights are going to be violated.”

In Bowling Green, those human beings are small in number when compared to those in large cities across the country where protests have erupted during the past week.

But many immigrants live here, and Arguello said the legal citizens, like herself, are paying close attention to what happens in the nation’s capital.

She said they will remember who supported their cause during the next election.

In December, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would make it illegal for anyone, including religious leaders, to provide social services to illegal immigrants.

Arguello found this news outrageous.

“They’re not terrorists,” she said. “They come to work. They do the jobs that the American people don’t want.”

The House bill would make it a crime to be in the United States illegally. It also called for enhanced border security, including a fence along one-third of the Mexican border.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., introduced legislation earlier this month that also called for some new border security measures. The bill would also make it a crime to employ an illegal immigrant.

Then came the bill that some immigrants have regarded as a minor victory.

On Monday, a panel within the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would allow immigrants to take steps toward becoming citizens. The bill is still pending in that committee, according to the information office of the legislative resource center in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a written statement released Monday, said he hopes lawmakers can come to an agreement on a bill that secures borders and creates a reasonable guest worker program that doesn’t reward illegal activity.

Arguello received a phone call Monday from Marty Deputy, executive director of the Bowling Green International Center on Kenton Street, who asked her to attend a meeting that night to plan the demonstration.

In three hours, the group divided up responsibilities such as distributing fliers and contacting police and media.

Deputy, who prefers to call Sunday’s event a “prayer walk,” said the purpose of the event is to help people figure out confusing policies regarding immigration and bills in Washington.

“A lot of this is a matter of freedom,” she said. “There was one (bill) that the House of Representatives passed that I would be a felon if I helped an undocumented person. Well, I just think that’s my right if I want to help anybody.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wis., sponsored the House bill. He said, in a December written statement, that those breaking the law should be held accountable.

“This legislation aims to prevent illegal immigration and re-establish respect for our immigration laws,” he said.

Concerns about the House bill have also pervaded Western as some administrators would be forced to become wary of who they advise, said Robin Borczon, director of Western’s International Services.

Some organizations may not be trained in checking immigration status, and statutes are not always clear, she said.

The House bill included a provision that employers would be provided with a reliable method for determining whether potential employees are eligible for work.

Borczon said new laws would also affect students whose parents are undocumented workers.

“Then there’s the part of being human,” she said. “We’re all a product of being immigrants at some point or another.”

Nashville senior Bonnie Newby has participated in planning Sunday’s demonstration but can’t attend because of a class trip.

She teaches English as a second language at the Bowling Green International Center and has encouraged her students to attend.

“There was a lot of energy at the meeting,” she said. “A few young people were there, which I was glad to see.”

Arguello said a peaceful demonstration is planned, and the group may walk to the federal building and square and return to the justice center.