Posted on 03/25/2006 12:20:20 PM PST by Borax Queen
Senator's bill gives illegal entrants five years to leave the country -
Oscar Soto took the day off from his warehouse job Friday to come with his wife, two children, nephew, niece and mother-in-law to an immigrant-rights rally on Tucson's Northwest Side to stand up for himself and his family.
Oscar Cruz managed to get time off from his apartment maintenance job to stand on the front line of the protest at Sen. Jon Kyl's Tucson office, 7315 N. Oracle Road, and hold a cardboard sign with white spray paint that read: "Senator Kyl: No more walls." It rested on top of a sign that read: "Humanitarian Aid Is Never A Crime."
On Friday both were part of an estimated 500 boisterous protesters who hoisted signs, held U.S. and Mexican flags and chanted, sang and shouted when drivers honked in support.
Participants wore white stickers that had the rally's theme in black letters: "We are not the enemy, we are part of the solution" or "No Somos el enemigo, somos parte de la solución."
In Phoenix, an estimated 20,000 people marched to Kyl's office to protest, according to Phoenix police.
Thousands more took part in protests in cities across the country, staging school walkouts, marches and work stoppages.
In Los Angeles where 2,700 students from at least eight high schools and junior high schools walked out, fights broke out between black students and Hispanic students attempting to join the protest.
In Tucson, neither Cruz nor Soto — who have both lived and worked in the United States for more than a decade without permanent residency or citizenship — had ever been to a rally before. But they said they staunchly oppose recent immigration proposals like House Bill 4437 and a proposal from Sens. Kyl, R-Ariz., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, that they believe would make them criminals.
"We want residency," said Cruz, 48, who was born in Nicaragua and lived in El Salvador before arriving in the United States in 1985.
Cruz has been able to work on renewable visas under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act but says he wants a chance to become a legal permanent resident.
Mexican native Soto, 32, wants the same thing. He came here 10 years ago to work and said he pays taxes, obeys laws and respects the culture and government of the United States.
"We came here so they don't treat us like criminals," Soto said about participating in the rally.
Soto's two children, an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, are U.S. citizens who were born in this country. He and his wife, Jocabed Soto, are preparing to buy a house. They feel they are law-abiding and productive and deserve the chance to become citizens.
"It is not a crime to work," Oscar Soto said. U.S. citizens Marge and Bill Kinkead of Green Valley joined the largely Spanish-speaking crowd to let lawmakers like Kyl hear their displeasure.
"They deserve some way to come into this country and work without the fear of being sent back in four of five years," said Bill Kinkead, 73, who is a member of Humane Borders.
The Kyl-Cornyn proposal would give illegal entrants up to five years to leave the country. These illegal entrants could apply from their home country to return as temporary workers, or they could apply for permanent residency. House Bill 4437, passed by the House on Dec. 16, would create 700 miles of fence along the border, make living in the country illegally a felony and increase penalties for employers who hire illegal workers.
"We're getting fed up, particularly with the gentleman whose office is behind us," Bill Kinkead said. "I hate the fact that he represents Arizona in Congress." In a written response to Friday's rallies, Kyl didn't address the protesters as much as reiterate his stance on the issues.
"I have advocated for the adoption of a comprehensive plan that increases border security, provides a temporary-worker program, ensures enforcement of our laws at the border and at the workplace, and deals with those illegal immigrants already in the country," the statement said.
Democrat Jim Pederson, who is challenging Kyl for his Senate seat, issued a statement criticizing Kyl's proposal as a last-ditch election-year effort that "borders on fantasy."
He said marchers targeted Kyl's office because "they know that Jon Kyl's immigration plan is no plan at all. It's unworkable, partisan and needlessly divisive." He said he would offer a plan that addresses border enforcement as well as a way to deal with the people already here.
Jennifer Allen, director of the Border Action Network, called Friday's rally one of the biggest immigrant-rights rallies in recent Tucson history. Allen said 200 people showed up in December for a similar rally.
"People know that this is a historic moment and that the immigrant community is part of making history," Allen said. "That's why they are here."
Glenn Spencer, president of the American Border Patrol, which advocates for stricter border enforcement, watched and filmed the protest. He said the relatively small number of cars that honked represented the true sentiment.
Those who didn't honk "are the silent majority," Spencer said. "They do nothing and I think that's a reflection of the polls that show people want our borders controlled."
Cruz and the Sotos said Friday's rally, which concluded about 12:30 p.m., will make an impact.
"It will make them see how many we are and what we want," Jocabed Soto said.
Good, as it shouldn't for any thinking patriot!
"We are not the enemy"..... ?
Then why wave the Mexican Flag if ya'll wanna be Americans ?
http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/
Thanks for the link, Squantos. That is always so depressing to read. If the politicians/elites had any of those crimes happen to them or their loved ones, the military would have been called out to the border a long time ago.
Agree....Stay safe !!
I gave them a one way ticket to LA :-)
Yes, yes, I know all that. But why is it out of all the immigrants we get from all the countries around the world, it is Mexicans who more often than not who disregard our laws and culture?
True, however if the congress types get any kind of additional money, they most certainly are not going to direct it toward paying for parasite services. It'll go to some b.s. Big Dig or some other pet project they have.
Additional money is not the answer. Getting rid of illegals, and stopping the flow across the border, is.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. They don't want to be Americans. They want to be Mexicans with all the perks that come with living in the U.S. That is why they do not assimilate.
Consider yourself lucky. Here in Arizona the announcements are always in Spanish and you would be indeed fortunate to hear it translated into English. I would move deeper into the interior of the U.S. to get away from it, but it appears that Spanish first is a pretty common occurance just about everywhere nowadays.
The MoHam truck and the illegal truck - they look about equally HEAVY wouldn't you say?
Looks great devolve!!
Nuts. Kansas was first on my list of places to move, in order to escape the invading hordes. North Dakota may be jumping rapidly to numero uno.
Any further North and you will freeze!!!
LOL, you nut! Couldn't resist making him big as life!! He turned out very sharp and clear, I'm amazed! That look on his face couldn't have been better for that gif.
IT IS !! but I am sure someone else before me has made the same comment.
I concur, but if the illegals discover that 35% of the money that they wire home is going to be 'confiscated'; they might think twice about coming here. If that doesn't work, we can go for 75%. :-)
Well, gee thanks. Just thanks a bunch. Oh whoo hooo thanks.
tooooooooo funny!
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