Immigration Rallies Across the U.S.

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu May 01, 2008 at 05:57:16 PM EST
Tags: immigrants rights (all tags)

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For the third year in a row, immigrant rights rallies were held across the United States today.

From Washington to Miami to Los Angeles, immigrant rights activists demanded citizenship opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. and an end to raids and deportations.

"We come here to fight for legalization. We're people. We have rights," said Eric Molina, an undocumented factory worker who immigrated to Zion, Ill., from Mexico.

And no human being is illegal. Here's what's needed. [More...]

1. No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.

2. No to militarization of the border.

3. No to the immigrant detention and deportation.

4. No to the guest worker program.

5. No to employer sanction and “no match” letters.

6. Yes to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

7. Yes to speedy family reunification.

8. Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.

9. Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.

10. Yes to the education and LGBT immigrant legislation.

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Immigration Rallies Across the U.S. | 17 comments (17 topical)

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I get all warm and fuzzy... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by kdog on Fri May 02, 2008 at 09:49:46 AM EST

when people hit the streets to stand up for themselves.

Rock on party people...rock on.

Employer Sanction Works (4.00 / 1) (#6)
by daryl herbert on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:25:35 PM EST

5. No to employer sanction and "no match" letters.

If we take away economic opportunities for illegals, the ones who are here working legitimate jobs will go home.

The result is to have fewer illegal immigrants here, have less illegal immigration in the future, drive up wages, and reduce costs borne by hospitals.

All without militarizing the border, building a big wall, or rounding them up for deportation. It's a good short-term solution to the problem.

I do not understand this (none / 0) (#1)
by Foxx on Thu May 01, 2008 at 06:06:09 PM EST

I believe the country has the right to control its borders and make and enforce decisions about how many people can live here.

Ahh, see, your confusion lies (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu May 01, 2008 at 06:21:28 PM EST

in that you don't understand that a country can control its borders but only if that country is not the US.


: As Jeralyn and BTD say (none / 0) (#10)
by daryl herbert on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:46:23 PM EST

about NC, PA, IN, etc.: demography is political destiny.
However, you are not allowed to apply that insight to anything other than the Obama/Clinton nomination battle.

I just finished watching a news brief (none / 0) (#2)
by bjorn on Thu May 01, 2008 at 06:10:21 PM EST

and they did not even mention immigration rallies! I guess I will have to turn on Lou Dobbs and watch his mouth starting to foam up. I hope that if a democrat is elected or even McCain, that we can pass the immigration reform bill that should have already passed. The one decent thing Bush tried to do in his presidency.

: You Missed Lou Dobbs This Morning Already (none / 0) (#5)
by PssttCmere08 on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:21:35 PM EST

foaming at the mouth, saying "why are their banners up about immigration day; don't you know this is law day, blah, blah, blah.

Nations other than the US do this well (none / 0) (#4)
by wurman on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:00:51 PM EST

Perhaps 100 million or so USA voting citizens need a couple of weeks in Europe, moving through countries by train & auto. Maybe enjoying a weekend motor trip from Italy to Switzerland to France to Germany to Austria--what a concept!

Wait, I know, a nice long, leisurely drive from Turkey - Greece - Albania - Serbia - Bosnia & Herzegovina - Croatia - Slovenia -Hungary - Slovakia - Czech Republic - Poland - Lithuania - Latvia - Estonia - Russia - Finland - Sweden - Norway & then the pleasant ship to England, where once again they could read the road signs & order a meal in English. It would be a real edjamacation for folks to discover how long they spent at border stations or how many people were "apprehended" & held for questioning, or whether they were expected to read, write & speak the language of the country they just entered--or if "guest workers" could find jobs, housing & medical care.

Well, actually, maybe not.

Not Really (none / 0) (#8)
by dissenter on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:26:53 PM EST

My husband is British and I can tell you that the English are very upset that their borders are not controlled. They are very angry over the number of immigrants from Africa and Asia. Same goes for France, the Netherlands, etc.


Off Topic (none / 0) (#12)
by daryl herbert on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:05:39 PM EST

Muslim immigrants in Europe are nothing like Catholics from Mexico.

There's just no comparison. To suggest a parallel between the two is to commit a vicious slander against Mexicans.

I'm not saying you did that; you were responding to another comment. I'm just saying the European experience has absolutely no bearing on questions of what American domestic policies should be.

Europe is also different in that it is under the heel of the EU, which imposes policies on member states that they really don't want, and would be rejected heartily at the ballot box if they were put to a vote. We are still a free country that can make its own immigration policy if we choose.


I was not slamming (none / 0) (#14)
by dissenter on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:49:47 PM EST

Mexicans at all. Having said that, many of the issues are the same - cost to social services, taxes, complaints about cultural change within the country, languages, schools etc. So, you are not right.

The Muslim thing is particularly an issue but it goes way beyond that so don't think it doesn't. I have listened to my husband's family = which is not conservative or prejudice - talk about how there will be no "English" left in England.

I am very sensitive to immigrants. It took forever for my husband to get his green card and it was a hardship on many levels. Having said that, the people that want to secure the borders and stop the mass exodus out of Mexico to the US are not all racists. They have legitimate concerns.


And BTW (none / 0) (#15)
by dissenter on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:51:44 PM EST

We did suffer the hardship because we did it the LEGAL way.


: Emma Lazarus for y'all. (none / 0) (#16)
by wurman on Thu May 01, 2008 at 11:50:20 PM EST

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
------------------------------
Don'tcha just love it?

You are (none / 0) (#7)
by Wile ECoyote on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:25:55 PM EST

talking about illegal immigration, correct? Legal immigrants seem to have all of the above already.

In celebration of Law Day... (none / 0) (#9)
by fafnir on Thu May 01, 2008 at 07:36:47 PM EST

It's wonderful to see so many people advocate for illegals who disregard of our immigration laws. These "demonstrations" are dripping with shameless irony.

We have immigration laws; obey them. We have paths to legal residency; follow them. Don't like it? Step.

no human being is illegal (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by Jeralyn on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:03:01 PM EST

the term is undocumented residents. Most of the undocumented residents in this country entered legally. Overstaying one's visa is a civil violation, not a crime.


: More than Half (none / 0) (#13)
by daryl herbert on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:13:16 PM EST

If Fox News says it's true, it must be true.
But that only means they aren't "criminals"; it doesn't mean they are legal.
Aren't civil violations "illegal"? According to the plain dictionary definition of the word, any act prohibited by statute is "illegal." That would include civil violations.
Is "illegal" a special legal term of art that only applies to criminal violations?