Progress Illinois

Like millions of Americans, Jaime Rios (right) of Waukegan cast his ballot today in the hope that new leadership in Washington D.C. will ultimately bring better jobs and health care. But for the 43-year-old landscaper, one particular issue really motivated him to vote: immigration reform.

The father of six has never lived with his children. They're in Mexico with their mother. As he cast a ballot for the first time since becoming a citizen one month ago, Rios worried that, without sufficient congressional support, the mountains of paperwork necessary to bring his family to America will simply collect dust.

"I voted not just for them," he added, "but for a lot of other people too."

Rios is one of 33,000 immigrants targeted by a well-financed push -- organized by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) -- to deliver voters to the polls in key congressional race.  At a rally held last week, hundreds of those folks made it clear that they see new leadership in D.C. as their best shot at comprehensive national immigration reforms.

If the turnout is high enough, immigrant voters could turn the tide on officials like GOP Rep. Mark Kirk who's in a tight race to hang onto his 10th Congressional District seat.  This demographic is expected to lean strongly towards Democratic challenger Dan Seals, thanks toKirk's anti-immigrant record in Congress.

For instance, Rios came to the polling place with a fist full of fliers reminding him to fill in the bubbles for Democrats Dan Seals, Dick Durbin, and Barack Obama.

"I want them to know I'm voting," Rios said. "It's one more vote ... I hope they need it."