Immigrants push for reforms at rallies across U.S.

[Nagishkaw 510]

MIAMI (AP) — Immigrants and their families gathered at rallies across the country Friday to push for changes to U.S. immigration policy, but as a swine flu outbreak continued to spread, attendance at some events was smaller than organizers had hoped.

The area hardest hit by the swine flu is Mexico, also the native home of many rally participants. There were no immediate reports of canceled events, but Juan Pablo Chavez, a community organizer for the Florida Immigration Coalition, said he and others were monitoring the situation and in close contact with state health care officials.

"If they tell us to halt the events, we will cancel immediately. But for now, we are simply asking people who are sick not to come out," Chavez said.

Organizers sought to channel the political muscle Hispanics flexed last fall for Barack Obama into a new cause: jump-starting stalled efforts to forge a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

They had hoped crowds would equal or exceed those of last year, which was down from 2006 when a stringent immigration bill poised to pass in Congress drew massive protests. But early reports suggested turnout would be far lower than in previous years.

In Miami, more than 300 minority rights activists joined with union officials in one of the first local immigration rallies to be endorsed by the AFL-CIO.

"We are not just here for the immigrants, we are not just here for the workers," said Maria Rodriguez, head of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "We are here for all the families who deserve a better life. Immigrants will not be pitted against union workers — our fates are intertwined."

The Miami marchers gathered across from the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay, waving signs for immigration reform in Spanish, English and Creole. They also want temporary protection for the state's large community of Haitian immigrants, whose native island has been devastated in recent years by hurricanes and floods.

"Wi Nou Kapab!" they chanted in Creole, meaning "Yes We Can."

Thousands were expected at events in Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Denver, Chicago, New York and other cities — mostly in the late afternoon, when workers finished their shifts.

In Chicago, rally-goers unfurled a banner of flags stitched together from countries across the globe. Organizers said they expected about 15,000 at the event, but the crowd appeared to be much smaller.

Waukegan resident Armando Pena said he was disappointed more people didn't turn out and blamed the low numbers on a combination of the flu and tough economic times.

"The economy is so bad they don't want to lose their jobs," said Pena, who organized a contingent of about 50 people.

A line of about 225 marchers made their way down the main thoroughfare in New Jersey's largest city Friday, stopping to recite chants and gather for a vigil in front of the federal immigration building in Newark.

Dozens of Latin American ice cream vendors wheeled pushcarts decorated with bright umbrellas and signs with phrases like, "Say Reform, Not Raids."

Thousands turned out in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, despite a swine flu threat that closed area schools and forced the cancellation of weekend Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

"It's a country of equality," said Manuel Espera, a 46-year-old fabric factory worker. "We deserve the right to work."

In New York City, participants gathered in Union Square. Immigrant, labor and faith communities also gathered under a light drizzle at Madison Square Park.

One of the largest gatherings assembled outside the White House. More than 2,000 people rallied there to call for change in immigration policy.

Graylan Hagler, the senior pastor at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in northeast Washington, encouraged the crowd to embrace racial unity in the fight for immigration reform.

"We all remember a time when black people were kept in the edges and shadows of society," he said. "Any struggle for civil rights and human rights is our struggle and we can't divorce ourselves from that."

Activists' hopes have been buoyed by Obama's election and a Democratic-controlled Congress, in part because they believe the Hispanic vote, about two-thirds of which went to Obama, helped flip key battleground states such as Colorado and New Mexico. Many Hispanics strongly back comprehensive immigration reform, and they believe Obama owes them for their support.

The White House announced this week that it would refocus its resources on prosecuting employers who hire illegal immigrants. And a Senate Judiciary subcommittee took up immigration this week for the first time in the new Congress.

But many immigrants are wary. They say the immigrations raids that grew common under the Bush administration have continued since Obama took office.

In Colorado, a march was planned Saturday in Greeley, a rural town 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Denver, and the site of a 2006 federal raid at a meatpacking plant, in which 261 undocumented workers were detained.

Greeley is also the place where dozens of illegal immigrants were charged with identity theft last year for filing taxes using false or stolen social security numbers. County judges have since ruled tax records are confidential and authorities were wrong to seize them, but the decisions will be appealed.

"Greeley is the microcosm," said Alonzo Barron Ortiz, an organizer with the group Al Frente de la Lucha, which chose Saturday so workers wouldn't have to miss work.

On the West Coast, hundreds of people gathered under cold rain in San Francisco's Dolores Park.

"Many of our small businesses are started by immigrant entrepreneurs, and we need to do what we can to jump-start that entrepreneurship in these tough economic times," said David Chiu, a San Francisco supervisor who attended the rally.

Students at the rally called for passage of the DREAM Act, which was reintroduced in the Senate in March. It would make undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. under the age of 15 eligible for in-state tuition.

"Our future is here," said Shayna Yang, 17, who moved to the U.S. from Indonesia five years ago to join her father. She wants to become an immigration lawyer. Without the DREAM Act, her hopes for college might be dashed.

"Allow us to show what we can do if we are citizens of the United States," she said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-0...-protests_N.htm

Edited May 2, 2009 by Nagishkaw

[scandal 951]

MIAMI (AP) — Immigrants and their families gathered at rallies across the country Friday to push for changes to U.S. immigration policy, but as a swine flu outbreak continued to spread, attendance at some events was smaller than organizers had hoped.

...

In Chicago, rally-goers unfurled a banner of flags stitched together from countries across the globe. Organizers said they expected about 15,000 at the event, but the crowd appeared to be much smaller.

Duuuhh! It's pretty obvious, right? Swine flu is obviously a conspiracy of anti-immigration goons unleashed in Mexcio and designed to spread globally only days before this important rally intentionally to disrupt it.

I can confirm that this was a non-event in Chicago. I work downtown in the Loop (Wacker/Madison, 1 block over from Sears Tower). When I left the office at 5:30pm the streets were entirely normal.

[tallcoolone 102]

This seems to be more Illegals Immigrants wanting someone to believe what they are doing is ok

I wish ICE would of showed up, and took them all and dump them across the border and let the DHS figure out who and who can't cross back over the border.

[Nagishkaw 510]

This seems to be more Illegals Immigrants wanting someone to believe what they are doing is ok

[Niels Bohr 72]

Notice that anything the pertains to immigration rallys are mostly illegal Mexicans.

[NickD 203]

What can congress do? We already have our laws, just want to make even more laws? Seems like if a bunch of illegals rally, would be excellent targets for ICE, but no one like that is around.

[fozzie 41]

What can congress do? We already have our laws, just want to make even more laws? Seems like if a bunch of illegals rally, would be excellent targets for ICE, but no one like that is around.

Unfortunately most of the people at the rallies are not illegal. They may have family or friends that are or they are just coming out to support their community.

Any rallies that do start up are easy to disperse, just send someone along to start coughing wildly!

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Notice that anything the pertains to immigration rallys are mostly illegal Mexicans.

exactly

[peejay 327]

Notice that anything the pertains to immigration rallys are mostly illegal Mexicans.

How can someone help but notice the obvious?

How can someone also ignore the fact that the liberal media tries oh so hard to refer to illegal aliens as "immigrants" when they are really criminals that break a whole laundry list of US laws in addition to unauthorized entry and illegal presence. These are not immigration rallies, but are really a criminals' convention.

As far your comment about the Mexicans...when nearly 60% of the illegal aliens are from Mexico what do you expect?

We don't need yet another immigration reform...we need to start enforcing the laws passed during the last 2 immigration reforms. That really would be real reform.

Edited May 3, 2009 by peejay

[Nagishkaw 510]

but are really a criminals' convention.

My thoughts exactly.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Nagishkaw

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

ILLEGAL was dropped from the story headline. I'm shocked!

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

ILLEGAL was dropped from the story headline. I'm shocked!

i noticed that too, and thought it rather cheap for them to try to dupe people into thinking it's about legal immigration.

[Scott & Lai 12]

ILLEGAL was dropped from the story headline. I'm shocked!

i noticed that too, and thought it rather cheap for them to try to dupe people into thinking it's about legal immigration.

S.O.P.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Notice that anything the pertains to immigration rallys are mostly illegal Mexicans.

exactly

Pedroh is going to be mad at you.

[john & jean 37]

What can congress do? We already have our laws, just want to make even more laws? Seems like if a bunch of illegals rally, would be excellent targets for ICE, but no one like that is around.

ROUND EM UP AND MAKE EM MARCH..... ACROSS THE BORDER