Thread: Fight spreads over immigration protests at furniture store

Fight spreads over immigration protests at furniture store
Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 31, 2007 05:26 PM

A contentious battle over day laborers and illegal immigration has spread from Pruitt's furniture store in east Phoenix to a day labor hiring site in north Phoenix.

Since Saturday, about a dozen members of anti-illegal immigration groups have been staging protests outside the Macehuali Work Center on 25th Street near Bell Road in retaliation for the weekly protests at Pruitt's Home Furnishings.

The work center is run by Salvador Reza, who for the past two months has organized weekly protests across from Pruitt's on Thomas Road near 35th Street. Reza is trying to pressure the furniture store from using off-duty sheriff's deputies to chase away day laborers in the area.

In response, supporters of the furniture store said they plan to hold protests at the work center every day until Reza either backs off or the work center goes out of businesses.

"We are going to hit Salvador in the pocketbook just like he's hitting Pruitt's in the pocketbook," said Buffalo Rick Galeener, a member of Riders USA, and United for a Sovereign America, two groups that want stricter enforcement of immigration laws.

The protests at the work center have further upped the ante in what has turned into a volatile standoff between day labor advocates on one side and anti-illegal immigration groups on the other. For the past two months, the two sides have staged heated protests and counter-protests across from the furniture store over the owners' use of off-duty sheriff's deputies to chase away day laborers in the area. City officials had hoped the protests would end with the New Year, but the outbreak of protests at the work center shows the conflict is far from being resolved.

Reza said he doubts the protests at the work site would be effective because this traditionally is a slow time of year.

"They may scare some people off, but those who want to hire, will still hire," he added.

He said his group had met on Monday and decided to continue the weekly protests at Pruitt's this Saturday indefinitely until the owners pull the sheriff's deputies. Store owners Roger and Michael Sensing could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Rusty Childress, founder of United for a Sovereign America, said he and his supporters will be photographing and writing down the license plate numbers of employers who show up at the work center to hire day laborers. They will turn the information over to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, who are in charge of enforcing a state law that takes effect Tuesday against employers that knowingly hire illegal workers.

"We are definitely giving Reza a little bit of his own medicine," Childress said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 31-ON.html

What about Arizona's tough new laws that start the 1st?

Originally Posted by bordersoldier

What about Arizona's tough new laws that start the 1st?

the first is a holiday so probably won't start until the 2nd.

As easy as it would be to use, I would employ cameras and a video recorder. Use the camera's close up, hand held digital and cell phone.

Keep the video recorder under wraps. Use the zoom to zero in on license plates and faces or employers.

Secondly, if the trucks of any employers display any advertizing or name, determine if they have a license to operate. If not, turn them in. If they don't have an operating license, they aren't paying workman's comp. or taxes.

Better yet, before you turn them in, call them and get a written quote and business card. Then turn it all in.

Turn it all in:
.

"We are definitely giving Reza a little bit of his own medicine," Childress said.

I would love to see a picture of Reza. He seems like a very smug arrogant man from all the articles I've read about his words and actions.

He asked for this...

I LOVE IT !!! A great idea and as of Jan. 1 if the Day Laborers are IA's those employing them will be in deep dodo.

I hope it puts the Day Labor site out of business since employers will not know who is legal and who is not.

A BIG Thank You to the anti-Illegal Protesters and if I lived closer I would join you.