Somos un Pueblo Unido, the immigrant-rights advocacy group, hosted one of 900 house parties that were held around the country this week to hear Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., speak about his proposed immigration reform bill.

The teleconference call was organized by the group Reform Immigration for America, which is pushing Congress to pass comprehensive reform. More than 52,000 people, including the 60 or so in Santa Fe, participated in the call in either Spanish or English.

"It's a real attempt at the national level to bring everyone together for an immigration reform in 2010," said David Kimball, field director for the California-based Center for Community Change.

Immigration supporters have been developing a system to communicate via e-mail, telephone and a text-messaging network.

This type of communication creates a stronger, unified voice that will be the key to success, unlike the previous two attempts to pass the bill, said Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., who also spoke via telephone, along with Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz.

"The reform is an economic need," Velázquez said during the Spanish call. "There cannot be an economic recovery without the immigrant workers. It's that simple."

Grijalva encouraged listeners to call their state's political leaders and ask them to vote for the bill.

Community groups like Somos encouraged people to register for cell-phone updates on the progress of the reform measure. To register by cell phone, send a text message to 698-66 with the word "Justice," or register online at reformimmigrationforamerican.org.

Iván Morales, 26, and Fernando Estrada, 33, joined the network minutes after the 30-minute teleconference ended.

"I want to support the reform," Estrada said.

Marcela Díaz, Somos' executive director, said Somos members will visit legislators at the state Capitol on Jan. 20 and ask them to take a position on the immigration reform bill.

Immigration opponents, however, say there is no need to change the existing immigration laws. All that is required is enforcement, said Dave Gorak, executive director for the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration, a nonprofit organization based in Wisconsin.

"This whole concept of immigration reform ... is promoting amnesty for illegal aliens. There is nothing wrong with our immigration laws. The system is not broken," Gorak said.

The solution is simple, he added. "Suspend all immigration, especially in this job market, when our own citizens are out of work," Gorak said during an interview from his home in Wisconsin. "Get these 8 million illegals out of the country and offer the jobs to Americans."

Contact Sandra Baltazar Martínez at 986-3062 or smartinez@sfnewmexican.com.