Rally planned to defend Arizona

Tea parties are among those planning June event.

Conservative immigration groups are planning a rally in Arizona next month to support the new immigration law.

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC and NumbersUSA, the leading conservative groups on the issue, are among those hosting the June 12 rally in Phoenix.

Tea party groups are also planning to attend, including Tea Party Patriots Live.

Don't confuse that smaller group with Tea Party Patriots, the nation's largest coalition in the conservative movement. The Patriots have tried to avoid divisive social issues.

But clearly there are tea party activists who want to speak up about immigration, and some of them will make their presence known at the rally where lawmakers and the Arizona governor may speak.

"We want Americans from all states to converge on Arizona with us on the weekend of June 12 to shop in the state and show our support for local police enforcing our immigration laws," a press release about the event reads.

Immigrant rights groups blasted the event and called the organizers hate groups in a press release of their own.

"The makeup of the groups supporting Arizona's 'show me your papers' law accurately reflects the law's spirit: racist and scapegoating," wrote Deepak Bhargava, who heads the D.C.-based liberal Center for Community Change.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org

http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/13 ... nd_arizona