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Activists rally for immigrant rights
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by Sarah Kennedy
Monday, October 15, 2007
Immigrant, student, labor and faith communities in Madison joined forces Friday for the National Day of Action against immigration raids, identification processes and new regulations of the social security "No Match" letters.
A group of protesters marched down State Street and rallied at the Capitol building Friday morning, demanding attention to U.S. immigration policy.
"Basically, we want immigration reform," said Ismael Cuevas, a University of Wisconsin freshman and immigrant. "We are looking for a bill passed that will benefit people coming to America that will help the economy."
The march began at Library Mall and proceeded down State Street, turning the heads of pedestrians. Protestors held signs delineating their cause such as "No to Real I.D." and "No Human is Illegal."
There was generally a positive response from onlookers, some of whom even joined in on the mass of protesters chanting, "Si se puede," meaning “Yes, I can.” Passers-by also stopped to take pictures of the protest and inquire about their cause.
"If I had more time I'd join them,” said Dan Hill, a Madison resident who passed by the march. “Immigration reform is definitely needed."
The rally congregated at the Capitol where speakers explained some of the deep-seated issues with national and local immigration enforcement.
"We want immigration reform, we want to stop the raids, and we want identification for everybody," said Alex Gillis, director of the Immigrant Workers' Union.
The number of immigration raids has increased dramatically and policies concerning the matter have been put on hold indefinitely, according to Gillis.
"The immigration policy in this country is terrible," said activist Sandy Loren, a Madison resident. "The government needs to come to terms with the fact that these immigrants make up a huge percentage of our low-wage labor, and they should be treated with respect and dignity."
Loren said many immigrants living in the United States are being torn from their families due to the current immigration enforcement policies. He said no human being should be considered “illegal” and children should not be left without one or both parents because of immigration policies.
Loren also said the government is making it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to get identification by imposing an act that federally standardized the design, issuance and management of state driver's licenses. Also proposed was the "No Match" rule last year that would use social security records for immigration enforcement. U.S. citizens and legal residents risk losing their jobs if information in their social security report does not match up perfectly.
"The problem with ‘No Match' is people are losing their jobs due to system errors in their social security report," said Patrick Hickey, director of the Workers Rights Center. "Information might not match up due to things like misspellings, name changes and marriages."
However, U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., has been a strong advocate for immigration reform.
“When Republicans had the majority in Congress, we tried, only to be stymied by the actions of those who believed in providing amnesty to illegal immigrants,” Sensenbrenner said in a release.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 8:30am):
Congress' inaction is a disgrace. They must pass a comprehensive bill. No human being is illegal and racism never wins in America.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 11:22am):
All illegal aliens are criminals by definition. They need to be ferreted out, rounded up, and promptly ejected from the country in order to eliminate the crime, disease, and poverty they bring. There are ways to immigrate legally. The 'no human being is illegal' is utter tommyrot. Sheesh.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 11:41am):
Yeah, let's round up all those disease-carrying Mexicans and their airborne poverty... asshole.
You can't just sweep them under the rug. Either integrate them here, or start fixing the problems back home that fuel immigration.
Susan H (October 15, 2007 @ 11:45am):
When is enough enough? We cannot keep taking in every person that comes here illegally. The U. S. will cease to exist and then we can help no one. We need for companies to quit hiring the illegals that receive slave wages and hire legal workers at proper wages.
It is clear the the majority of legal Americans want the law enforced -- nothing racist about that...just plain common-sense!
mike Williams (October 15, 2007 @ 11:55am):
Congress didn't act because 80% of the American Citizens were about to revolt. We've already covered this ground. None of the leftist anarchist's perceptions really fly. The scam is over. If you are here without permission, then Get The Hell OUT!
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 12:02pm):
SEND ALL OF THEM BACK ,THEN WE'LLTALK.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 12:50pm):
I am a legal immigrant who used to prepare amnesty and other immigration applications. I have a number of comments. First, the title of your title, "Activists rally for immigrant rights" should have the word "illegal" in front of "illegal immigrant rights."
Latin America has 37 billionaires, including Mexican citizen Carlos Slim, now the world's wealthiest person. Why shouldn't it work on improving life for their own citizens?
In the past 15 years, more than 50 million people have been added to the U.S. population, mostly due to immigration-driven increases. The U.S. population quadrupled from 1900 to 2007, from 76 million to 303 million. Another quadrupling of 303 million is India's current population, and that could happen within the lifetimes of today's children's children! All newcomers, U.S. and foreign-born, will use energy, need health care, education and many other costly social services that any taxes most immigrants will pay could not cover due to their low incomes. Do Hispanic activists really want the U.S. to become another Latin America, an overpopulated and impoverished place that many Hispanic Americans or their ancestors have left?
Sincerely,
Yeh Ling-Ling
Oakland, CA
Bobbie McLaughlin (October 15, 2007 @ 1:20pm):
This has nothing to do with racism and I'm really tired of hearing that. This has everything to do with the rule of law and what our country stands for. What about those that have waited for years to enter this country legally. Do we tell them that their time was wasted because 20 million illegal aliens didn't want to come legally. Get over it....When all you have to yell is racism...you've already lost!
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 1:27pm):
It's AMAZING how "journalists" writing on the immigration issue find it proper to include quotes from FIVE people in support of amnesty, but only ONE person (a congressman) in support of the rule of law.
Does anyone wonder why most people think the media is biased? As Yeh Ling-Ling pointed out, the title alone illustrated the bias.
EARTH TO SARAH KENNEDY:
Contact these organizations with help on writing a balanced and informative article next time:
www.numbersusa.com
www.cis.org
www.fairus.org
.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 3:32pm):
This Hispanic American reader whose parents came here LEGALLY is appalled at the continued audacity and blatant attempts by illegal aliens and their ethno-supremacist supporters in demanding amnesty, and all the benefits and privileges of citizenship as a reward for violating our laws. The bad decision of the illegal alien parents is what separates families and jeopardizes the futures of their children. Just like any time a parent commits a crime, the consequences extend to the family. These ilelgal alien parents have every right to be with their chidren in their home country. No one is separating them.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 3:41pm):
"Latin America has 37 billionaires, including Mexican citizen Carlos Slim, now the world's wealthiest person. Why shouldn't it work on improving life for their own citizens?"
Because the social structure in Mexico and the vast majority of Latin America is OUR FAULT. Our multinationals, our support of dictators, our failed development projects have all contributed to the current state of class differentiation and income distribution that plagues everywhere south of Texas.
There are real structural conditions that exist which drive immigration, but why do you think that these are never brought up? Because the US (or it's businesses and politicians) benefit quite nicely from the way things are down south, and immigration is used as a hook here to lure voters and distract them from the real problems people are facing. Why are southern whites poor? It couldn't possibly be something wrong with the shape of the economy here, it must be those damn Mexicans! It's meant to split us and distract us, with no real intent to really fix anything.
Many Mexican kids have no chance of receiving even a high school education, much less get a college degree. Even then it does not guarantee a job or any sort of prosperity. And both sides wonder why they will wait in a field for 4 days to catch a train north to the border, or why Guatemalans have been found packed 200+ in a semi trailer. Here there is hope, while there is none back home.
Create real jobs, invest in education (K-12, after school, and college), stop this foolish NAFTA and NAU nonsense, and stop supporting corrupt politicians. Even after this, there will still be immigration, and this is necessary for the growth of our nation. But maybe then there won't be the "flood" or "invasion" that the far right has on a broken record.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 4:29pm):
The problems in Mexico are our fault? Why are southern whites poor? What the he11 are you talking about? I have lived in the South all my life and there are millions of middle class and upperclass highly educated people here who used to have jobs before NAFTA. And another thing...the USA had nothing to do with the culture in Mexico. Invest in the education of Mexicans and pay for their college? What the heck is going on in Wisconsin, haven't you noticed that we are paying for their education..and their health care even though we don't do it for our own citizens? You better start looking out for your fellow Americans before you kill us all and then the world will be a mess. I promise you that.
Anonymous (October 15, 2007 @ 9:05pm):
4:29-- Maybe we should start providing health care for all Americans, citizens, residents, and undocumented immigrants.
The fact is, we as a nation have intervened every step along the way in the development of Latin America. US government agents went across the border before and during the Mexican Revolution to arrest Mexican dissidents and organizers, most notably the Flores Magon brothers, who were kept locked up in Leavenworth prison in Kansas for years before Ricardo was murdered there. Obregon was able to defeat Zapata because of large US Navy arms caches stored in Veracruz. After that, PRI presidents were more than happy to defy their own constitution and laws to give preferential treatment to American car manufacturers and mining companies, which drastically reshaped the Mexican society. During the term of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, the constitution was rewritten to justify forcing campesinos and peasants off the land to make way for numerous projects. Now, there are serious fights between the government and the poor farmers, as the military installs the US-designed Plan Puebla-Panama at the barrel of their guns. And soon, Plan Mexico and the NAFTA superhighway will come into fruition. Under the guise of the drug war, the US government is initiating the step-sister of Plan Colombia to fuel repression of political movements and the further consolidation of corporate land in Southern Mexico. And this summer, they began construction along Highway 190 in Oaxaca to expand the main conduit between Mexico City and Guatemala.
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 8:24am):
A recent study showed that deporting millions will cost twice the DHS budget for a year. Thus, the Congress must recognize the status quo and try to integrate the illegals into the country. A lot of them have been here for years, pay taxes, work hard, and speak English. They deserve a chance at citizenship.
And even the haters know that a comprehensive immigration reform is inevitable: it is a matter of when, not if. Too bad this summer the Republican party was taken hostage by the "good'ole' boy", KKK right wing of the party. But they will pay come next November. They are fighting a losing battle: it is called demographics and they are doomed at becoming the permanent irrelevant party in our country.
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 8:51am):
It is not the responsibility of the American taxpayer to improve Mexico's economy or to provide its citizens with jobs, health care and education. This is the responsibility of the government of Mexico.
I'm sick of hearing "no human being is illegal"! American citizens are here to tell you this; any people who illegally cross our borders are outlaws, regardless of their purpose for invading. No one, be it a doctor or cleaning lady-- has the right to come into the U.S. based on that person's unilateral decision to do so. Illegal aliens have stolen their way into our country and once here, continue to commit their crimes only in pursuit of a "better life." But stealing from others (American Taxpayers) to gain a better life for one's self is not only unlawful, it is un-American! If their families are being "torn apart", it is of their own doing, it was the choice that they made. I
have no sympathy for illegal aliens who have stolen their way into our country.
Immigration lawbreakers shouldn't be able to gain U.S. citizenship, it should be the
first thing they are denied from ever obtaining. They are not U.S.citizens and are not entitled to the rights of American citizens. They need to return to their own countries and march for their rights there.
We should be deporting anyone found to be in this country illegally, whether on the job, caught while speeding, applying to rent a home or enter a hospital. Yes, U.S. citizens are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but illegal aliens aren't citizens. Those, who have no right to be here have no rights under our Constitution. They should be sent home immediately! If we need a new law to make that happen, it should be written. We also need a law that says if you are found to be in this country illegally, you will never be allowed to come back here for any reason.
A nation, like a house, is a sovereign place, and laws are instituted to protect that sovereignty. Anyone who thinks otherwise is in serious need of a reality check.
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 4:02pm):
The racism of White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant America is disturbing. In fact, Republicans are being hostage by their right-wing, KKK electorate, which represents the minority view on immigration. And Republicans will pay for it come next November. Why? Because today an American is Mr. Smith, but so is Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Ching, Mr. Patel, Mr. Petrov. And the Republican message is clear-if you arent's a WASP, we don't like you. Well, America is changing. Be ready to pay very soon. And make no mistake-a comprehensive immigration reform is a matter of when, not if. Everyone knows that.
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 5:41pm):
i hate the fact that people generalize all illegal immigrants as one people. for some people out there, the process of becoming an illegal was beyond their control!
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 5:53pm):
Amnesty (instant documentation with no penalty for crimes committed) is never the answer, we all know that after the disaster of the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens.
Documenting illegal aliens, disregarding the crimes (felonies and misdemeanors) they have all committed, is only more pandering, and simply condones their blatant disrespect for our laws, ensuring that they will never respect or obey any law: city, county, state, or federal. Having some 20 million lawbreakers on the loose in the United States bodes disaster for our nation.
Why single illegal aliens out to reward for unlawful behavior? That is discrimitory. Why not reward all law breakers, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or crime? I will never understand those people who think illegal aliens are "better" than everyone else in this country, that they should be given some special privileges which nobody else in this country will get. Since when are illegal aliens the "chosen ones"?
"Fraudulent Social Security numbers" used by illegal aliens are STOLEN social security numbers (as defined by law), and using any such "fraudulent social security number" is a FELONY, for which the penalty is 25 years in federal prison and a $250,000.00 fine. For illegal aliens penalty includes mandatory deportation as a convicted felon. The USA does not allow alien felons to immigrate, or to stay in this nation.
Federal law supercedes all local law, including city, county, and state law. There is no such thing as "sanctuary" for illegal aliens, anywhere in the USA, at any time. Harboring illegal aliens is a felony, Aiding and Abeting illegal aliens is a felony, Transporting illegal aliens is a felony. Hiring an illegal alien is a felony.
Anonymous (October 16, 2007 @ 5:54pm):
- United States Immigration and Naturalization Act. "
GENERAL CLASSES OF DEPORTABLE ALIENS SEC. 237. [8 U.S.C. 1227]
"(B) PRESENT IN VIOLATION OF LAW.-Any alien who is present in the United States in violation of this Act or ANY OTHER LAW of the United States is deportable.""
- It is unlawful to enter the U.S.A. without inspection - illegal entry. PRESENT IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
- It is unlawful to not register with Immigration Authorities. PRESENT IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
- It is unlawful to overstay a visa, not register with Immigration Authorities while on visa, not comply with Immigration Authorities for deportation, etc..... PRESENT IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
All illegal aliens are present in violation of law, a federal offense.
Reliable documents that accurately indicate the status and identity of the bearer are critical to the effective administration of immigration law.
A range of documents, including immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, permits, border crossing cards, and alien registration receipt cards, enable an alien to enter the United States...
The integrity of the immigration system depends on the genuineness of
(1) the documents indicating the eligibility of a non-citizen (alien) to enter and remain in the United States, and
(2) the records and papers submitted to obtain such documents.
To enter or remain in the United States..., aliens MUST COMPLY with a number of document requirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Attempts to circumvent these document requirements have been prohibited and punishable at least since 1924.
Certain fraudulent actions may carry criminal penalties under both the INA and the United States Criminal Code.
The penalty for violation of U.S. Immigration law, by entering the USA illegally, is deportation.
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