Immigration protesters call on Obama to move quickly on reform

Protesters marched on the White House Saturday in a call for comprehensive immigration reform as part of a nationwide May Day effort.

Hundreds
filled Lafayette Park outside the White House to hear immigration
activists and union leaders to speak at a rally pushing for action on
the issue. Many called on President Barack Obama to fulfill his 2008
campaign pledge of signing immigration reform into law once he was
elected. 

{mosads}The Campaign to Reform Immigration for America, whose backers range from labor unions and church groups to Latino organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, advertised about 100 marches across the nation on May Day, the International Workers Day that has traditionally been used for labor and immigrant marches.

Estimates were about 5,000 at a protest in Manhattan, according to the Associated Press, and the Los Angeles Times pegged the number of protesters in the tens of thousands, less than the 100,000 for which police had braced.

The climax of the Washington protest was when about 40 activists, including
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), linked arms and sat down in front of the
White House. Gutierrez and others were arrested once they did not heed
warnings from the police to leave the area.

A particular cause of anger was the recently passed state law in
Arizona that allows state police to stop suspected illegal immigrants
and ask for their proof of U.S. citizenship. Several protesters wore T-shirts saying “We are all Arizona” or “Deport me instead” while
speakers criticized the state for passing the law.

Cheers switched between “Si se puede” and “Yes we can” among the
crowd during the protest while speakers addressed the rally in both English and
Spanish.

Prevalent among the protest’s speakers
were high school students who called for the DREAM Act to be passed,
which would allow undocumented foreign students who have graduated from
high school to earn permanent residency in the United States. Others
called on Obama to put an end to the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Workers in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) were
also at the protest. The union has been the most aggressive of the
labor groups in calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

“We
must have fair and balanced reform to ensure immigrants are full
participants in our economic recovery. Enforcement-only tactics break
up our families, disrupt businesses, distract local law enforcement and
drain local budgets,” said Jaime Contreras, capital area director of
the New York-based SEIU Local 32BJ, at the protest.

Immigration protests had reached a peak on April 10, 2006, when reaction to the Sensenbrenner bill — the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 — sent half a million into the streets in Los Angeles alone. May Day of that year was called “The Great American Boycott,” with about 400,000 marching in Chicago.

On May 25, 2006, the Senate passed the McCain-Kennedy Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, but that bill and the Sensenbrenner bill failed to emerge from conference by the end of that Congress.

By a year later, though, the numbers at protests nationwide had markedly dropped, and the issue had been pushed to the back burner as two candidates in favor of comprehensive immigration reform competed for the White House, and Obama made healthcare reform his first big domestic priority as president.

Several at the rally carried signs saying passing comprehensive immigration
reform would help the flagging economy. They cited a UCLA study that
says passing reform could grow the economy as much as $1.5 trillion.

Guiterrez
was surrounded by well-wishers and press before he took the stage to
speak. The Illinois Democrat has become one of the most vocal advocates
for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

“We are all from Arizona and we will not rest until the law is repealed in Arizona!” Gutierrez said to cheers from the crowd.

The
lawmaker said Senate Democrats announcing a framework for immigration
reform earlier this week was “movement in the right direction.”

But while acknowledging protesters’ anger toward Democrats,
including the president, Gutierrez said people should not forget that
Republicans have been less willing this year to pass legislation on the
issue.

“We should be talking about shame. Shame that there is not one
Republican to join us in our cause for justice for our immigrant
community,” Gutierrez said.

To
emphasize their commitment to comprehensive immigration
reform, the congressman said he and other activists planned to be
arrested in front of the White House after his speech. He said much
like advocates in the movements for civil rights and women’s suffrage,
immigration activists must make personal sacrifices for the greater
good.

“In every fight, in every struggle, there are moments where you must escalate,” Gutierrez said. 

The lawmaker was later arrested by police as he joined activists in their protest in front of the White House.

Bridget Johnson contributed to this report