Thread: Group Marches For Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_098234707.html

Apr 8, 2006 10:37 pm US/Central

Group Marches For Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants

Maya Nishikawa
Reporting

(WCCO) St. Paul The debate over illegal immigration is heating up in Minnesota. Demonstrators on both sides of the issue are rallying at the state Capitol this weekend.

"America first, America first, keep out illegal immigration now," chanted one protester with the group Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform.

About 50 members of the group marched around the Capitol steps Saturday afternoon.

"If they can't fix their own country, why are they coming here to take our country," shouted a woman carrying a sign saying "Fix Mexico First."

Rally organizer Ruthi Hendrycks says the group is not against legal immigration, but members believe it's time to tighten the border.

"Where is it going to stop? Where is it going to end? The expense to Minnesota taxpayers is outrageous for illegal immigration," Hendrycks said.

William Sorlien is an unemployed construction worker. He said illegal immigration has cost him the opportunity to make a good living.

"I would like to have it all be a fair playing field, but I'm finding ... the reality is that the competition is unbearable," said Sorlien.

Demonstrators are also unhappy with a proposed immigration reform bill that would allow amnesty for millions illegal immigrants. So far, that bill is stalled in Congress.

"All of a sudden, we reward people who broke the law with amnesty. You don't reward somebody for your breaking laws. That's wrong," said Marlene Nelson of the Steele County Coalition for Immigration Reduction.

Another rally supporting amnesty will take place at the Capitol on Sunday. One of the organizers of that rally came to check out the opposition.

Benjamin Casper, an immigration attorney and pro-amnesty rally organizer said, "It's a humanitarian crisis and it needs to be resolved. I think the consensus emerging in Congress, the correct one, is that you can't simplistically ask 11 million people to disappear overnight."

Organizers of Saturday's rally say it was not a counter-demonstration, but they want to make sure their voices are heard in the debate over the shaping of America.

About 50 people turned out for Saturday's immigration reform rally.

Sunday, about 2,000 people are expected to attend the immigration rights demonstration.

Benjamin Casper, an immigration attorney and pro-amnesty rally organizer said, "It's a humanitarian crisis and it needs to be resolved.

Oh no, they are going for the "American bleeding heart syndrome"
Guess what, my heart has stopped bleeding