Immigration marchers take to U.S. streets

[gwladgarwr]

Immigration marchers take to U.S. streets
POSTED: 1:36 p.m. EDT, May 1, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/01/imm....ap/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Demonstrators demanding a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants took to U.S. streets Tuesday while others lobbied Congress for action.

In southwest Detroit, which has a large Hispanic population, hundreds of people wore red and white, and carried American flags to a rally.

"Most of the undocumented people come here as a necessity of survival," said Rosendo Delgado, of Latinos United, one of the groups organizing the march. "For them, it's the only choice."

Hours before the march was set to begin in Chicago, dozens of demonstrators began arriving carrying flags, signs and placards, including one that read "We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all."

Marches and rallies were planned Tuesday in dozens of cities, but organizers conceded that a replay of last year's huge turnout -- an estimated 1 million nationwide -- was unlikely. (U.S.-born kids want immigrant parents to stay )

Still, organizers said the demonstrations reflect a robust movement for citizenship rights for illegal immigrants.

"There was a sort of energy last year," said Gordon Mayer, a vice president of the Community Media Workshop, which helped groups organize the Chicago march. "This year that boulder has split up into a lot of smaller rocks."

In Miami, Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean planned to speak to immigrant groups. In Washington, D.C., about 400 members of Asian groups from across the country were set to lobby lawmakers. Two large demonstrations were planned in Los Angeles County -- home to an estimated 1 million illegal immigrants.

While last year's May 1 boycott brought out more than a million protesters, later rallies failed to produce large turnouts, as legislation stalled in Congress and bipartisan proposals for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship have become more conservative. (Watch how prospective citizens face a new test )

The developments have disheartened many would-be marchers, but organizers said the frustration with Congress also brought out new supporters.

"It used to be that Hispanic immigrants, those who came legally, were more conservative on the issue," said Joe Garcia, a Cuban-American who heads the Democratic Party's Miami-Dade County chapter.

"But now it's become so wrapped up with issues of racism and identity, even Puerto Ricans and Cubans care about immigration," he said.

Yet stepped-up raids in recent months have left many immigrants afraid to speak out in public -- a major change over rallies in 2006 when some illegal immigrants wore T-shirts saying "I'm illegal. So what?"

"The raids are intended to terrorize people and make President Bush look tough," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "But they are not a solution." (Watch one man's plea for a chance )

Melissa Woo, a 22-year-old American citizen who immigrated from South Korea, carried a Korean flag over her shoulder in Chicago on Tuesday as she criticized politicians for "buckling at the knees."

"Us immigrants aren't pieces of trash, we're human beings," she said. "To be treated as less than human is a travesty."

Thomas Rodriguez, of Aurora, stood in Union Park wearing a shirt that said: "We are hard workers. We're not criminals."

The 38-year-old has had no legal status since he came to the United States from Mexico in 1989 and is an employee at a Japanese restaurant in Chicago.

"Recent raids have worried me," he said. "We worry deportations are leaving too many young people without parents."

Some Los Angeles area groups called for an economic boycott and hoped for a repeat of last year, when thousands of immigrants and students stayed away from work and school in a sign of solidarity.

Others have rejected the boycott, arguing that it puts immigrants' livelihoods at risk and deprives children of valuable classroom time. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Cardinal Roger Mahony, head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, urged students to stay in school.

In Los Angeles, marches were set to include demands for a legalization program, a stop to the raids and an anti-Iraq war message. City and transportation officials were planning for as many as 500,000 people in downtown, believing it could be the largest in the city so far this year.

"This is a very decentralized and organic movement, so in all different cities people will be doing what they feel is important in their area," said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, a major organizer of rallies.

In New York, groups planned an "American Family Tree" rally, where immigrants would pin paper leaves on a large painting of a tree to symbolize the separation of families because of strict immigration laws.

The event is a response to a White House immigration reform proposal in March, said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

That plan would grant illegal immigrants three-year work visas for $3,500 but also require them to return home to apply for U.S. residency and pay a $10,000 fine. It has been roundly criticized by immigrant groups.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tell me WHY is it that every single one of those interviewed in this story seem to have some sense of entitlement to just BE here? And once they are here - ILLEGALLY AND UNINVITED - they seem to feel entitled to full rights and privileges of American citizens? WHERE do they get this notion from?

If they fear that their families will be torn apart, did they NOT think about that before they started dropping anchor babies before they crawled under the fence on the border?

WHERE do they get the unmitigated gall to proudly proclaim they are fully ILLEGAL AND UNINVITED then turn around and DEMAND a green card or full citizenship?

"Together we can have it all." Oh, is THAT right? I'm very sorry to inform the great unwashed masses, but you can have it all when WE - AMERICA - deem you WORTHY of having it all. Being that the majority are ILLEGALLY here, they are NOT worthy. Thus, you may NOT have it all.

My own mother is an immigrant and not a citizen; however, she came to this country LEGALLY. She did not have to stow away in an Exxon bilge hold to get here, nor would it have crossed her mind to do so. If she and MILLIONS of other folks can APPLY to come here to stay LEGALLY, WHY do these illegals insist on taking that PRIVILEGE without having EARNED it?

Simple, I guess: porque se puede. We shall see about that, won't we?

Sgt gw

PS to the demonstrating illegals: try waving an AMERICAN flag for once if you want to be here so bad.

[sgtofrifleman]

Open the gates and send them packing.

[SSgt Blue]

I need to Requal, Targets in the open.

[rktect3j]

I am starting to think we should legalize them. And then TAX the EVER loving crap out of them. Lets not forget union dues that a lot of them in their fields will have to pay. That ought to send about half of them back across the border.

Just a thought.

[drumcorpssnare]

My position has not, and will not change. Any immigrant who comes here legally, is law abiding, and who works hard...is welcome here. Period.
If you are here illegally...GO HOME! If you had kids born here, they are citizens, and you still, are NOT. GO HOME!

"IF YOU CAME HERE ILLEGALLY YOU ARE ONLY ENTITLED TO ONE THING.....YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
GO HOME !!!

drumcorpssnare

[SSgt Blue]

You know this is what I dont get, my family left Europe
because almost all were killed, thay came, learned the American way of life and were very proud of the fact that thay were American citizens, but thay never forgot were they came from and how bad it was. Now it is mexico first or what ever country thay came from and then the US. What the Hell happend. I just dont get it .

[rktect3j]

You know this is what I dont get, my family left Europe
because almost all were killed, thay came, learned the American way of life and were very proud of the fact that thay were American citizens, but thay never forgot were they came from and how bad it was. Now it is mexico first or what ever country thay came from and then the US. What the Hell happend. I just dont get it .

I have the same story in my families past. I think that we screwed it up though. We keep giving in to the illegals and now they can alomst vote in our elections. How much longer?

[drumcorpssnare]

This topic makes my blood boil! The illegals like to pick a day to gather and protest. Maybe WE should pick a day, and just have an "open season" on these leeches! Hell, next Nov. 10th...let's just shoot about 300,000 of 'em!
My guess is they'd get the message.

"WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE !!!"
drumcorpssnare

[JinxJr]

Isn't "illegal immigrant" a contradiction in terms? If you're an immigrant then you have to be here legally! If you're not here legally, you aren't an immigrant...you're an alien. An "alien" has no legal rights to any government provided service(s). For any government agency using tax payers dollars to support or provide for an illegal alien (except for limited, vital humanitarian aid) is misappropriation.

[SSgt Blue]

Roger that SSGT, Roger that....

[fmoyer]

When they are all marching would be a great time to have buses, trucks and what ever to pick them up and send them south, way south.

[drumcorpssnare]

...Yeah, to like ANTARCTICA !!!

drumcorpssnare

[SSgt Blue]

Lmfao

[jegries]

Only in the US can you publicly announce you've committed a crime and walk away cause everything is so PR that our laws can't even protect us. I say let them march and when they mass surround them and check thier legal status. If they are illegal bus them home after processing. If you crossed the border illegally using false documents you are a criminal. If they have paperwork in process let them stay. Abide by the law and be honest is all we ask from every immigrant. Lie and you have something to hide. I feel we should have an amnesty period of 2 weeks to fill out the paperwork then deportation should be immediate. While processing take thier picture and prints and warn them that the consequences of re-entering illegally would be a nice desert prison compound on the border with tents and they must support themselves by farming thier own land. Simply play by the rules and stop complaining that they aren't fair cause they apply to everyone despite race, religion, or creed.

[FutureMarine916]

Seriously, what is the problem here? Why can these illegal aliens even get here, let alone protest there right to stay? If they herd themselves up in a ‘protest’ then why doesn’t the law jump on the occasion? I mean, if a bunch of crack heads rallied together, started getting high and ‘protesting’ there right to do something illegal then I am more than sure they would be arrested on the spot. I really don’t get it at all. Breaking the law is breaking the law.