IMMIGRANTS HIT THE STREETS
Immigration News Briefs (INB)

Between Mar. 20 and 25, tens of thousands of immigrants
demonstrated in cities and towns across the US to protest anti-
immigrant legislation being considered by the Senate and to
demand legalization for out-of-status immigrants [see INB
3/18/06]. On Mar. 20, some 1,200 immigrants and supporters
rallied outside the statehouse in Trenton, New Jersey, to protest
a proposal being considered by the US Congress which would apply
tougher enforcement measures against out-of-status immigrants.
Southern New Jersey coordinator Ramon Hernandez said more than 25
local businesses and farmers helped pay for buses to take people
to the rally. [Home News Tribune Online (East Brunswick) 3/21/06;
Press of Atlantic City 3/21/06] On Mar. 22, more than 200
immigrants and supporters marched in Providence, Rhode Island, to
the office of Senator Lincoln Chafee, asking him to support
comprehensive immigration reform. [Eyewitnessnewstv.com (East
Providence) 3/22/06]

On Mar. 23, thousands of immigrants and supporters flooded the
streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in a march for immigrant rights,
part of what was billed as a "A Day Without Latinos." Milwaukee
police estimated the crowd at more than 10,000, but organizers
said some 30,000 people took part. About 90 Latino-owned
businesses on Milwaukee's south side were closed for all or part
of the day in support, according to Voces de la Frontera, which
organized the demonstration. Nearly 100 staffers and teachers
skipped work at the Milwaukee Technical College to attend the
rally. About a dozen businesses in the nearby communities of
Racine and Kenosha, south of Milwaukee, also closed, and several
hundred people protested in downtown Racine.

The Milwaukee Common Council voted 11-1 the same morning to
condemn the proposed punitive legislation and call on Congress to
approve a reform bill that would allow immigrants to gain legal
status. [Journal Sentinel Online (Milwaukee) 3/23/06; AP 3/23/06]
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), sponsor of anti-immigrant bill
HR 4437, which passed the House last Dec. 16, issued a statement
criticizing the Milwaukee immigrant mobilization, while admitting
it was "an impressive show of force." [Sensenbrenner Statement on
Milwaukee Rally 3/23/06]

Latino immigrant communities in the Atlanta, Georgia area took
part in a "Day without Hispanics" civic strike on Mar. 24, a day
after the Georgia House voted 123-51 to approve a state bill that
would affect undocumented immigrants by denying state services,
imposing a 5% surcharge on wire transfers, punishing employers
and creating a worker verification program to be administered by
the state Department of Labor. The legislation must still be
approved by the state senate. [AP 3/23/06]

Teodoro Maus, one of the organizers of the protest, estimated
that as many as 80,000 Latinos failed to show up for work. About
200 people rallied on the steps of the state capitol in Atlanta,
some holding signs reading: "Don't panic, we're Hispanic" and "We
have a dream, too." [Arizona Republic (Phoenix) 3/24/06]

Some 2,000 people rallied in Kansas City, Kansas, on Mar. 24 to
protest the anti-immigrant legislation being considered by the US
Senate. [Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO) 3/24/06]

In Phoenix on Mar. 24, thousands of people marched to the office
of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to demand respect for immigrants. Phoenix
police estimated the crowd at between 15,000 and 20,000 people;
organizers had only expected about 3,000. The march filled a
solid mile of 24th Street, shutting down the street and causing
major traffic gridlock. "I've been involved in protests like this
for nearly 10 years, and I've never seen anything this big," said
state representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix). A group of
protesters delivered a letter to Kyl's office. A smaller
demonstration took place the same day in Tucson. [Arizona
Republic 3/24/06; East Valley Tribune (Phoenix suburbs) 3/25/06]

On Mar. 21, over 50 hunger strikers representing as many
community organizations began a seven-day protest in front of the
federal building in San Francisco to call for a fair and just
immigration reform. United Farm Workers of America co-founder
Dolores Huerta spoke at a noon press conference kicking off the
hunger strike, saying: "It's time for a new legalization
program." Later in the day, nearly 400 community members marched
from Dolores Park in the Mission District to the federal building
to support the hunger strikers. The hunger strike is to end on
Mar. 27 with a community march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office.
Daily reports from the week of action are posted on
www.immigrantrights.blogspot.com. [Contra Costa Times 3/22/06;
"SF Hunger Strike Report: Day 1" 3/22/06]