Thread: Va. organizers say fervor for immigration rallies cools

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Va. organizers say fervor for immigration rallies cools

BY JUAN ANTONIO LIZAMA
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 7, 2006


Some organizers of an immigration rally planned for today in Washington say they're not finding the same fervor that marked similar rallies in April and May.

"We believe that is because Congress has frozen the immigration debate," Ricardo Juarez said.

Juarez is a member of Mexicans Without Borders in Northern Virginia, one of many organizations that make up the National Capital Immigration Coalition, which is organizing the rally.

But as Congress returned from a break this week, immigrant activists turned up the heat on the issue with marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Phoenix earlier in the week and in Washington today.

Locally, three buses have been reserved to transport people to the National Mall, but the current level of interest indicates only one might be needed. For past rallies, as many as six buses have been filled.

"There's a lot of indifference now," said Fidel Rubio, pastoral associate for Hispanic ministry at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Chesterfield County.

Then again, Rubio said, many Hispanics work in construction. Because of a string of rainy days recently, they have missed lots of work and might not want to miss another day, he said. Immigrants are also leery of increased enforcement of immigration laws.

Rubio said he also expects a number of people to show up at the last minute.

If Hispanics don't speak out, local proposals such as one in Culpeper to designate English the official language and to fine landlords and employers who house and hire undocumented workers will become law, Rubio said. A similar measure has been approved in Hazleton, Pa.

"We have to make people aware that we need to make some sacrifices," he said, referring to the need to support the march.

The National Capital Immigration Coalition expects to draw a million people to Washington to call for comprehensive changes in immigration policy and an end to deportations.

Juarez said the coalition is working in 17 cities in Virginia to try to mobilize people for the march.

Legislation approved last year by the House of Representatives would make it a crime instead of a civil offense for an immigrant to be in the country illegally.

Juarez said he's glad that a final vote on immigration reform has been postponed until next year, when a number of new legislators will be in office.

"We don't want legislation to be approved under a conservative majority," he said.


Contact staff writer Juan Antonio Lizama at jlizama@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6513.

Originally Posted by Brian503a

Immigrants are also leery of increased enforcement of immigration laws.

Or maybe they wised up to the fact that their previous grand march turned a lot of Americans against them, bringing illegal immigration more sharply into the spotlight.