Rallies Across U.S. Protest Arizona Law
Last Updated 3:17 p.m. ET
Activists said outrage over Arizona's controversial immigration law "awakened a sleeping giant" Saturday as rallies demanding federal immigration reform kicked off in cities across the country.
In New York, labor organizer John Delgado said anger over the law - which requires local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally - drew more than 5,000 people to a rally at Manhattan's Foley Square.
"She's awakened a sleeping giant," Delgado said, referring to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the law.
Rallies Held Nationwide Against Arizona Law
In Los Angeles, singer Gloria Estefan kicked off a massive downtown march to demand immigration reform and protest the Arizona law. Estefan spoke in Spanish and English atop a flatbed truck, proclaiming the United States is a nation of immigrants. She said immigrants are good, hardworking people, not criminals.
Cardinal Roger Mahony stood on the truck chanting in Spanish, "Si, se puede," or "Yes we can."
Organizers believe opposition to the law could be the catalyst to draw tens of thousands to rallies in dozens of cities. Four years ago, more than a million people across the country united to protest ultimately unsuccessful federal legislation that would have made being an illegal immigrant a felony.
The movement fractured and annual May 1 rally attendance dropped sharply as attempts to reform federal immigration policy fizzled. In 2006, nearly half a million people took to Chicago's streets. Last year, fewer than 15,000 participated in the rallies, held May 1 because it's a traditional day of protest and International Workers Day.
But immigration reform advocates have seen a flurry of activity since Brewer signed the Arizona measure into law last week.
"What happened in Arizona proves that racism and anti-immigrant hysteria across the country still exists. We need to continue to fight," said Lee Siu Hin, a coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-based National Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Activists are mobilizing through online social networking, churches and ethnic media. They have called for a boycott of Arizona businesses and protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games.
Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," commentator
"What we have to do," he told anchor Chriss Wragge, "is bring everyone together on solving the border security crisis in this country, solving the illegal immigration crisis in this country. … We have to solve the problem. We've got to stop the nonsense."
Supporters say the controversial new immigration law is necessary for one reason: safety.
. When he radioed in, he said his assailant was an illegal immigrant.
Many here attribute a rising crime rate to the rising tide of illegal immigrants.
"Assaults against police officers, officer-involved shootings, home invasions, carjackings, violent crimes - we can clearly point to the flow of illegal immigrants," said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu,
When Governor Jan Brewer signed the country's toughest anti-illegal immigration legislation into law, it ignited a firestorm.
As one of its last acts before adjourning, the Arizona legislature amended the controversial law, strengthening restrictions against racial profiling, while giving police more latitude to stop suspects and demand proof of citizenship, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whittaker.
Three lawsuits seeking to overturn it have been filed already; more are on the way.
And protesters plan to keep up the pressure.
"I'm an American citizen," said Abel Garcia. "I shouldn't have to be harassed to prove I'm an American citizen."
Immigration Rallies Redux
Activists believe opposition to the law - which requires authorities to question people about immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally - could be the catalyst to draw crowds similar to those four years ago.
That's when more than a million people across the country united to protest ultimately unsuccessful federal legislation that would have made being an illegal immigrant a felony.
The movement fractured, and annual May 1 rally attendance dropped sharply as attempts to reform federal immigration policy fizzled. In 2006, nearly half a million people took to Chicago's streets. Last year, fewer than 15,000 participated in the rallies, held May 1 because it's a traditional day of protest and International Workers Day.
But immigration reform advocates have seen a flurry of activity since the Arizona measure was signed into law last week.
"What happened in Arizona proves that racism and anti-immigrant hysteria across the country still exists. We need to continue to fight," said Lee Siu Hin, a coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-based National Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Relying on online social networking, churches and ethnic media to mobilize, activists have called for a boycott of Arizona businesses and protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games.
Supporters say the law is necessary because of the federal government's failure to secure the border and growing anxiety over crime related to illegal immigration, while critics say it's unconstitutional and encourages racial profiling and discrimination against immigrants or anyone thought to be an immigrant.
Activists fear without federal legislation in place to address the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S., other states will follow Arizona's lead.
"If Republicans and Democrats do not take care of this albatross around our necks, this will in fact be the undoing of many, many years of civil rights struggle in this country," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, where organizers expect 100,000 to march downtown Saturday.
President Barack Obama had once promised to tackle immigration reform in his first 100 days, but has pushed back that timetable several times. He said this week that Congress may lack the "appetite" to take on immigration after going through a tough legislative year. However, the president and Congress could address related issues, like boosting personnel and resources for border security, in spending bills this year.
Activists aren't alone in their opposition to Arizona's law, a fact May 1 organizers hope will draw out even more people Saturday.
California legislators have mulled canceling contracts with Arizona in protest. Denver Public Schools has banned work-related travel to Arizona. And several legal challenges, preventing the bill from going into effect this summer, are in the works.
Immigrant rights activists and politicians also say they're stepping up other forms of action. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat who has sponsored a House immigration bill, said he plans to participate in civil disobedience at the White House on Saturday. In Chicago, several college students plan to publicly "come out" as illegal immigrants on a downtown stage.
"It's time to come together and show that undocumenteds have dignity. They're human," said Douglas Interiano, a spokesman of Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, which is helping plan Saturday's march in Dallas.
He projected up to 100,000 could march in Texas with similar events planned in El Paso, Houston, Austin and San Juan.
"Given what's happening in Arizona now it's crucial for us to speak out and denounce what's happening," said Veronica Mendez, an organizer with the Workers Interfaith Network in Minneapolis, where there's also a Saturday rally. "We all have the same hopes and goals."
CBSNews.com Coverage of Arizona's New Immigration Law:
Dobbs: Protests Against Ariz. Law Just "Theater"
Illegal Immigrants Sought in Ariz. Cop Shooting
Immigration Law Condemned by MLB Players' Union
Arizonans Say Immigration Law Will Reduce Crime
Rick Perry Has Concerns over Arizona Immigration Bill
Can Dems Do Immigration Reform this Year?
Arizona Immigration Law Backlash Intensifies
Ariz. Immigration Debate Zeros in on Baseball
2 Lawsuits Challenge Immigration Ariz. Law
Web Turns into Weapon in Immigration Fight
City Councils Mull Ariz. Boycotts Over Immigration Law
In Ann Arbor, Mich., more than 500 people held a mock graduation ceremony for undocumented immigrant students near the site of Mr. Obama's University of Michigan commencement speech.
"It's time to come together and show that undocumenteds have dignity. They're human," said Douglas Interiano, a spokesman for Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, which is helping plan Saturday's march in Dallas.
He projected up to 100,000 could march in Dallas, with similar events planned in El Paso, Houston, Austin and San Juan.
About a dozen people at the Dallas event carried signs depicting Brewer as a Nazi and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known for his tough illegal immigration stance, as a Klansman. Organizers were asking sign holders to discard the placards.
"Given what's happening in Arizona now it's crucial for us to speak out and denounce what's happening," said Veronica Mendez, a Workers Interfaith Network organizer in Minneapolis, where there's also a Saturday rally. "We all have the same hopes and goals."
Immigrant rights organizer Salvador Reza of the group Puente said people from across Arizona - including immigrants and nonimmigrants - plan to stand up against the recent passage of the law, which requires authorities to question people about immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally.
Political action and immigrant rights groups, college students, laborers and others are expected to gather at the Capitol.
Reza said he expects several thousand people.
"There's going to be people all day long," with young people rallying at the Capitol Saturday morning, some coming in from California, Reza said.
As part of the rally at the Capitol, a town hall meeting is planned to gauge what people want and how they want their politicians to handle the new immigration enforcement law.
Paul Teittelbaum, an organizer with the Tucson May 1st Coalition, told The Associated Press the march and rally will focus on the new law.
"This year does have special significance here in Arizona because of the racist, anti-immigrant bill," Teittelbaum said.
"What we demand is the repeal of (the law). And what we demand is the end of the militarization of the border and the criminalization of immigrant workers," he said.
Rally organizers in Phoenix said they want President Barack Obama to intervene in Arizona and issue an executive order asserting the federal government's exclusive control over immigration laws.
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Activists said outrage over Arizona's controversial immigration law "awakened a sleeping giant" Saturday as rallies demanding federal immigration reform kicked off in cities across the country.
In New York, labor organizer John Delgado said anger over the law - which requires local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally - drew more than 5,000 people to a rally at Manhattan's Foley Square.
"She's awakened a sleeping giant," Delgado said, referring to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the law.
Rallies Held Nationwide Against Arizona Law
In Los Angeles, singer Gloria Estefan kicked off a massive downtown march to demand immigration reform and protest the Arizona law. Estefan spoke in Spanish and English atop a flatbed truck, proclaiming the United States is a nation of immigrants. She said immigrants are good, hardworking people, not criminals.
Cardinal Roger Mahony stood on the truck chanting in Spanish, "Si, se puede," or "Yes we can."
Organizers believe opposition to the law could be the catalyst to draw tens of thousands to rallies in dozens of cities. Four years ago, more than a million people across the country united to protest ultimately unsuccessful federal legislation that would have made being an illegal immigrant a felony.
The movement fractured and annual May 1 rally attendance dropped sharply as attempts to reform federal immigration policy fizzled. In 2006, nearly half a million people took to Chicago's streets. Last year, fewer than 15,000 participated in the rallies, held May 1 because it's a traditional day of protest and International Workers Day.
But immigration reform advocates have seen a flurry of activity since Brewer signed the Arizona measure into law last week.
"What happened in Arizona proves that racism and anti-immigrant hysteria across the country still exists. We need to continue to fight," said Lee Siu Hin, a coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-based National Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Activists are mobilizing through online social networking, churches and ethnic media. They have called for a boycott of Arizona businesses and protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games.
Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," commentator
"What we have to do," he told anchor Chriss Wragge, "is bring everyone together on solving the border security crisis in this country, solving the illegal immigration crisis in this country. … We have to solve the problem. We've got to stop the nonsense."
Supporters say the controversial new immigration law is necessary for one reason: safety.
. When he radioed in, he said his assailant was an illegal immigrant.
Many here attribute a rising crime rate to the rising tide of illegal immigrants.
"Assaults against police officers, officer-involved shootings, home invasions, carjackings, violent crimes - we can clearly point to the flow of illegal immigrants," said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu,
When Governor Jan Brewer signed the country's toughest anti-illegal immigration legislation into law, it ignited a firestorm.
As one of its last acts before adjourning, the Arizona legislature amended the controversial law, strengthening restrictions against racial profiling, while giving police more latitude to stop suspects and demand proof of citizenship, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whittaker.
Three lawsuits seeking to overturn it have been filed already; more are on the way.
And protesters plan to keep up the pressure.
"I'm an American citizen," said Abel Garcia. "I shouldn't have to be harassed to prove I'm an American citizen."
Immigration Rallies Redux
Activists believe opposition to the law - which requires authorities to question people about immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally - could be the catalyst to draw crowds similar to those four years ago.
That's when more than a million people across the country united to protest ultimately unsuccessful federal legislation that would have made being an illegal immigrant a felony.
The movement fractured, and annual May 1 rally attendance dropped sharply as attempts to reform federal immigration policy fizzled. In 2006, nearly half a million people took to Chicago's streets. Last year, fewer than 15,000 participated in the rallies, held May 1 because it's a traditional day of protest and International Workers Day.
But immigration reform advocates have seen a flurry of activity since the Arizona measure was signed into law last week.
"What happened in Arizona proves that racism and anti-immigrant hysteria across the country still exists. We need to continue to fight," said Lee Siu Hin, a coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-based National Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Relying on online social networking, churches and ethnic media to mobilize, activists have called for a boycott of Arizona businesses and protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games.
Supporters say the law is necessary because of the federal government's failure to secure the border and growing anxiety over crime related to illegal immigration, while critics say it's unconstitutional and encourages racial profiling and discrimination against immigrants or anyone thought to be an immigrant.
Activists fear without federal legislation in place to address the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S., other states will follow Arizona's lead.
"If Republicans and Democrats do not take care of this albatross around our necks, this will in fact be the undoing of many, many years of civil rights struggle in this country," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, where organizers expect 100,000 to march downtown Saturday.
President Barack Obama had once promised to tackle immigration reform in his first 100 days, but has pushed back that timetable several times. He said this week that Congress may lack the "appetite" to take on immigration after going through a tough legislative year. However, the president and Congress could address related issues, like boosting personnel and resources for border security, in spending bills this year.
Activists aren't alone in their opposition to Arizona's law, a fact May 1 organizers hope will draw out even more people Saturday.
California legislators have mulled canceling contracts with Arizona in protest. Denver Public Schools has banned work-related travel to Arizona. And several legal challenges, preventing the bill from going into effect this summer, are in the works.
Immigrant rights activists and politicians also say they're stepping up other forms of action. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat who has sponsored a House immigration bill, said he plans to participate in civil disobedience at the White House on Saturday. In Chicago, several college students plan to publicly "come out" as illegal immigrants on a downtown stage.
"It's time to come together and show that undocumenteds have dignity. They're human," said Douglas Interiano, a spokesman of Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, which is helping plan Saturday's march in Dallas.
He projected up to 100,000 could march in Texas with similar events planned in El Paso, Houston, Austin and San Juan.
"Given what's happening in Arizona now it's crucial for us to speak out and denounce what's happening," said Veronica Mendez, an organizer with the Workers Interfaith Network in Minneapolis, where there's also a Saturday rally. "We all have the same hopes and goals."
CBSNews.com Coverage of Arizona's New Immigration Law:
Dobbs: Protests Against Ariz. Law Just "Theater"
Illegal Immigrants Sought in Ariz. Cop Shooting
Immigration Law Condemned by MLB Players' Union
Arizonans Say Immigration Law Will Reduce Crime
Rick Perry Has Concerns over Arizona Immigration Bill
Can Dems Do Immigration Reform this Year?
Arizona Immigration Law Backlash Intensifies
Ariz. Immigration Debate Zeros in on Baseball
2 Lawsuits Challenge Immigration Ariz. Law
Web Turns into Weapon in Immigration Fight
City Councils Mull Ariz. Boycotts Over Immigration Law
In Ann Arbor, Mich., more than 500 people held a mock graduation ceremony for undocumented immigrant students near the site of Mr. Obama's University of Michigan commencement speech.
"It's time to come together and show that undocumenteds have dignity. They're human," said Douglas Interiano, a spokesman for Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, which is helping plan Saturday's march in Dallas.
He projected up to 100,000 could march in Dallas, with similar events planned in El Paso, Houston, Austin and San Juan.
About a dozen people at the Dallas event carried signs depicting Brewer as a Nazi and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known for his tough illegal immigration stance, as a Klansman. Organizers were asking sign holders to discard the placards.
"Given what's happening in Arizona now it's crucial for us to speak out and denounce what's happening," said Veronica Mendez, a Workers Interfaith Network organizer in Minneapolis, where there's also a Saturday rally. "We all have the same hopes and goals."
Immigrant rights organizer Salvador Reza of the group Puente said people from across Arizona - including immigrants and nonimmigrants - plan to stand up against the recent passage of the law, which requires authorities to question people about immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally.
Political action and immigrant rights groups, college students, laborers and others are expected to gather at the Capitol.
Reza said he expects several thousand people.
"There's going to be people all day long," with young people rallying at the Capitol Saturday morning, some coming in from California, Reza said.
As part of the rally at the Capitol, a town hall meeting is planned to gauge what people want and how they want their politicians to handle the new immigration enforcement law.
Paul Teittelbaum, an organizer with the Tucson May 1st Coalition, told The Associated Press the march and rally will focus on the new law.
"This year does have special significance here in Arizona because of the racist, anti-immigrant bill," Teittelbaum said.
"What we demand is the repeal of (the law). And what we demand is the end of the militarization of the border and the criminalization of immigrant workers," he said.
Rally organizers in Phoenix said they want President Barack Obama to intervene in Arizona and issue an executive order asserting the federal government's exclusive control over immigration laws.
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The most ironic part of this whole thing is that the Sheriff (or whatever his title) has to have some Mexican ancestry - - look closely at him. And I will bet if some detailed DNA testing was done, he and many others would find out some details of their ancestry that they would not want known.
________________
So what....that the Sheriff might have Mexican ancestry....We welcomed legal immigrants to this country for centuries.....there is no problem being Hispanic or Mexican, or having Spanish ancestry....the problem is a person's criminal illegal activity, not their ancestry.....skirting around customs to cross the border is a criminal offense.
Wake up America, get back to your roots, and start solving your own problems instead of relying on the government.
It is a constant cycle, every time you have one group of morons whining about something, it inevitably brings another group of morons (government) who then write inane laws to enforce the local stupidity of the people.
But in this case, it is simply a law to round up CRIMINALS.
I completely agree with Arizona's law. It is not racial profiliing; that's specifically prohibited in the bill.
---
Right.
Cops will be stopping blacks and anglos looking for illegal Hispanics.
Sheesh....
The aren't "looking for hispanics".....they are looking for illegals...of any type....and they could be black, white or chinese.
It just so happens that Arizona is a border state, which has their own unique problem of Mexicans crossing the border illegally.....they caused the problem, so don't blame Arizona for having to "clean up the mess"....as you libtards love to say.
So,if you LOOK like te average white American,no one will probably stop you and ask for papers; BUT if you look the slighest bit different, you will be stopped - - and Lord, have mercy if you happen to have a bit of an accent!!!!
This country is really going downhill. Yes, we do need some immigration laws which can be realistically enforced - but with common sense,don't just target one group of people because we have many other groups of people who are also entering this country illegally, EVERYDAY. Fair is fair - - Cubans enter everyday and how many of them are caught and returned. Remember some years ago when boatloads of Cubans and boatloads of Haitians were caught - - guess who got to stay and guess who got sent back?????
This continent of North America includes more than the one country of the United States; and there is only a small thread which connects North America with South America. We are all related somewhere down the line.