Numerous immigrant rights organizations and other groups joined the march. These included the Latin American Integration Center, UNITE HERE Local 23-25, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ, Coney Island Avenue Project (based among immigrants of South Asian origin), Haitian-Americans United for Progress, and Families for Freedom.

“We won’t be fooled by a bill that looks like legalization but unfairly disqualifies millions of immigrants, separates families, strips immigrants of due process and civil rights, and leaves workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,” said Chung Wha-Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, one of the main sponsoring groups, at a press conference before the march.

Miguel Ramírez of the Centro Hispano Cuzcatlán said, “We demand nothing less than full legalization and driver’s licenses for all immigrants. As long as economic hardships in our countries get worse, we will come.”

Ramírez said the Queens-based group is sponsoring a vigil May 24 at the Manhattan offices of New York senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer to call attention to the thousands who have died while crossing into the United States from Mexico. Clinton has expressed her support for building a wall between the two countries.

“We must stop the exploitation of immigrant workers. As a union we must demand solidarity with all workers,” said May Cheng, vice-president of UNITE HERE Local 23-25. She held a sign that read in Chinese and English, “We are immigrants, not criminals.” About 100 unionists, including a number of retirees, marched in the UNITE HERE contingent.

“We aren’t going anywhere,” Porfirio Batiz, a building maintenance worker and member of SEIU Local 32BJ told the Militant, as he held up a large orange union banner with the slogan in Spanish “Sí se puede” (Yes, we can). “Since they’re trying to send us back, we have to stand up for ourselves,” he said.

Many demonstrators carried signs demanding “Legalization for all” in French, English and Spanish.

“They should make everyone legal. People here really work hard and should get the papers they need. These demonstrations should make a real impact,” said Omar Koita, a member of the Forum of African Immigrants Associations, who marched in a contingent of West African immigrants.

Dozens of the march organizers wore orange T-shirts in support of the so-called Orange Card Program, proposed by Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein of California as an amendment to the Senate immigration bill that was. She describes it as an “earned legalization program” that would apply to undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States since Jan. 1, 2006.
 
 
Related articles:
Senate backs use of Nat’l Guard on Mexico border
No to militarization of border  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home