By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 48 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Organizers of the movement that has led hundreds of thousands of immigrants onto the nation's streets are split over whether to press ahead with the next big protest — a May 1 national work stoppage and student boycott.



Backers of the protest want to dramatize the importance of immigrants to the U.S. economy by leaving construction sites and restaurants undermanned, crops untended and hotel rooms uncleaned. They also hope empty classrooms will demonstrate that immigration reform is a major issue for future voters.

But others fear such protests will make immigrants look anti-American, annoy the public and alienate lawmakers who are still wavering over how to reshape U.S. immigration policy. They worry, too, that thousands will get fired from their jobs.

Encouraging youngsters to skip school "just adds fuel to the argument that we don't care about our children's education," said Jose Lagos, a community organizer with Honduran Unity in Miami.

Some are now afraid the split in their ranks could suppress participation May 1 and cause the movement to lose momentum.

"Our credibility as a community is on the line," said Armando Navarro, coordinator of the National Alliance for Human Rights, a Southern California organization pushing the boycott. "We've shown our power politically, but if we can't show it economically we are going to lose it."

Over the past few weeks, unions and religious and Hispanic groups have mustered nationwide protest marches supporting a chance at U.S. citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

Some organizers hope to see turnout so large that will protect participants from retribution.

"If immigrants continue demonstrating in large numbers, are they going to fire all of them?" said Julita Rincon, 21, an illegal immigrant and University of Houston student who leads a student activist organization.

Some leaders have staked a middle ground, supporting a protest on May 1, but after school lets out and businesses are closed.

"If they lost their jobs, there would be nothing we could do," said Ana Maria Archila, executive director of the Latin American Integration Center. Her New York City group plans alternative May 1 activities, such as persuading businesses to close for 30 minutes in honor of immigrants.

Sporadic criticism of the boycott began soon after organizers announced it in early March. But the skepticism has been intensifying, and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, an outspoken supporter of illegal immigrants, discouraged the idea during Easter Mass.

"Go to work. Go to school," Mahony said. "And then join thousands of us at a major rally afterward."

Leaders of the Service Employees International Union, which has gotten thousands to rallies and helped with crowd control, said they cannot endorse a boycott because of collective bargaining agreements. And some union leaders feel such action would be premature, anyway.

Two weeks ago, the Senate nearly voted on immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, noted Jaime Contreras, an SEIU spokesman and chairman of an influential immigration group in Washington.

"You are using the last weapon in your arsenal now?" Contreras said. If senators move toward more punitive legislation, "then what are you going to do?"

Some of the Spanish-language deejays in Los Angeles who helped supercharge turnout at a rally March 25 that drew 500,000 people have backed off, too.

El Piolin, a nationally syndicated morning show host whose real name is Eduardo Sotelo and whose nickname means "Tweety Bird," has been more reserved in his calls to activism, and openly opposes students skipping school May 1.

"We have to demonstrate that we came here to succeed," Sotelo said. "There are different ways to show we love the United States. We just have to make sure we don't damage anyone."

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