San José, CA – On May 1, more than 1000 people marched for immigrant rights through the Chicano, Mexicano and Asian neighborhoods of the east side of San José. Unions, church groups, immigrant rights organizations, students and Filipino community groups marched more than two and half miles to downtown San José, where the ending rally was held. Signs supporting immigration reform and calling for an end to deportations were mixed in the farmworker union flag, religious portraits. There were also demands for justice for an undocumented day laborer who was shot in the back and killed by police, and to allow the return of an undocumented mother who was deported.
Grand Rapids, MI – More than 200 immigrants and their supporters marched for immigrant rights on Aug. 24. Mexican, Central American and Caribbean groups and families united in Lincoln Park on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids at noon. Leaders from religious, union and community groups spoke and then led a march through the neighborhood to protest outside the Republican Party headquarters. After chanting and singing, the protesters marched the mile back to the park for a cookout and party.
Minneapolis, MN – Protesters rallied in downtown Minneapolis on April 10, a national day of action to demand that politicians in Washington D.C. take action now for immigrant rights. The Minneapolis protest was organized by a coalition of unions, immigrant rights organizations and religious groups. Speakers emphasized that the time is now for immigration reform, and that the reform must not leave immigrant workers in a second class status.
Fight Back! interviewed veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes on the fight to win legalization for undocumented immigrants. Montes is a longtime fighter in the struggle for immigrant rights.Fight Back!: Why is the struggle for legalization for the undocumented so important right now?
San José, CA – On Jan. 29, one day after a group of eight U.S. Senators announced their bipartisan proposal for immigration reform, President Obama made his own proposal. While the President’s proposal was better than the bipartisan Senate proposal in several areas, in particular calling for recognition of same-sex partners of U.S. citizens or legal residents who are seeking legal residency; overall it offered the same approach of harsh treatment of the undocumented and a pro-business approach.
San José, CA – On Monday, January 28, a bipartisan group of eight Senators, four Democrats and four Republicans, announced a framework for “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” or CIR. On Jan. 29, President Obama will be putting out his position, marking the beginning of an effort to “reform” U.S. immigration law this year.
Washington, D.C. – Reeling from their loss in the presidential election, in which Latinos overwhelmingly voted against Mitt Romney in no small part due to Republicans’ extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric, the Republicans have begun to introduce immigration-related bills in the lame duck congressional session. This is a sudden and dramatic shift after congressional Republicans have systematically shut down any attempt at federal immigration reform legislation over the past four years. Instead they have focused on implementing highly repressive anti-immigrant laws modeled on Arizona’s SB1070 in as many states as possible.
