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Feinstein had, in the past, signed a private bill that allowed a Los Angeles family to gain permanent residency after proving "hardship," according to the Cuevas family's lawyer, Carl Shusterman.

"Hardship" is only one of three qualifications that must be met for a suspension of deportation. The other two are proving seven years of continuous physical presence and good moral character, Shusterman said.

Cuevas said the last couple of months, since finding out his illegal-citizen status, have been rough, but he said overall it has made him a stronger person.

His sister Dominique, 19, a nursing major at SJSU who also attended the rally, was happy to see all the people who came out to support her family.

"I'm still trying to just do what I have been doing," Dominique Cuevas said. "But now I will support these groups that are here, because look what they're doing."

If allowed to stay, whether through a private bill by Feinstein or another outlet not yet discovered, Dale Cuevas said he sees his life turning toward actively helping other families in similar situations.

"It has become a complete lifestyle change, and it shows what can happen when people come together," he said.

With the help of family, friends and community members, a "support the Cuevas family committee" has been meeting every Saturday.

The committee has triggered more families to come out and share similar stories and brainstorm ideas for finding a means of staying in the country, Cuevas said.

Robyn Rodriguez, a member of the Critical Filipino and Filipina Studies Collective organization, said she has been actively helping Filipino community members post-Sept. 11.

Rodriguez said she has been helping the Cuevas family organize meetings, such as one with the Immigration Rights Commission last month, sent out e-mails to gather support and helped in Thursday's rally.

"We respect the senator's rights to investigate the case, but we feel it is important to let her know how much support the Cuevas have," Rodriguez said.

She said she really wants the family's case to register and explicitly display her and the community's concerns that the Cuevas family is living in limbo.

"As a community, we are exercising our rights on their behalf. We want the senator to know they can't wait and live in these circumstances," Rodriguez said.

In similar instances, Rodriguez said, families have been placed in detention centers as their case was processed.

"Being part of America shouldn't be whether you have a document," she said. "The fact is the Cuevas family has a home here, has contributed to society, studied, worked and done nothing but give ... these are acts of citizenship that should be recognized."

Kawal Ulanday, a community organizer from the National Alliance of Filipino Concerns, began Thursday's rally with some supportive chants with his megaphone in hand, "The people, united, will never be divided."

Ulanday encouraged supporters to respect the courage the Cuevas family has to fight deportation and added this was their home, not the Philippines, where they do not even speak the native language.

He also had to break the news to the waiting crowd that they could not go into the building where Feinstein's office is located.

The Cuevases and their supporters had planned on making it up to the actual office, but security guards politely stopped them and sent for a representative of Feinstein's.

Jim Molinari, state director for the senator, came down briefly to say the case is still pending and they feel sympathetic but advised the family should seek other avenues and other elected officials.

Rodriguez spoke to the supporters, encouraging them that this was a step forward.

"They know us here, and that is a victory," she said.