Among the several dozen participants were representatives of coalitions that built massive demonstrations for immigrant rights this spring in Los Angeles, officials of the Carpenters union in Kansas City, day laborers from New Jersey, leaders of the National Asian American Student Conference, and several church, student, and social service organizations.

Conference participants voted to build the next major event, the National Immigrant Rights Strategy Convention, which will be held in Chicago August 11-13 to map out activities for the fall.

Jesse Diaz, a leader of the Los Angeles March 25th Coalition, which helped organize a demonstration of half a million in support of immigrant rights last March 25, reported on plans for a series of protests in Los Angeles around the Labor Day weekend. He said it will include the traditional labor council-organized Labor Day march on September 4, this year featuring support for the rights of immigrants. Diaz said a separate march organized by immigrant rights groups will be held September 2.

The conference voted to support a September 7 “Legalization now!” march in Washington, D.C., initiated by the Boston-based Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. It called for local activities across the country on October 7 in conjunction with the Day of Migration Actions that will be organized across Europe by the World Social Forum. Another event endorsed by the conference was Camp Democracy, a September 5-21 encampment in Washington, D.C., to oppose the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.

The conference was built around support for amnesty and resident status for undocumented immigrants; opposition to deportations, sanctions against employers who hire workers without papers, and the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border; and rejection of the two main “immigration reform” bills before Congress.

The House of Representatives has approved the so-called Sensenbrenner bill, which would make it a felony to live in the United States without proper papers and a crime for anyone to aid undocumented workers. The Senate measure, S2611, whose main sponsors are Senators Arlen Specter, Chuck Hagel, and Mel Martinez, would beef up the Border Patrol, establish a guest worker program, and allow some immigrants to gain legal status after paying heavy fees and meeting other requirements.

“I have come a long way but it is worth it to be able to share experiences with people fighting for the human rights of immigrants in so many different places,” said Vicente Rodríguez, a leader of the group Gente Unida in Los Angeles.

Gente Unida has been involved in organizing centers for day laborers and to counter efforts by the rightist Minutemen outfit to terrorize immigrants attempting to cross the border.
 
 
Related articles:
Legalization of all immigrants now!
Meeting in New Jersey town discusses how to fight anti-immigrant measure
N.Y. protest opposes rightist Minutemen  
 
 
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