A May Day march for immigration reform in Downtown Los Angeles this year - (Photo: j.r.mchale.)
In the face of delays by the Obama administration on an immigration bill, pro-immigration advocates are ready to take to the streets again to demand comprehensive immigration reform.
Univision.com’s Jorge Cancino reports that groups in several states are organizing marches that will take place between Oct. 10 and 13 to coincide with Hispanic heritage celebrations. They want to pressure the White House and Congress to move forward on immigration reform, despite all signs suggesting that debate will be delayed at least until 2010.
“We will go out on the streets on Saturday Oct. 10 to pressure Barack Obama’s government and Congress to start, not passing reform, but at least introducing some type of package so that we can start a serious conversation about the immigration issue,” Juan José Gutiérrez, director of Movimiento Latino USA in Los Angeles, told Cancino.
According to the report, similar marches will be held in New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Oregon, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachussets, Illinois and New York.
Massive pro-reform marches were held nationwide in 2006, the last time a bill was debated in Congress. Since then, pro-immigration demonstrations have not reached similar numbers. This year, there were marches in several cities for May Day, but most of them did not attract more than a few hundred people. Both in New York and Los Angeles, there were several different marches, showing some disunity among the pro-reform groups.
The march in Washington will take place on Tuesday Oct. 13 outside the Capitol, Lucero Beebe-Giudice, communications director of Tenants and Workers United, told Cancino.
“We’re at a key moment for determining the future of our community,” she said.
