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Hispanics to march for "immigration reform"

September 19, 2006


ATLANTA (AP) -- Leaders in the Latino community and immigration advocates say they plan a rally September 30th to call for immigration reform. The former Mexican consul general in Atlanta -- Teodoro Maus -- says organizers hope to march from CNN center to the state Capital that day.

Organizers -- led by the Coordinating Council of Community Leaders -- do not yet have a permit for the march.

Hispanic and black leaders held a news conference at the state Capitol yesterday and called for Governor Perdue to retract statements about immigrants made during the announcement of a statewide crackdown on false documentation.

Labor advocates and civil rights leaders said the governor and other lawmakers are unfairly targeting immigrants as a ploy to get re-elected.

During a news conference last week, Governor Perdue said "It is simply unacceptable for people to sneak into this country illegally on Thursday, obtain a government-issued ID on Friday, head for the welfare office on Monday and cast a vote on Tuesday."

Perdue says he has no plan to apologize for criticizing illegal immigration. He also denied that the effort to get tough on illegal immigration is an election-year stunt. At least two federal raids targeted illegal immigrants using false documents this month.

On Labor Day weekend, federal immigration agents arrested more than 120 illegal immigrants in Emanuel County. Federal agents arrested about 30 employees of a south Forsyth County business last week.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP-09-19-06 0721EDT

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