Vol. 71/No. 33      September 10, 2007

Protesters also demanded that U.S. authorities allow the return of Elvira Arellano, a former airplane cleaner at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, who was arrested here and deported to Mexico August 19. Since her arrest in a workplace raid in 2002, Arellano publicly fought the government’s effort to deport her. For the past year she stayed at Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where she claimed sanctuary.

At an August 20 press conference at the federal building here, Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, called the march. Two days later a broad spectrum of immigrant rights groups held a press conference to announce the formation of the coalition Somos Todos Elvira y Saulito Arellano—We Are All Elvira and Saúl Arellano (her son)—to fight for the legal return of Arellano and an end to family separations.

There were articles leading up to the action in La Opinión and Hoy, the two Spanish-language dailies here. Radio announcer Eddie Sotelo, known by his on-air personality El Piolín, announced his support.

The protest began with a short rally. Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, urged marchers to fight for legalization and for comprehensive immigration reform.

The march was marshaled by members of Service Employees International Union Local 1877.

“This march is a recognition that working people place this struggle at the center,” said José Sandoval, coordinator of the Voluntarios de la Comunidad in San Jose, California. They brought a vanload of marchers.

“It’s better if we have hundreds of thousands,” Sandoval said, “but if we have hundreds that’s okay because we have to fight for this.”

In San Diego, more than 100 protesters gathered August 23 to demand Arellano be allowed to return to the United States.

Rick Trujillo and Sylvia Hansen in San Diego contributed to this article.
 
 
Related articles:
L.A. march: ‘No to raids, deportations!’
Day laborers in Virginia fight for right to seek work
At Nebraska meeting, meat packers denounce raids
Stop the raids and deportations!  
 
 
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