Thread: IL: 100,000 people rally over controversial immigration bill

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100,000 people rally over controversial immigration bill
Protest blocks streets in Loop
By Evelyn Holmes
March 10, 2006 - Chicago police say as many as 100,000 protestors are gathering outside the Chicago Federal Center to voice their concerns about a house bill that would tighten immigration laws. The massive demonstration has blocked many streets in the Loop.

The border security bill would make it illegal to assist any undocumented immigrant. That measure is drawing the attention of numerous groups and lawmakers on both sides of the issue.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Chicago Federal Center to protest the house bill 4437. They believe the bill discriminates against undocumented residents and those who try to help them and it robs them of a chance at the American dream.


"I guess we're only here for cheap labor. It is not right. We are only here for more military. We can do everything but be citizens and have civil rights," said Juan Zavate.

Citizens, undocumented and documented immigrants and their supporters gathered to protest a bill that would criminalize being an undocumented immigrant. Opponents of the bill say it would make providing aid and health care to an illegal a felony.

"We, as doctors, going to be jailed have felonies because we're helping the people? This is what we have committed our lives to  to helping the people. You can't take it away from us, you can't legislate it away from us. We won't stand for it," said Dr. Sean Gavin, Immigration Reform Activist.

Supporters of a tightening of the country's immigration law say they are tired of being accused of discrimination. They believe America's resources are for those who live in the country legally.

"We have always been called racist, but it has nothing to do with racism. This is a national security issue, a public safety issue," said Carmen Mercer, Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

Many undocumented immigrants say they understand a need for immigration reform and the need for the country to secure its borders. Still there is concern for families already in the country.

"A lot of parents are immigrants and have citizen children and that will cause them to be separated and it is not fair because citizen or not, we have rights. And we want to live the American dream, not just Americans," said Celina Nunez.

Many of those undocumented residents believe that senate bill 1033 gives credit for immigrants who are in the U.S. to pursue the American dream.

www.chicagotribune.com

Ethnic groups rally for immigrant rights

By Oscar Avila and Antonio Olivo
Tribune staff reporters

March 10, 2006, 2:35 PM CST

A mass of flag-waving humanity jammed downtown Chicago this afternoon as tends of thousands of protesters rallied at Federal Plaza to demand more humane immigration laws.

Earlier, businesses, restaurants and schools across the region emptied out, and busloads of immigrants from Mexico, Poland and Ireland streamed to the protest's assembly point in Union Park, at Ashland Avenue and Washington Boulevard on the city's West Side.

At the park, the participants—representatives of many ethnic groups including Hispanics, Irish, Poles and Chinese—immediately broke into mini-rallies, some speakers grabbing megaphones and rallying participants from baseball bleachers.

As many as 40,000 people stepped off shortly after noon for a two-mile march to Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St., for the rally, which began at 2 p.m. Chicago police are expecting from 75,000 to 100,000 people to attend the rally, police spokeswoman Kristina Schuler said.

They moved amid a sea of flags, including those for Guatemala, Ecuador, Ireland and especially Mexico. But U.S. flags were the most numerous.

Marchers such as Jose Soberanis tried to make the case that the cause of illegal immigrants fits with basic American values. Soberanis, 21, led a group waving U.S. flags and a drawing of Martin Luther King that he created with his 11-year-old sister, Cecilia.

"As the saying goes, 'I have a dream.' Well, we have dreams, too," Soberanis said. "African-Americans were looking for social acceptance. That is what we want, too."

Whole shifts of workers left their jobs to underscore the importance of immigrant workers. One server in a Downers Grove Italian restaurant came in his tie and apron, draped with a U.S. flag.

A Chicago factory worker, Amada Ochoa, 44, said she felt a swell of pride when about 150 employees walked out the doors around noon at their West Side plating company.

"We felt a feeling of unity," she said. "It shows our work is important."

Alex Garcia and about 10 co-workers from a Joliet commercial sign company rode a Metra train to Chicago's Union Station and then walked about 12 blocks to Union Park, then re-traced their steps as they headed back to the Loop.

Garcia, whose company installs signs for McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food restaurants in the Chicago area, said, "Most people don't realize how much work we do, but it's part of their daily lives. We are putting up all the buildings and cooking all the food. Today, they'll understand."

Anticipating the big turnout, critics of illegal immigration held a preemptive news conference this morning in Grant Park. They predicted the rally would backfire on its organizers, stoking the anger of other Chicagoans that illegal immigrants were arrogant enough to demand increased rights.

Opinion polls find most Americans favor stricter immigration enforcement, the critics said.

Sandra Gunn, government relations field associate for the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, said she hoped politicians would ignore the "display of arrogance and intimidation" from protesters who she said flout immigration laws. "It is our voices that they must heed," Gunn said.

Carmen Mercer, vice president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a national volunteer group opposed to illegal immigration, said the marchers were undercutting the interests of legal immigrants who play by the rules. She also said the threat of terrorism makes immigration enforcement more critical.

"We don't want another 9-11," said Mercer, a legal immigrant from Germany. "That is why we are demanding that our government secure our borders."

Today's events come at a critical time in the immigration debate. Congress is weighing competing proposals over how to treat the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Rally organizers said they oppose H.R. 4437, a bill approved in the U.S. House of Representatives that would drastically strengthen immigration enforcement, including the construction of a wall along the Mexican border.

Instead, they back a competing bill that would provide legal status for most undocumented immigrants and make it easier for legal immigrants to bring in relatives. That legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass), also would expand temporary work visas.

Much of the turnout and energy for today's rally was coming from the local Mexican-American community, the area's largest immigrant group. But the Mexican groups were bolstered by immigrants from Ireland, Poland, China and Ecuador.

The wide-ranging organizing committee also included the Nation of Islam, Service Employees International Union Local 73, evangelical churches and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

Tapping into immigrant growth in the suburbs, organizers rented about 200 buses for immigrants boarding near taquerias and churches in such far-flung towns such as Blue Island and Aurora.

A subplot of the day's events, organizers said, was the Chicago economy's reliance on immigrant labor. Organizers encouraged participants to leave work, with some calling for a "general strike" today to underscore the workload shouldered by immigrants, including those without legal status.

Around the area, business owners weighed whether to give the march their blessing or to resist the employee exodus. Several Mexican box boys in a Montclare grocery store said they saw the march as a chance to affirm their dignity. But their boss Gus Labrakis, a Greek immigrant, was annoyed about how their participation might impact his business.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Labrakis said. "They're inviting even more hate against them. The real problem is at the border. If they keep coming by the millions, where will this lead?"

Antonio Reyes, a box boy at Labrakis' market who arrived from Mexico City in 2000, said the march is an important way for non-immigrants to understand how the proposed laws will affect hard working families.

"We didn't come to this country to rob, but to work and support our families," said Reyes, a father of two U.S.-born children.

WGN-Ch. 9 contributed to this story.

oavila@tribune.com, aolivo@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

What's up with Dr's.? Don't they call the police when someone has been shot? They can call ICE, just as well.

This just illustrates how bad the illegal alien problem is. Why isn't our government enforcing the law? The real answer, laws are only for law-abiding American citizens.

A whole 100,000? Big deal. The silent majority is on our side.

Hmmm, I thought they were being 'forced to live in the shadows'.

This is the beginning of something rather LARGE it would seem. 100,000 here - 200,000 there - 400,000 over there all 'DEMONSTRATING' against the LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA all at once.


This could get interesting - SOONER rather than LATER!

Originally Posted by GeorgiaConservative

A whole 100,000? Big deal. The silent majority is on our side.

You think so?

Do you think you could get 100 people out to march against illegal immigration?

Me neither.

If they've got 100,000 in Chicago, they'd get 1,000,000 in LA.

Who do you think the politicians are going to pay attention to?

I noticed that many of these protesters were shouting in Spanish and waving MEXICAN flags. But we hear so much from the supporters of these illegals how they are assimilating and how they are great Americans, contributing to American ideals and values.

And once again, no presence by ICE officials, no arrests or roundups, gee what a surprise. We keep hearing how impossible it would be to round up these illegals, how there is absolutely no way to find out where these illegals are. Well, El Presidente, Mr. Cherk-Off, Miss ICE Princess Myers, here's a tip for you... open your friggin' eyes, there right out in the open in front of you, by the thousands. So much for them living in the shadows.