Thread: Hispanic groups vow protests in 60 US cities for immigrant a

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060407/ts ... 0407223945

Fri Apr 7, 6:39 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US Hispanic groups demanded an amnesty for illegal immigrants and planned a nation-wide day of protests, as a much-touted compromise immigration bill stalled in the Senate.

The groups, which are organizing a wave of protests in 60 US cities Monday in a bid to halt plans to expel illegal immigrants, reacted after the compromise law that would have allowed millions of undocumented workers to normalize their status in the United States failed to pass in the Senate.

But Latino leaders said that even the compromise bill that deadlocked in the Senate was inadequate.

"We don't want half measures, we demand an amnesty, the immediate and unconditional legalization of the 12 million undocumented workers who work in this country," said Nativo Lopez, president of the influential Mexican American Political Association (MAPA).

Lopez and the head of the March 25 Coalition, Javier Rodriguez, staged one of the largest protests in recent US history on March 25 when they assembled a crowd of at least 500,000 people in Los Angeles to protest the proposed crackdown on illegal immigrants.

They plan to step up their fight Monday with a rash of fresh demonstrations across the United States, which is home to around 33 million people of Hispanic origin.

Many US Hispanics feel personally targeted by much tougher legislation already passed in the House of Representatives that would kick out illegal workers, a move that would split many families.

The protests are expected to focus on the US capital of Washington, the southwestern state of Arizona, which shares a very porous border with Mexico, as well as the California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.

In a 60 to 38 vote, senators on Friday denied a green-light to the bill brokered by Republican and Democratic Party leaders late Thursday that would have offered legal permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for more than five years.

With lawmakers headed out on a two-week break, it was not immediately clear when they would resume the debate, which has deeply divided Republicans controlling the Senate.

The Senate compromise bill was to be offered, with the backing of
President George W. Bush, as an alternative to the House legislation passed in December that would make illegal entry into the United States a crime and heavily penalize employers of undocumented workers.

The Senate bill instead would have allowed undocumented residents who arrived in the United States five years ago or earlier to obtain legal status if they meet various requirements. Those in the country for less than five years but more than two years could obtain a temporary work visa under the legislation, after first leaving the country.

The Archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony, said he was "deeply disappointed" with the failure to approve federal legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship to certain groups of illegal immigrants.

"I urge the Senate leadership, as well as President George W. Bush, to reach an agreement which will allow the compromise agreement to go forward in the process," he wrote.

"The reason we have some 11 million undocumented peoples living and working in this country is precisely the lack of a thorough humane and just immigrant policy," Mahony said.

The greater metropolitan area of Los Angeles, the second largest US city, is home to 9.5 million people, some 44 percent of whom are of Hispanic origin.

"We don't want half measures, we demand an amnesty, the immediate and unconditional legalization of the 12 million undocumented workers who work in this country," said Nativo Lopez, president of the influential Mexican American Political Association (MAPA).

We should forward this to all of Congress and tell them to go ahead and give-up, because they are so spineless and weak and are going to get kicked outta office, and we need someone who CAN STAND UP for the American people.

I cannot believe I'm sitting here fighting my own government against illegals in this country. When you think about it, it's mind-boggling! This shouldn't be!!

they "demand" -- they don't even have a right to be here, just who in the hell do these people think they are??

We're being sold out. We've actually already been sold out. The phase we're in now is blocking closure of the deal concocted behind our backs on false claims of pro-alien advocacy groups and bought and sold politicians.

Our nation is inside-out and upside-down because they've concocted a information quagmire of Ironies and Opposites.

That's how you create a facade.

That's what Traitors do.

And ours are so far proving themselves very competent at the act of Treason.

Originally Posted by Judy

We're being sold out. We've actually already been sold out.

Our nation is inside-out and upside-down because they've concocted a information quagmire of Ironies and Opposites.

That's how you create a facade.

That's what Traitors do.

And ours are so far proving themselves very competent at the act of Treason.

We have 2 weeks -- PLEASE contact the Governor's of your state and DEMAND that they take defensive measures to defend the CITIZENS of their states FROM the federal government and an unconstutitional Congress