Huge Crowds March for Immigration Rights

[Shaffer]

Hundreds of thousands of people demanding U.S. citizenship for illegal immigrants took to the streets in dozens of cities from New York to San Diego on Monday in some of the most widespread demonstrations since the mass protests began around the country last month.

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Rallies took place in communities of all sizes, from a gathering of at least 50,000 people in Atlanta to one involving 3,000 people in the farming town of Garden City, Kan., which has fewer than 30,000 residents.

Demonstrators in New York City held signs with slogans such as "We Are America," "Immigrant Values are Family Values," and "Legalize Don't Criminalize." One sign said: "Bush Step Down."

"We love this country. This country gives to us everything," said Florentino Cruz, 32, an illegal worker from Mexico who has been in the United States since 1992. "This country was made by immigrants."

The protesters have been urging lawmakers to help an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants settle legally in the United States. A bill passed by the House would crack down on illegal immigrants and strengthen the nation's border with Mexico. A broader overhaul of immigration law stalled in the Senate last week.

Monday's demonstrations followed a weekend of rallies in 10 states that drew up to 500,000 people in Dallas and tens of thousands elsewhere. Dozens of other rallies, many organized by Spanish-language radio DJ's, have been held nationwide over the past two weeks, including one with more than 500,000 people in Los Angeles.

In the nation's capital, thousands of immigrants, their families and supporters marched Monday from Hispanic neighborhoods past the White House, then converged on the National Mall.

In North Carolina and Dallas, immigrant groups called for an economic boycott to show their financial impact. In Pittsburgh and other cities, protesters gathered outside lawmakers' offices. At the Mississippi Capitol, they sang "We Shall Overcome" in Spanish.

In Atlanta, many in white T-shirts, waving American flags, joined a two-mile march from a largely immigrant neighborhood.

The Rev. James Orange from the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda compared the march to civil rights demonstrations led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and farm-labor organizer Cesar Chavez.

"People of the world, we have come to say this is our moment," Orange said.

In New Jersey — with the Statute of Liberty in the background — several hundred people listened to speeches in Spanish and waved U.S., Colombian and Mexican flags.

Thick crowds gathered in New York's Washington Square Park before marching to City Hall. Many waved flags, both American and of countries of their origin. Korean-Americans beat drums nearby. Another group marched from Chinatown, and a third demonstration took place in Brooklyn.

Police declined to estimate the size of the crowds, but organizers said 125,000 people were present at City Hall.

One of the Korean drummers, Grace Nam, 35, who is an American citizen, said: "We just need to make our voices heard. You want to live in a place where people are treated with dignity."

Peter Lanteri, director of New York's chapter of the Minutemen, a volunteer border watch group, said he thought it was "ridiculous" that illegal immigrants were protesting for their rights.

"Illegal is illegal, and they break our laws to come here," Lanteri said by telephone. "We want the illegal immigration stopped and the borders secured."

Supporters in San Diego held a ceremony to honor immigrants who died while illegally crossing the border.

In Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony led thousands of protesters in prayer outside a downtown church, calling on Congress to hear their pleas, before the crowd began an evening march. Police estimated the crowd at 7,000.

Thousands of other protesters also gathered in Fresno, San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento.

In Phoenix, police and organizers estimated that about 100,000 people marched from the state fairgrounds to the Capitol for a rally. Exit ramps were closed and traffic on freeways through downtown was backed up for miles. At one point, the crowd stretched more than two miles.

In Houston, event organizers estimated that 50,000 people gathered at a park in a largely Hispanic area of town as they rallied to march toward the spot where the city's founders first arrived.

More than 2,500 protesters gathered in a Homestead, Fla., park, where organizers displayed baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables as a reminder that much of the country's harvest is picked by illegal immigrants.

Maria Santiago, 53, an outreach coordinator for nonprofit health clinic in Harrisburg, Pa., said she sees many illegal immigrants seeking access to health care.

"These are people that are willing to take any job, clean bathrooms, scrub floors for a measly penny so that they have an opportunity to live in this country ... and yet we want to send them back because they want a better life?" Santiago said.

[John Mayotte]

If immigration were to be legalized, there would be a greater exodus of foreigners moving into this country, over-inflating the population, and causing jobs to become more scarce for individuals who were born and raised here.


John.

[junker316]

I wonder where the buses were from the Immigration Control Centers when all this was happening. They always say that illegals are hard to find yet when something like this happens Immigration Control Center personnel can't be found.

[Lorix]

My sister is still in high school of a large Mexican populated area, she told me that there have been large walk-outs of students in protest, they want immigration to be legalized. Mind you, this is in Phoenix (my hometown), thousands of students are leaving school at lunch time to walk the streets to get their message across. The police have shown up a few times, but there were so many students jumping the fences, the police gave up in trying to keep them in school and actually turned to help them by blocking streets so they could march peacefully without getting hurt.

[Marine84]

Amen to that Junker - I live about 2 miles down the road from the one in Atlanta and, as I was watching the news last night, they were asking some of them if they were legal and they had no problem telling the guy that no they're not - WTF? Immigration could have busted a whole bunch of folks yesterday in that parking lot but, where were they?

[junker316]

Once you really think about it Immigration has been a problem because no one has been able to locate, confine, deport, and keep out illegal immigrants. Now on a daily basis they are out in the open marching around in the thousands and no-one is doing anything. Immigration Control Centers should have no problem to identify these illegals and the Government should have no problem in flooding them back across to their homelands. But what is really happening is that the immigration Control Centers have hidden away and the Government is afraid to come out and crack down on them for being here illegally. Look at Phoenix, L.A., N.Y. and other largely populated areas that have large illegals. There should be buses at every corner rounding them up and ushering them to the borders or other centers to deportation. Illegal is Illegal. It doesn't make a difference if it's shoplifting or burglary or immigration. It is all illegal and should not be rewarded for the effort. It should not be acted upon as if there is nothing wrong. It should be held as an illegal act and be handled appropriately. Not brushed under the rug. Imagine how more job opprotunities there would be for Americans if these illegals were sent back. The unemployment rate would steadily decline until it wasn't worth mentioning. I think also the crime rates would decline and thus leaving this land more peaceful for those here legally. America would return to the American Way of Life and not the way it is going now. There was once an American Dream shared by all that lived here legally...it's turning into a night-mare.

[Lorix]

Sorry, I have to play the devil's advocate here... we are all immigrants. Only Native Americans have the true right to claim this land. Back in the days we engaged in a war with Mexico and took quite a portion of their land... blah blah blah. Point being this was once there's (yes I know it is now U.S.), but who are we to judge who should be allowed here, in the end, it is all God's land, we think we own it and decides who should be here, but we own nothing, land is not ours, God made it, who are we to judge.

Sorry if that made no sense at all, I made some large jump so I could evade this turning into a book.

[ivalis]

What a stupid freaking question. Immigration is legal. Has been and will continue to be.

[greensideout]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivalis What a stupid freaking question. Immigration is legal. Has been and will continue to be.

Ivalis, if you can't master that question try this one---

"Should illegal immigration be made illegal?"

[sgt tony]

I am a Anmerican Indian and it is my opoion that if you wish to my COUNTRY that you sould do it the Legal way. If all of the illegal are alowed to break the laws of American then may be should look at openning the prisions and tell them that it ok that they broke the law and they can vote. Come on if you break the law are you going to be told it ok it was just the laws of AMERICA.

Land of the Free Because of the Brave

[mrbsox]

I got to agree with iv on this one;
IMMIGRATION IS LEGAL, to those that fulfill the process. That's how my folk got here.

The problem (in my opinion) is the ILLEGALs. I don't see why the powers that be can't draw the line.

My solution would be....
Your here... DO THE PAPERWORK !!
Your here... BECOME LEGAL !!

That doesn't mean seek citizenship. I feel you have the right to be as proud of your heritage, as I am of mine.
But if I go to YOUR country, I ADAPT to it. I don't expect it to adapt to me. I carry the translation dictionary, and don't drink the water.

But you obey the laws of the land, no 3 strikes... period.
You adapt to the country. You know.... the one you risked your life to get to. Hmmmmm... wonder why you did that ??

And if you can't/wont do it legal like....

THEN GET THE Fk OUT !!

But... that's MY opinion !!

[GunnyL]

I think you hosed the question on this one Shaffer!
The bottom line is that there are legal paths to immigrate to this country, I have friends who have either immigrated here legally or are in the process of immigrating here legally. So should we grant amnesty to those who broke our laws and snuck across our borders illegally? Not NO but HELL NO. If they want to move here, they need to go back to their perspective countries and apply for permanent residency first.
The United States Congress needs to get their heads out of their Arses and secure our borders both to the South and the North.
Then the US needs to evaluate our requirement for foreign workers and create enough temporary visas to accommodate them.
Lorix, are you really that stupid? Please say it isn't so!

GunnyL

[greensideout]

sgt tony, I agree with what you are saying. When I ask the question, "Should illegal immigration be made illegal?" it was both humor and a statment. The goverment is currently looking to make illegal immigration a legal practice. I disagree with any idea to do that!

[junker316]

GunnyL, GSO, and Sgt Tony all have made good points. Lorix though may be wide and to the left. Agreed that most of those in America are immigrants. Agreed that Native Indians were here first and that America went to war with Mexico and claims land that used to be theirs. But I feel that if Illegal immigration is made legal then it shows other nations that we will allow anything. We may as well allow terrorists and other harmful people into our land and when they destory it...oh well, it was only the America Laws they broke. Or better yet as was posted earlier, we may as well let the prisons open and allow all those inside to come out and run amuck. They only broke a few American Laws that don't really matter anyway. All the murders, rapists, assaulters, drug dealers, child molesters, etc. That is the end defect of allowing this illegal immigration bill to pass.

We all know that people are in prison because they broke the Law. We don't want people who molested childern, raped, murdered, or terrorists running among average citizens. They are enough of them out there all ready but the ones already caught are in prison. Does any-one know the percenetage of those that commited felony crimes are illegal immigrants?

I also feel that there are enough good people in the world that are here illegally and should have the right to fill out the necessary paperwork and stay in this land. All they want is a place to raise a family and a chance at a life of peace. But they shouldn't get front of the line privilleges just because of that. They also broke the Law and should have to go back and do it correctly.

I have friends that are here from different lands and have correctly filled out the paperwork and waited the days and months, and sometimes years, for it to process. When they arrived here it wasn't all that they thought it would be. Because of all those already here illegally that have already created a bad name for that nationality. These good people had to suffer because of those whop decided that they weren't going to wait the time and fillout what was necessary. Instead they flooded the borders and took every job they could find at cheap labor rates and labeled those who did it correctly with a bad name before they got here. These decent people pay taxes, go to school, speak english, and are proud of who they are and where they came from. But because of the ones who jumped the border they are faced dialy with being ridiculed and denied the American Dream because of the stereo typing placed on them. They are just as fed up as most Americans are, and they do claim to be American if not by birth then by right of passage, with all the border jumpers.

[behindthecamera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorix Sorry, I have to play the devil's advocate here... we are all immigrants. Only Native Americans have the true right to claim this land. Back in the days we engaged in a war with Mexico and took quite a portion of their land... blah blah blah. Point being this was once there's (yes I know it is now U.S.), but who are we to judge who should be allowed here, in the end, it is all God's land, we think we own it and decides who should be here, but we own nothing, land is not ours, God made it, who are we to judge. Sorry if that made no sense at all, I made some large jump so I could evade this turning into a book.

It's not that we have the right to control who should and shouldn't be here, but there is an immigration process for a REASON. The people of this country should be informed and educated on their contry...that's why we take history in school. Those who wish to be a part of this county and were not lucky enough to be born here have to go through the process of learning about the country and how it works. If they don't have this knowledge, they won't be able to be an active citizen. It's for everybody's bebefit that we have the immigration process and it would work wonderfull if the people who are supposed to enforce it would do their jobs!