Immigration March Attracts Large Number Of Participants, Immigrants Demand Citizenship Rights
Sunday saw a large number of immigrants taking to the streets on the National Mall demanding an overhaul of the national immigration system.
The activists participating in the Immigration March demonstrated as the House approved the health care overhaul, saying they were eying an immigration reform.
Reform Immigration for America, which was behind the rally, said that the gathering was larger than the huge April 2006 Washington demonstration, when thousands of immigrants rallied throughout the country demanding rights and enforcement practices. The protesters included people of all ages – young and old – beating drums and raising placards, reading "Change takes Courage," "Obama Don't Forget Your Promise," and “Reform, Not Raids.”
They reminded President Obama of his campaign pledge to prioritize overhauling immigration practices when he would assume office. Protesters played the video showing Obama stating, “I have always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today. Immigration reform is critical to our security and our prosperity.”
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who has been the torchbearer of the immigrant rights, said, "We've been patient long enough. We've listened quietly. We've asked politely. We've turned the other cheek so many times our heads are spinning. It's time to let immigrants come out of the shadows into the light and for America to embrace them and protect them."
Immigrants from different races and cultures gathered at the National Mall to participate in the rally for immigrant rights. Among them, there was a group carrying white crosses engraved with the names of those border crossers who died in the Arizona desert and chanting, "Obama, listen, remember your promise!"
However, the events that have happened in the recent past decry Obama’s pledge. Recently, the White House has endorsed a new blueprint for immigration overhaul proposed by Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey Graham, which calls for additional border security, biometric Social Security cards so that illegal workers do not acquire jobs, etc.
Many fear that the time is not ripe for an immigration reform bill, as previously there was health care reform bill and now other domestic issues, including financial regulations and energy policy, have cropped up. It is certain that the advocates for an immigration bill will face stiff resistance from the Republicans as well as moderate Democrats.
The protesters campaigning for rights for citizenship rights for nearly 11 million illegal residents were blunt in saying that officials will have to pay the price during the election if they fail to keep their pledges. Latin immigrants have been particularly criticizing the Obama government’s enforcement record, which shows that there has been an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants who have been deported, which has reached 387,790 during the fiscal year ending 30 September 2009.
According to Labor Department statistics, about 15.5 percent of the total workforce in the United States comprises foreign-born workers, and unemployment rate among these people has gone up from 5.8 percent to 9.7 percent.
Will the Immigration Reform 2010 become a reality, remains to be seen.
