U.S.: there will be a massive mobilization of immigrants
On 1 May, Labour Day, although the United States has its own celebration in September this year will capitalize on the fury of immigrants and their fight for immigration reform that would legalize the over 10 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Cities like Los Angeles ( California), and Dallas (Texas), the two states with the largest part of the Latino community in the U.S., expect demonstrations of over 100,000 people, police said.
In Los Angeles The Police Department reported that not question their immigration status on the demonstrators and to prepare a great safety device to prevent incidents of May Day 2007, when clashes between officers and demonstrators.
Other large cities like Chicago and Washington, DC prepared rallies and marches with political leaders in the second one against the White House. But frustration growing Hispanic and immigrant community will epicenter Phoenix, capital of Arizona, where in three months to enter into force a law that makes illegal immigration a felony.
In this southern border state, local police may ask the immigration status of anyone who looks “suspicious”, a function assigned only to agents of the federal government, and penalized those who carry or give work to an illegal immigrant.
The harshness of the law of Arizona, criticized even outside U.S. borders is, in fact, the great stimulant for a debate on immigration reform seemed dead until a couple of weeks.
Arizona served to aggregate back to the immigrant community and their advocates with a barrage of condemnation communicated from pro-immigrant organizations, human rights defenders, governments in Latin America the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Colombian artists like Shakira, Ricky Martin or Linda Ronstan Mexican-American.
Law wrong. The U.S. President, Barack Obama, called the Arizona law as “wrong,” examines whether the measure is1000unconstitutional and whether it should be challenged in court.
The lawsuits by civil and religious organizations have joined campaigns and solidarity in the state and stop collecting signatures for a referendum law.
The wave of protests, even got Congressional lawmakers approved changes to Arizona law to specify the prohibition of race as a factor in identifying illegal immigrants by police.
polemic But neither this law nor the urgency and insistence of pro-immigrant groups, get immigration reform into the political agenda of Republicans and Democrats, who avoid this thorny issue at the approach of November”s congressional elections.
Many, however, begin to take positions. The first reaction came from the hand of Democratic senators, who published a proposed “framework” that puts border security to the legalization of undocumented immigrants, to convince Republicans to join the effort.
Meanwhile, daily protests against the Arizona Capitol, messages to boost economic and tourism boycott against this state of the border with Mexico and demonstrations in front of Congress in Washington are only the preamble of the expected protests “massive” in the coming hours.
With the slogan “We Are All Arizona” and the clamor for immigration reform, thousands of immigrants in the United States will march, as it provides a high concentration in Los Angeles with assistance of Latino stars like Gloria Estefan, Kate del Castillo and “Tweety”.
“It is important that we join and participate in a peaceful march to respect the rights and dignity of our community, “said Eddie” Piolin “Sotelo, the broadcaster”s most watched Spanish in the United States.
Univision chain confirmed the presence of personalities such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Kate del Castillo, Voice Command, Dareyes de la Sierra, Chris Weitz (director of “New Moon”, 2009) and Demian Bichir, among others.
“We decided to join here in Los Angeles as much activists and advocates for immigrant rights in Arizona will make a day of education about the law and the rights of our community, “said Pablo Alvarado in Los Angeles, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, who lives in Arizona.
Recognized Hispanic artists joined the voices condemning the controversial law SB1070 Arizona, the first to criminalize undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Singers like Ricky Martin, Shakira and Paulina Rubio plus actress Eva Longoria and comedian George Lopez rejected the law, which allows police to question the status of anyone they suspect is illegally in the U.S. and penalizes those who carry or use an illegal den.
One of the most committed has been the Colombian Shakira, who traveled yesterday to the capital of Arizona to meet with the mayor and Phoenix”s Latino community . He expressed his “open and public opposition” to the SB1070 and acknowledged his concern about the implications arising for immigrants in the area.
agencies AFP, AP and AP
May 4, 2010 4:07 pm 
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