Immigration News

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Immigration debate splits Christian right

Washington -- Religious conservatives bared their internal struggles over immigration Thursday at an unusually frank public debate, demonstrating that the most powerful faction of the Republican Party is as divided as the party itself on the issue.

Torn between the values of Christian compassion and a disapproval of lawbreaking -- with an undercurrent of angst about cultural change -- social conservatives and their political allies squared off in the face of internal polls that show their "values voters" overwhelmingly prefer strong border security.

The Family Research Council, which sponsored Thursday's debate, surveyed its members earlier this month and found that by a ratio of 9 to 1, they believe illegal immigrants should be "detected, arrested and returned to their country of origin."

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of Sacramento, head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said he was concerned by a new Pew Hispanic Center poll released Wednesday that found two-thirds of white evangelicals consider new immigrants to be a burden and a threat to American culture.

"My message to the white evangelicals would be, Hispanic immigrants resonate more with your values than many other constituencies or groups," Rodriguez said. "They are God-fearing, hard-working, family-loving people. And if that doesn't look a lot like the Joneses and Smiths of Alabama and Arkansas and Michigan, other than the color of their skin, I don't know what would."

As with the larger national immigration debate, evangelical leaders could be more willing than the public they represent to offer earned citizenship to the 12 million illegal immigrants now in the country.

Dr. Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest non-Catholic denomination representing millions of white evangelicals, announced at the meeting his endorsement of a bipartisan immigration plan in the Senate that is backed by most Democrats, some Republicans and President Bush. The program includes a way for many illegal immigrants living in the country today to become permanent residents and ultimately U.S. citizens.

"As citizens of the United States, we have an obligation to support the government and the government's laws for conscience sake," Land wrote in an essay on the Baptist Press Web site explaining his position. "As citizens of the Lord's heavenly Kingdom ... we also have a divine mandate to act redemptively and compassionately toward those who are in need. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us (Matthew 7:12)."

Religious conservatives usually lead the Republican charge on social issues from same-sex marriage to abortion. But they have been quiet on immigration.

"We are wrestling with it," said Connie Mackey, head of government affairs for the Family Research Council. "We have varying positions within the organization, but I think the bottom line if we were to take any position, it would be that we've got to do something to pay attention to the laws that are on the books right now, and then the second part is the hardest part: what to do about those people who are here now."

Mackey said no consensus exists other than to be "compassionate but firm."

Restrictionists battled expansionists in the free-wheeling debate. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a firebrand Colorado Republican, demanded that Bush send the military to the Mexican border.

"The president of the United States, tomorrow if he wanted to, could end this problem," Tancredo said. "He certainly has the power to apply military assets."

Tancredo said there were some Republicans in Congress who are "probably glad to see the price of gas go up so we can talk about something else besides immigration."

John O'Sullivan, editor-at-large of the conservative National Review, accused Catholic bishops of falling under the sway of secular multiculturalists. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which strongly backs legalization, is "uncomfortably close to the libertarians who view the United States not as a community but simply as a place," O'Sullivan said.

But Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. -- who converted to Catholicism in 2002 -- staunchly defended the Senate plan he helped craft.

"Any one of you in this room today, if you knew anybody that was in a tough position, if their family member was sick or dying or they were hurting or they needed a cup of water or they needed food, not one of you right now wouldn't do that exactly for those individuals even if they were illegal undocumented immigrants," Brownback said. "You know you would do that. You know that nothing would stop you from doing that.

"We all came from somewhere," he said. "If I have no option to feed my family in any legitimate way, we can see ourselves maybe jumping across the line ourselves. ... I don't want to face my maker without every day, every minute, having tried to have done what I think is the moral thing to do, even if it's politically difficult."

Laura Esquivel, director of issues marketing for the liberal People for the American Way, said after the debate, "They're in a real pickle here."

She found it odd that the Family Research Council was refusing to take the position endorsed by 90 percent of its own members. "They're in the same conundrum as the Republican Party," she said. "They've made all these inroads, or have tried to, in the Hispanic community, and it is going up in smoke over this issue."

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Mexican lawmakers will travel to Los Angeles to support immigrant protests

MEXICO CITY – Mexican lawmakers issued a declaration of support for immigrant protests planned in the United States on Monday and said they will send a delegation to Los Angeles to show their solidarity.

The declaration, issued late Thursday by all the political parties in the lower house of Congress, contrasts with the position of Mexico's Foreign Department, which has said it will discipline any consular officials who take part in the protests.

The delegation of lawmakers will meet with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, it said in a news release from Congress.

“The only thing we are looking for is to end this dehumanizing situation and get the recognition of the migrant labor force,” Federal Deputy Maria Garcia said. “People who go looking for work should not be treated like criminals with the risk of being tried in federal courts.”

Activists are urging immigrants across the United States to skip work, avoid spending money and march in the streets to demonstrate their importance to the U.S. economy.

The protest, dubbed “A Day Without Immigrants,” comes as the U.S. Congress debates immigration bills proposing everything from toughened border security to the legalization of all 11 million undocumented migrants in America.

Activists south of border have called for a boycott of all U.S. businesses on Monday in support of the protests.

Mexicans living in the United States sent back home about $20 billion in remittances last year.

President Vicente Fox has lobbied relentlessly for an immigration reform in the United States. However, his administration has held back from getting involved the immigrant protests, saying it does not want to violate U.S. sovereignty.

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L.A. mayor picks NFL talks over immigrant boycott

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles' first Latino mayor in the modern era, will skip huge pro-immigration rallies planned for Monday to meet with pro football officials in Dallas, leaving organizers feeling like "a ship without a captain."

Oscar Sanchez, an organizer of the Great American Boycott in Los Angeles, said the mayor's office previously told the group he would speak at a downtown Los Angeles rally on Monday -- then backed out.

Instead, the mayor will be in Dallas speaking with National Football League officials about the possibility of bringing a team back to Los Angeles.

Activists said the rallies, which could become the largest protests since the civil rights era of the 1960s, would shut down major U.S. cities and serve as an indicator of their economic power, with or without the mayor.

They have predicted that 2 million to 3 million people would flood the streets of Los Angeles alone.

"It has been advertised everywhere and he is the mayor of the second-biggest city of the country where a boycott is going to happen. It would feel like a ship without a captain," Sanchez said.

A spokesman for Villaraigosa said the mayor had never promised to be present at Monday's immigration rallies -- part of a nationwide boycott and demonstration -- and that his Dallas trip had been in the works for a long time.

Villaraigosa, the son of a Mexican immigrant, has long championed immigrant rights. But he has urged restraint in the May Day event, asking protesters to be "lawful and respectful" and children to stay in school.

"He is not making us, he is not breaking us," Sanchez said. "This march is about the people, not about the mayor. I'd be hurt if people didn't show up."

An immigration rally on March 25 in Los Angeles drew at least 500,000 people and was credited with rattling Congress as it debates the divisive issue.

Immigration has split Congress, the Republican Party and public opinion. Conservatives want the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants returned to Mexico and a fence built along the border.

Others, including President George W. Bush, want a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship.

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Many illegal immigrants arrested in raid already out of custody
BY ALLEN PUSEY
The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON - Ten days after a splashy 26-state immigration raid netted 1,187 arrests, about one in three of those apprehended are back on the streets, reflecting a fact of life that immigration officials say they live with every day.

"It's frustrating. It's complicated," said Dean Boyd, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "But those are the cards we're dealt."

The complex, multi-agency raid April 19 on 52 worksites operated by IFCO Services, a Dutch-owned pallet service company, was the largest such investigation and operation ever undertaken by immigration agents, according to federal authorities.

But a look at what's happened to those taken into custody last week, say experts familiar with the system, reflect the problems of immigration enforcement as much as the operation's success. About 270 have already been deported voluntarily. Roughly 460 of those arrested are still behind bars - some awaiting immigration proceedings, some being held on prior warrants and some unable to make bond. Another 50 have been referred to other agencies, mostly in law enforcement, Boyd said.

For a variety of reasons, another 400 of the illegal workers arrested have already been processed and released - some because they have families living with them or no criminal records or they are needed for witnesses - often on a promise to appear in court when they are asked.

Tamara Jacoby, an immigration expert with the conservative Manhattan Institute, says the diverse outcomes as well as the raid itself shows the obstacles to effective immigration enforcement.

"They (immigration authorities) haven't done many big raids in years," Jacoby said. "They'd pretty much given up on workplace raids. They didn't find it very effective for exactly the reason that these numbers reflect. Some are jailed. Some go home. Some are back on the street."

T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing Border Patrol agents, said the numbers pale in comparison to the problem.

"Break it down statistically, and it doesn't add up to much," Bonner said. "As impressive as it was, these raids are the result of very complex investigations and there are only a handful of them. There are an estimated 8 million undocumented workers on worksites in the U.S.; in the end, it's just a drop in the bucket."

In Dallas, 93 illegal workers were arrested, all from Mexico. Of those, 90 agreed to be deported.

In Houston, of 67 arrested, according to a Houston ICE spokeswoman, only 12 were actually deported. The rest were released.

"We want them around in case we need them as witnesses," said Luisa Aquino-Deason. "If we need them, we know where they are."

The fact that the agency has only 20,800 beds nationwide for detainees influences detention decisions, Boyd said. In the northeast, where illegal IFCO workers were arrested on worksites in Albany, Philadelphia and Boston, all those apprehended are likely to remain behind bars because space is available. In the Southwest, by contrast, voluntary deportation is more practical and effective, allowing ICE to incarcerate illegal immigrants who may pose a danger or be flight risks.

"We are required by law to detain illegal immigrants who have committed crimes or have criminal records, so sometimes we have no choice," Boyd said. "We'd much rather release someone who's been arrested for working illegally than someone who has committed a rape."

But even those who are voluntarily deported are likely positioning themselves for a return to the United States, Bonner said. By agreeing to deportation, rather than going through the time and expense of a hearing, the consequences will be less if they return and are caught.

"That's why they do it: so it won't count against them the next time they're arrested," Bonner said.

A previous deportation order carries additional penalties for a repeat offender.

Jacoby agreed.

"That's the bargain that they (ICE) have been forced to make. It's not worth the time to detain them for formal deportation proceedings, and by leaving voluntarily, the illegal immigrants make it easier to return," Jacoby said.

Federal prosecutor Tina Sciocchetti, in Albany, N.Y., where the ICE investigation originated, said that despite the large numbers of arrests, her office is more interested in prosecuting seven IFCO managers arrested in the sweep than those who happened to be working that day.

She said her office decided to let the illegal workers deal with the immigration consequences, rather than charge them with crimes.

"We thought that was the fair thing to do," Sciocchetti said.

But while 400 of those workers remain in jail, the seven managers who were arrested have been released from jail. Three who were arrested in Albany were allowed to post a $20,000 unsecured bond - requiring no upfront money. Those arrested outside Albany were released on their own recognizance with orders to report to a federal magistrate in Albany on May 4.

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Immigration officials nab kids to net parents

In an unusual move designed to net an illegal immigrant couple, immigration officials in Toronto went to a school and threatened to take away two young sisters if their parents didn't turn themselves in.

The officials then took the sisters, who are seven and 14-years-old, and their Costa Rican mother to a detention centre.

They were eventually released into the care of a friend.

The girls' Costa Rican father, who remains in hiding, told the Toronto Star he was shocked by the action.

"This is very strange. I don't understand what happened," Alvaro Serdas told the newspaper, speaking through an interpreter.

Serdas is hiding from immigration officials with his other two daughters, fearing officials intend to capture the entire family.

Immigration ordered the family to return to Costa Rica last year.

A border services official told the Star the officials' tactics contradict federal policy, though she could not confirm any details of what had allegedly taken place.

Anna Pape, a spokeswoman for the Canada Border Services Agency, said officials try to avoid tactics that would cause illegal immigrants to keep their children out of school for fear of having them used against them.

"What took place was contrary to CBSA protocols and the family has been re-placed,'' Pape told the newspaper.

"We don't want to create a situation where parents without status or facing removal keep their kids out of school.''

Another Costa Rican family is also facing deportation after immigration officials attended another Toronto school this week.

By contrast, normal protocol was followed in that investigation.

The family's two teenage children were pulled from their classrooms and taken to the principal's office on Thursday, where officials were waiting with their mother, Francella Sossa.

A tipster had alerted police to the family's illegal status, and officials had already apprehended Sossa and the children's grandparents.

That family came to Canada in 2001 on a visitor visa. They then applied for refugee status, claiming they would be in danger from drug dealers if they were forced to return to their homeland.

In the second case, the father of the children, Gerald Lizano, is also in hiding with a warrant out for his arrest.

They family is expected to face deportation.

Members of the Portuguese community have raised concern recently, claiming the Conservative government is cracking down on immigrants from that nation.

Immigration Minister Monte Solberg, however, said deportations are actually down by more than half in the past year compared to the number of deportations under the previous Liberal government.

Solberg said 400 Portuguese immigrants were deported by this time last year, compared to 166 so far this year.

After meeting with the Portuguese foreign minister, Solberg said the government is looking at options for dealing with foreign workers in Canada.

He acknowledged the government needs to be sensitive and compassionate when dealing with the issue.

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Groups rally in Minneapolis for tighter immigration controls


MINNEAPOLIS - About 75 people who fought the rain and cold to attend a rally at the federal courthouse Saturday heard calls for tighter immigration controls and demands that more immigrants adopt English.

A small Minnesota organization calling itself Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform headlined the rally but was joined by the Minuteman Project, a national volunteer group that patrols the border to keep out illegal immigrants.

"What we are trying to do is bring awareness to the citizens of Minnesota concerning the issue of illegal immigration," said Ruthie Hendrycks, a rural New Ulm woman who founded the Minnesota group. Hendrycks said the group wants the government to close the country's borders and toughen its immigration laws.

Bryan Kuntz, a Chaska man who attended the rally, complained that he can't communicate with many people in the building where he lives because they don't speak English. He also said he disagreed with proposals in Congress that would allow many illegal immigrants to remain in the country.

"We don't legalize behavior because of numbers," he said. "Sheer numbers of people breaking the law doesn't call for change."

The crowd gathered around a tent-covered podium to hear the speakers while people in the crowd held signs that read "Our National Anthem is in English" and "Enforce our Laws." One man gave Hendrycks a $1,000 check for Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform.

The Minuteman Project executive director Stephen Eichler also spoke, telling the group his organization supports "all those good folks who believe in the United States of America and citizenship.

"Citizenship is precious and not something to be taken for granted," he said.

Organizers said they chose the courthouse as the site for their rally because it's where immigrants take citizenship oaths.

The rally came two days before immigrants planned to boycott work and school, in Minnesota and across the country, for a day to show their importance to the economy and education. Thousands of immigrants also turned out earlier this month at the Capitol for a rally.

The Rev. Jesse Peterson of the California-based Brotherhood Organization of New Destiny, which helps troubled young men, delivered an opening prayer. Peterson said black citizens are suffering in California because of illegal immigration.

He said the black community was losing out to illegal immigrants in schools, jobs and housing. "In south central L.A., in Compton, (blacks are) being run out of their own community," Peterson said. "This is not a civil rights issue, this is a moral issue."

Eichler said Minnesotans could expect the same without stronger checks on the flow on newcomers into the country.

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Opposing Immigration Groups To Rally Day Early

"This is not a racist issue. The time has come for Americans to show we want laws enforced."

FORT COLLINS, Colo. A day ahead of most of the rest of the nation this university town will see dueling rallies over immigration policy.

And it will be at the same time and same place: Old Town.

Their plans are peaceful, say both groups, Fuerza Latina and Northern Coloradans for Immigration Reduction.

Fort Collins police are not expecting any problems, but additional officers will be on duty, said Sgt. Jeremy Yonce.

"This is not a racist issue. The time has come for Americans to show we want laws enforced," said NCIR spokesman Tim Wunsch. "If we let everyone come who wanted a better life, we'd lose a lot."

Fuerza had been organizing like other immigration rights groups for a Monday March but decided Sunday would bring more people out.

"We need comprehensive immigration reform to fix what's broken in this country," said Kim Salinas, immigration attorney. "What we don't need are punitive, unworkable laws like the ones coming from the House."

"People in office the last few years can't talk about the economy or Iraq or Osama bin Laden or weapons of mass destruction," she said. "So now it's 'Let's blame everything on the undocumented worker.' Unfortunately, people have taken that bait. Hook, line and sinker," said Sylvia Martinez.

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A look at the immigration-reform march planned for Monday

Organizers of Monday's march in support of immigration reform say they expect hundreds of thousands of people to participate in downtown Chicago.
Here are some details about the march:

_ TIME: Ten a-m at Union Park on the city's near West Side. The march begins at noon and will travel downtown though Chicago's business district, ending in Grant Park.

_ BOYCOTT: Unlike other immigrant rights groups in other cities, organizers of the Chicago rally stress they are not calling for a work stoppage and student boycott on Monday.

_ CROWD SIZE: More than 100-thousand people participated in a similar rally held March Tenth. Organizers say they are better coordinated now and expect up to 500-thousand people.

_ SAFETY: Chicago police say they'll have extra officers on duty and will line riot gear-clad officers along the route.

_ SIGNIFICANCE: The march will commemorate May Day, the international holiday honoring laborers.

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No. 1 employers of day laborers? Homeowners
Use of illegal immigrant workers becoming mainstream in U.S.

BURBANK, Calif. - Chris James needed help moving a piano and three dozen boxes of records from his music studio, but instead of corralling some buddies he rented a truck and hired day laborers outside the local Home Depot.

The two Guatemalan men finished the job in an hour and a half, hauling a piano and wedging a sofa into his condo, then stacking the boxes in a back room, for less than $40.

It was first time James hired day laborers but it won’t be his last.

“Absolutely satisfied,” said James, 31.

The No. 1 employers of day laborers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, are homeowners — not construction contractors, not professional landscapers.

“Day labor is not a niche market,” said Abel Valenzuela, a UCLA professor and one of three authors of the first national day labor study, which was released in January. “It’s now entering different aspects of the national mainstream economy.”

Forty-nine percent of day labor employers are homeowners, according to 2,660 laborers interviewed for the study. Contractors were second, at 43 percent. The study also found that three quarters of day laborers were illegal immigrants and most were from Latin America.

Homeowners like the men who call themselves “jornaleros” because they make up a flexible labor pool with no red tape and no overhead. And they’ll do backbreaking jobs much cheaper than regular contractors.

Symbiotic relationship
Day laborers like homeowners, too. Shady contractors routinely stiff them. Not homeowners — the workers know where they live.

“And in houses, they give us food, water and soda,” said Herminio Velazquez, 48, one of the men who worked at James’s condo.

While some homeowners are uncomfortable hiring people who likely have no work documents, they often don’t believe they are doing wrong.

That position is rejected by anti-illegal immigration activists.

“They know they are hiring illegal aliens and breaking the law,” said Joseph Turner, who is trying to force San Bernardino to outlaw taxpayer-funded day labor centers. “They are contributing to the illegal immigration problem.”

Agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement occasionally arrest day laborers, but they almost never go after homeowner employers. Their priorities are national security work sites such as seaports and the networks that smuggle illegal immigrants into the country.

“We need to stop unlawful employment,” said agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice. “But working day laborers sites is not an efficient way to use finite resources.”

Debate stirs passions
The federal debate on immigration reform has been on either criminalizing illegal immigrants — a proposal that has stirred widespread protest demonstrations — or giving them temporary work visas that might eventually lead to citizenship. Though Senate leaders promise progress, legislation may not pass in this election year.

David Peters, a 37-year-old salesman, is bothered by illegal immigration and believes he’s part of the problem, but he says it isn’t always possible to hire people with work papers.

He hired day laborers over several months while remodeling his Hermosa Beach house. One man tiled a floor and installed a granite countertop for $1,000, jobs that Peters estimated would cost $5,000 if he used the Yellow Pages.

“I know if they didn’t have a job, they wouldn’t be here,” said Peters. “But we all shop at Target and Wal-Mart, and all their stuff is made overseas with cheap labor.”

A helping hand
Maxine Colby started hiring day laborers after her husband died six years ago because she needed somebody to clear brush, pull weeds, trim trees and wash windows. She pays them $11 an hour and serves them a hot lunch.

“They have been fantastic,” said the 78-year-old Malibu resident. “I speak a little Spanish, and they speak a little English, and we have a good time.”

She doesn’t ask about immigration status or worry about breaking the law.

“This is a system that works for most people,” she said. “If lawmakers can’t figure out how to fix it, I certainly can’t.”

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Minutemen say they've made a difference, but critics disagree

As their month-long border deployment draws to an end, leaders of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps say their efforts have brought more attention to the illegal immigration issue and more supporters to their border security movement.

Critics are less generous in their assessment, and the U.S. Border Patrol is maintaining its neutral position on the hundreds of volunteers watching for illegal entrants in Southern Arizona.

"It's helped to gather more volunteers, and it's also helped to further debate," said Stacey O'Connell, state director of the group that opposes illegal immigration and demands government action to secure the border.

"This is the time to make the nation aware of how poor our border security is, and I think we've been very successful in doing that this month."

Jennifer Allen, director of the immigrant rights advocacy group Border Action Network, said the group's presence along the border have done nothing to bring real solutions to the problems along the border.

"They further distract the general public and policymakers from real solutions that can provide for meaningful immigration reform and that can provide for real security on the border."

The Minutemen, Allen said, are clouding the immigration reform issue.

"They continue to provoke fear and have been inciting anti-immigrant violence," she said.

However, there have been no reports of violence connected with any Minuteman operations since the inception of the organization.

Despite that fact, Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties-Arizona chapter, said its observers have been present to "document and observe as best we can in hopes of deterring violence."

Meetze claims that there have been two minor, nonviolent incidents in Arizona this month.

Arizona is the nation's busiest point for illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico, with a corridor southwest of Tucson experiencing some of the heaviest traffic. Minutemen have set up observation posts there this month.

Since April 1, several hundred Minuteman volunteers have spent time stationed on private ranch lands, watching for and phoning in sightings to the Border Patrol.

Minuteman chapters also have been active along both the Mexican and Canadian borders.

As of Thursday, O'Connell said Minuteman observers had reported to the Border Patrol seeing 1,300 people crossing through the Arizona desert this month. They also confirmed arrests of 601 of those people, he said.

But according to Border Patrol figures, citizen calls of sightings dropped significantly in April compared to the month before the Minuteman operations; so did apprehensions throughout the Tucson sector.

In March, there were 1,240 calls, but the number dropped to 955 through Wednesday, said agency spokesman Gustavo Soto. In addition, apprehensions of illegal immigrants dropped by 19,000, or 30 percent, from March through the first 26 days of April, Soto said.

Border Patrol spokesmen have said officials are neutral about the Minutemen, neither endorsing their observe-and-report efforts nor criticizing them.

"We don't know what kind of impact they made, if any," said Chuy Rodriguez, another spokesman for the patrol.

"We don't distinguish to see who's making the (citizen) calls."

Mike Albon, a spokesman for Local 2544, a union representing Border Patrol agents in the Tucson sector, said, "We haven't had any complaints of the Minutemen interfering with normal operations."

He said he also did not know whether their efforts could be classified as helpful or a hindrance. "We're basically neutral to their activity, but they have not interfered, so that's a plus."

In fact, he said legal observers affiliated with the American Civil Liberties Union's Arizona chapter watching the Minutemen to prevent any harassment or rights violations of illegal immigrants "have interfered more" than the Minutemen.

O'Connell accused ACLU volunteers of shining flashlights in the faces of Minutemen at night and of videotaping them and their license plates. He also said they have flashed lights into the desert, honked horns and made other noise, allegedly to alert illegal immigrants coming through the area that Minutemen were present.

"If that's what they're doing, that would definitely at night interfere with our operations," Albon said.

Meetze, the ACLU director, said, "That's not our intention and that's not the way that we operate and intend to operate. We're not there to get involved and to interfere with the work of the Border Patrol."

The goal of the ACLU's volunteers, she said, is to be observers.

The Minutemen, she acknowledged, "have been able to exercise their free speech and get their message across that they don't agree with the way our government is enforcing immigration laws."

The ACLU also is present, she added, "to enable them to express their rights. They have a right to express themselves. They just don't have a right to cross the line and take the law into their own hands."

The Minutemen will continue volunteer patrol activities in states where the group has chapters one weekend each month as well as monthly operations each April and October, said O'Connell.

He said Arizona's Minutemen now have an excellent relationship with Border Patrol agents on the ground, as well as some supervisors. "The trust level is there," he said.

One supervisor, he said, "was just ecstatic that we were there and able to help in this way."

But he also said that there is fear among rank-and-file agents of retribution from superiors if they show or publicly express support for the Minutemen.

Rodriguez, the Border Patrol spokesman, said, "I couldn't speak for that comment at all."

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U.S. Prepares for 'Day Without Immigrants'

DENVER (AP) - Thousands of illegal immigrants and their allies across the country plan a show of force Monday to illustrate how much immigrants matter in the U.S. economy.

Some will skip work, others will protest at lunch breaks, school walkouts or at rallies after work. There are planned church services, candlelight vigils, picnics and human chains.

Hector Castillo, a Denver baker usually keeps his doors open 360 days a year. But anybody looking for his Mexican pastries or cookies will be out of luck Monday when Castillo plans to close his doors in sympathy with immigrants. For Castillo, 45, it's a protest against legislation in the U.S. House that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant.

"About 80 percent of our customers are Latin people, most of them Mexican, and the proposed law will affect all of us," he said.

Thanks to the success of previous rallies plus media attention, planning for Monday's events, collectively called Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes - A Day Without Immigrants - is widespread, though fragmented.

"It's highly unpredictable what's going to happen," said Harley Shaiken, director of the Center for Latin American studies at the University of California. "What unites everyone that's going to do something on May 1 is they are making visible their strong feelings."

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday he was concerned that the demonstrations "are going to be a distraction from what the real issue is, and that is the need for comprehensive immigration reform."

Rather than a boycott, immigrants should work to pressure Congress to pass legislation that would allow those already in the country to earn U.S. citizenship, Richardson told CBS'"The Early Show."

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told CBS that the U.S. should first secure its borders to stem illegal immigration. "I would then prefer to see us come up with some way to let" immigrants here "pay a fine, pay a price, then learn English and get on a path to citizenship."

On the eve of the protest, about 3,000 people rallied for immigrant rights at a park in Lynwood, a heavily Hispanic Los Angeles suburb. Organizers of the demonstration called on residents and businesses to support the boycott.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa urged students to stay in school during the day and advised protesters against waving flags of their native countries.

"You should wave the American flag," he said. "It's the flag of the country that we all are proud of and want to be a part of. Don't disrespect the traditions of this country."

A rally in Chicago representing the city's Arab, Asian, black, eastern European and Hispanic communities, along with labor groups and religious leaders, could bring out as many as half a million people, organizers say. They urged immigrant workers to ask for time off and encouraged students to get permission to attend the demonstration.

"Stand in solidarity with people of all races and nationalities because immigration legislation does not just affect one group; it affects everyone!" Sadiya Ahmed, with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote in a recent e-mail.

In smaller cities such as Allentown, Pa.; Omaha, Neb.; and Knoxville, Tenn., immigrants and their allies have been going door to door with fliers, making posters and sharpening speeches. In New Mexico, restaurants cooked meals this weekend to donate to picnics Monday in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

In Pomona, Calif., about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, dozens of men who frequent a day labor center voted unanimously to close Monday, said Mike Nava, the center's director.

In New Jersey, Rhode Island, Oregon and Pennsylvania, people boycotting work will march to the offices of elected officials to urge them to support pro-immigrant legislation.

Activists in Florida said many immigrants were concerned about recent federal raids, in which hundreds of immigrants with criminal backgrounds were rounded up in Florida and throughout the Midwest.

"We're not officially coordinating a work stoppage. We are leaving it up to every individual. We don't want people to lose a job, but we want to encourage people to stand up for their rights," said Maria Rodriguez, head of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

In California, a spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said a boycott would "hurt everyone," while Democratic state senators passed a resolution supporting walkouts.

Opponents of illegal immigration spent the weekend building a fence to symbolize their support of a secure border. About 200 volunteers organized by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California worked on a 6-foot barbed-wire fence along a quarter-mile stretch of rugged terrain near the U.S.-Mexico border about 50 miles east of San Diego.

In each of New York City's five boroughs, thousands of workers were expected to take work breaks shortly after noon to link arms with shoppers, restaurant-goers and other supporters for about 20 minutes.

"This will symbolize the interdependence of all of us, not just immigrants, but all of society," said Chung-Wa Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

Some big businesses are shutting down operations: Six of 14 Perdue Farms plants will close; Gallo Wines in Sonoma, Calif., is giving its 150 employees the day off; Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), the world's largest meat producer, will shut five of its nine beef plants and four of six pork plants.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged immigrants to attend Mass instead of boycotting, and suggested that churches toll their bells in memory of immigrants who died trying to come to the U.S. They also urged students to stay in school.

Denver-area contractor Chuck Saxton, who hires temporary workers, is sympathetic to the movement. "I'm going to go to support them. These guys come here, they work hard and they're honest," he said. "They provide a vibrancy to our economy and our country that is fading."

[Soldier4Christ]

Events Related to Day Without Immigrants



— A few of the events planned for A Day Without Immigrants:

_ Boycotts: Central theme of the day, with immigrants being urged to boycott work, school and shopping. In Tucson, Ariz., an organizer urged "no buying at all," not even calls to Mexico.

_ Rallies: In New York City, immigrants and supporters planned to form human chains in several spots around lunch time. Advocates planned to march in Orlando, Fla., Allentown, Pa., and Seattle, among many other cities. In downtown Louisville, Ky., a procession was scheduled from the federal courthouse to Jefferson Park.

_ Services: Roman Catholic churches holding immigration-themed Masses. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia planned deliver a homily about immigration reform during a noon Mass.

_ Schools: New Haven, Conn., schools were bracing for a walkout, as were school officials in Denver. In Gainesville, Ga., administrators sent a letter home to parents saying absences would not be tolerated.

[Soldier4Christ]

Citizens urged to shop Monday
Hoosiers against illegal immigration, for border controls plan to demonstrate economic power

Hoosiers concerned about illegal immigration are encouraging like-minded citizens to "shop till you drop" Monday as a counter to the national "Day Without Immigrants" protest.
   
"We want the business people to know there are a lot of people like us, who are very worried about the negative impact of illegal immigration and who spend money at their business," said Greg Serbon, Crown Point, state director of the Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.
Organizers nationwide are calling on immigrants to skip work and school, buy nothing and sell nothing Monday, although key local leaders are urging them to show up for jobs and classes.
Serbon and about 25 others upset at what they see as the government's lack of action on illegal immigration took their concerns to the streets Friday with a protest in Downtown Indianapolis during the lunch hour. They were scheduled to return today.
The goal of the protest was to get the attention of Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., who Serbon said are failing their constituents by not taking a hard stand on closing the border with Mexico and enforcing immigration laws.
Protesters who gathered near the corner of Illinois and Market streets held signs with slogans including "Honk to stop illegal immigration" and "Close our borders now."
"We've got a lot of positive responses," Serbon said. "We've had a few people who don't like what we have to say, but that's to be expected."
Natisha Cooper, 41, Indianapolis, co-chairwoman of the Marion County chapter of the group, said it is getting harder to express negative opinions about illegal immigration.
"Many people are afraid to speak up because they will be labeled as racist," she said.
Serbon said the protesters are not racists or opposed to immigration. They want newcomers to obey the laws and, if they don't, they want the government to enforce the laws.
Participants came from FortWayne, South Bend, Seymour, Valparaiso, Michigan City and Columbus, in addition to Indianapolis.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tyson to shutter plants over immigration protest
Meat producer to close nine undisclosed plants as company expects worker shortages on day of nationwide protest.


Tyson Foods Inc. said Friday it would close a number of its meat processing plants Monday in response to a planned nationwide protest by immigrant workers.

The meat processor said nine of its more than 100 plants would suspend operations for the day because of an expected lack of workers.

A nationwide series of boycotts and marches are planned for May 1 by pro-immigrant activists as part of an effort to urge Congress to grant amnesty to the estimated 11.5 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States.

"We understand the sentiment behind the May 1st events, but we are not encouraging workers to participate in the rally," Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson told CNN.

Mickelson said the nine Tyson (down $0.07 to $14.48, Research) facilities that will be closed are red meat plants, but he would not reveal which specific plants would be closed.

[Soldier4Christ]

Minutemen volunteers build fence to protest illegal immigration

As immigrants and their supporters prepared for a massive boycott, opponents of illegal immigration went to work building a border fence meant to symbolize their support of a secure border.

About 200 volunteers organized by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California began building a six-foot barbed wire fence Saturday along a quarter-mile stretch of rugged terrain in Boulevard, about 50 miles east of San Diego.

Tim Donnelly, the group's leader, said volunteers ate apple pie and hot dogs as they worked on the fence, which was connected to an existing 12-foot high fence previously built by the federal government.

The volunteers wanted to send a message to Congress that the government should block entry to the United States and not grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, Donnelly said.

Thousands of immigrants and their supporters are expected to boycott work and schools Monday to raise awareness of their contributions to society.

"This was largely sent as a message to Congress so they'll see on May 1, there are jobs that even illegal immigrants don't want to do, but Americans are more than willing to do them," Donnelly said, referring to the fence-building.

Donnelly said before the event he called a local contact at the U.S. Border Patrol and told him what the volunteers planned to do. He declined to name the local contact.

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Richard Kite said Saturday there had been "no indications our operations or the property of the Border Patrol have been tampered with or altered in any way by citizen groups."