Thread: A year later, battle goes on.

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Year later, battle goes on
Immigration rally marks anniversary of massive march

By Antonio Olivo
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 11, 2007


Marking the anniversary of the first of several massive immigration marches in Chicago last year, about 1,000 demonstrators rallied again in the Loop Saturday in what organizers said was a warm-up to other mobilizations planned for the spring.

The often low-key afternoon rally at Federal Plaza was primarily meant to condemn recent federal raids across the country. Several speakers called on officials to stop their sweeps for undocumented immigrants until Congress settles on a new immigration policy.



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But organizers also sought to broaden support as they prepare for two months of demonstrations, which started with the rally, will include prayer vigils and other neighborhood events and will culminate in another march May 1 through the Loop.

"We cannot have a government that will not allow mothers and fathers to stay in this country but will send sons and daughters to fight an unjust war," Omar Lopez, a lead organizer, told the crowd of mostly Hispanic immigrants, many holding American flags or hoisting children on their shoulders.

The broader approach shows how the immigration reform movement here has changed in the year since the marches.

Though anger over a federal bill that would have made helping undocumented immigrants a felony galvanized protesters a year ago, the atmosphere is less charged today. That makes it harder to pull people out to the streets, organizers acknowledged.

Part of the reason is the growing possibility that Congress will approve some kind of reform that would open the door to citizenship for some of the country's 12 million undocumented immigrants, organizers said.

That has moved some in the movement to become more strategic in their efforts, shifting away from marching and toward lobbying campaigns and get-out-the-vote drives meant to pressure specific federal and state lawmakers.

"There's an awful lot of thought behind what we have to do," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. The group last week launched a $450,000 lobbying campaign that will include community field trips to the offices of state and federal legislators.

"We're very clear that it comes down to what a relatively small universe of people do this year," Hoyt said, referring to Congress.

The recent federal immigration raids are a growing backdrop in those discussions.

Two blocks from the rally, about 40 members of the Illinois Minuteman Project staged their own protest that, among other things, called for more deportations.

But at Federal Plaza, many demonstrators held signs that called on the U.S. government to "Stop the raids!" or that showed pictures of families split apart after some members were deported.

Eligio Chavez, 54, and his family went to Federal Plaza with pictures of some of his former co-workers at the IFCO Systems wood-pallet manufacturing plant in McKinley Park. He and about 30 others were swept up in raids last year at IFCO sites in nine states.

Though Chavez said he was later released when he showed proof of being in the country legally, he hasn't been able to find another job.

"It's been hard for my entire family," he said. "We want these raids to stop until they decide how to deal with all the immigrants who are here, working hard."

Frances Aparicio, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who is contributing to a book about last year's marches, said the raids have sparked fear among immigrants that may hinder future efforts to mobilize.

"That [fear] isn't necessarily going to go away," she said. "It's a reality."

Solomon Perez, who arrived in Chicago 10 years ago, acknowledged that he and his family have been more cautious about speaking out since they marched through the Loop a year ago Saturday. But they came to the commemorative rally anyway because "it's important to show we're not afraid of anything," Perez said. "We crossed the border. This is nothing by comparison."

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aolivo@tribune.com



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

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We know these people are going to march in force once again on May 1st, we should be calling ICE and demanding they do their job that day and round these people up while they have made it handy for them by marching in force in our streets!

They have already chartered busses. ICE just needs to confiscate them after they have gotten back on them. Then drive them to the nearest holding facility for processing.

Dixie