Downtown Chicago drivers seeking to avoid any "Oprah Winfrey Show" traffic caused by Monday's closing of Michigan Avenue will also have to contend with an Immigration march.

Police expect several thousand people to parade through the Loop during a four-hour Labor Day demonstration scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Union Park.

The event is part of several Labor Day demonstrations planned across the country by groups frustrated over the lack of movement on federal Immigration reforms.

President Barack Obama has expressed a willingness to adopt measures that, among other things, would allow an estimated 11.6 million illegal immigrants a path to legalization. But White House aides have said legislation isn't likely to be taken on until next year.

Partly led by unions, Monday's march will have participants arriving in chartered buses and commuter trains from as far as Glen Ellyn, organizers said.

As in years past, their central message will be to call for a moratorium on forms of enforcement that has have split apart thousands of families.

"We understand the delays in Congress due to health care reform, finance reform and things like that," said Jorge Mujica, a lead organizer.

But "if it takes a year to pass legislation, we want a year without raids, without deportations and without separation of families," he said.

Starting at Union Park, the march will head east on Washington Boulevard, south on Desplaines Street, east on Monroe Street, south on Clark Street, east on Adams Street to Federal Plaza. Traffic will be closed on a roving basis, police said.

aolivo@tribune.com

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