Chicago-based Galway-born businessman and rights campaigner, Billy Lawless is to be made a freeman of his native city, to honour his tireless work for immigration reform in the United States.
The Connacht Tribune understands that Mr Lawless, a native of Menlo, will be conferred with the Freedom of the City at a ceremony to be held early next year.
The news comes as Mr Lawless was this week lauded by US President Barack Obama, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and others, for his role in new immigration reforms, which will help the tens of thousands of undocumented Irish living in America.
Indeed, just this week, Mr Lawless introduced President Obama during a keynote speech in Chicago to discuss executive action on immigration. President Obama issued an executive order that would protect around four million parents of US citizen children or legal permanent residents from deportations.
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“Thanks to President Barack Obama’s bold, smart and compassionate executive order, millions of immigrants – not just Latinos – but the Irish, Polish, Ukrainians and Asians are safe and can stay with their families,” said Mr Lawless this week.
Galway City Councillors are due to discuss awarding Mr Lawless the accolade at a Council procedures meeting in the coming weeks. His name will then be brought before a full Council meeting for a vote of approval by all 18 elected members. It could be voted on as early as the second Monday in December.
Mr Lawless would follow in the footsteps of President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, who was the last person to be bestowed the honour of freeman.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
