Thread: 2K Protest for Illegal Immigrantion in Kansas City

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14180200.htm

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Posted on Fri, Mar. 24, 2006

Huge rally in KCK protests House immigration bill

By LYNN FRANEY
The Kansas City Star

Hispanic people from across the region held a huge rally today in Kansas City, Kan., to protest a U.S. House bill that would crack down on illegal immigration.

The rally of around 2,000 people was the largest Hispanic protest gathering in Kansas City, said community activist and organizer Martha Ramirez.

Hispanics held similar protest rallies across the nation this week, raising their voices against the bill in Los Angeles, Tucson, Milwaukee and elsewhere.

The bill would make it a criminal offense to live in the United States without proper documents, as well as to give help to an undocumented immigrant. It also would enlist local police in enforcing immigration laws, and erect a wall along much of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The U.S. Senate is considering various immigration reform proposals that combine stronger enforcement of immigration laws with new visa programs that would give immigrants more legal ways to work to work in the U.S. The protesters support that type of more comprehensive immigration reform.

“We are not criminals,” said Ramirez, a tax-preparer who said she was overwhelmed at the rally turnout in Emerson Park in the Argentine section of Kansas City, Kan. “We just come here to work like every group that comes here for the American dream.”

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14182547.htm

Posted on Sat, Mar. 25, 2006


‘Everyone wants to work’
Area Hispanics protest bill on immigration

By LYNN FRANEY
The Kansas City Star

The signs said it all:

“We are immigrants. We are not criminals.”

“The will to work + the wish for a better life = The American Dream.”

“Orgullo Latino (Latin Pride).”

Hispanics from throughout the region rallied Friday in Kansas City, Kan., to protest a U.S. House bill that would crack down on illegal immigration. About 2,000 people attended the rally in Emerson Park, observers said.

Organizer Martha Ramirez, 31, said the rally was the largest Hispanic protest in the area that she could remember.

Similar rallies against the bill have been held in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Tucson, Ariz., and elsewhere.

The bill would make it a felony to live in the United States without proper documents. Helping an undocumented immigrant would become a criminal act. The bill also would enlist local police in enforcing U.S. immigration laws and erect a wall along much of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Senate is considering proposals that combine stronger enforcement of immigration laws with new visa programs that would give immigrants more ways to work to work legally in the United States. The protesters support that type of comprehensive immigration reform.

“We are not criminals,” said Ramirez, a tax preparer. “We just come here to work like every group that comes here for the American dream.”

Some politicians and anti-immigration activists say illegal immigration takes jobs from American-born workers and drains resources for education, health care and social services.

But others say that the 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants take the lowest-paying jobs that American citizens refuse and the immigrants generally follow the law.

“Everyone wants to work. All we ask is that they let us continue to work and have a life here. We’re not asking for much,” said Catalina Sailly, who gathered signatures on petitions she would send to members of Congress.

Lawyer David Grummon, who has represented immigrant clients in work-related lawsuits, attended the rally. Grummon said he was concerned about how the House bill would make it a crime to live in the United States without proper documentation or help someone who is living here without documentation.

“Are we going to put everybody in jail?” he asked. “They’re here to make a living.”

The rally also was part of a national effort called Un Dia Sin Hispanics, or A Day Without Hispanics, in which Hispanics were urged to not go to work and not spend money as a way of showing their importance in the U.S. economy.

Immigrant workers from Faultless Linen said they were excited to attend the rally, but they returned to work so they would not hurt their company.

One immigrant said he probably would lose his construction job because his boss did not want him to leave work for the rally, but his wife thought it was critical for them to attend.

Martha Ortiz, a 21-year-old bank teller, said she was unsure she would keep her job because she attended the rally, even though her bank has mostly Hispanic customers and the protest was intended to help make sure that Hispanics stay in the United States.

At least one Chipotle Mexican Grill location closed for the day. A sign on the restaurant at 1713 W. 39th St. said, “We’re closed today because some of our crew decided to participate in the Day Without Hispanics protest. … We’d certainly rather be opened than closed, but we respect the right of our employees to express their opinion.”

The sign said the restaurant would be open today.

Pascual Murguia, a Wyandotte High School student, attended the rally with family members who did not go to work.

“We just want this to be a day without Mexicans,” he said. “This is like Martin Luther King. He said everyone should have rights. That’s the same here.”

Christina Jasso, whose grandfather came from Mexico, said she was excited about the large crowd and hoped that undocumented immigrants would be able to come out of the shadows.

“Hopefully, something good will happen out of all these rallies,” she said.

There was a somber mood early in the rally, as Ramirez asked for a moment of silence to remember the many immigrants who died in the Southwest desert as they tried to cross into the United States.

But the rally ended on a hopeful mood, with people forming a giant circle around the park.

They held hands. Children bundled in coats. Men in work clothes stained with paint. People wrapped in Mexican flags, but with American flags in their hands. Women pushing strollers.

Together, they prayed.

And then they walked to their cars and traveled the neighborhood, waving flags from Latin American countries and honking their horns.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Star’s James Hart contributed to this report. To reach Lynn Franey, call (816) 234-4927 or send e-mail to lfraney@kcstar.com.

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Topics: illegal aliens, illegal immigration, Protests, Kansas City, eforcement, border security, Congress, bill

http://www.alipac.us/article1117.html

I find it very interesting that they only had 2,000 people protesting in Kansas City. I grew up in KCmo and there was a very large hispanic population there but they could only get 2,000 to protest? Could it be that the large hispanic population in KC are legal US citizens and don't beleive that those here illegally should get an amensty and should be deported? hmmm...could be.

I don't accept this.

I am waiting for the election yet to come. And I hope,that there will not be any further action on immigration until the election.

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