Hans Gutknecht/Staff photographer
Protesters fill Temple Street as they march from the Federal Building at Los Angeles and Temple to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels protesting H.R. 4437, legislation that would toughen immigration.
Posted on 03/27/2006 9:00:02 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - With hundreds of thousands of supporters of immigrant rights taking to the streets in Los Angeles and other cities, activists have grown optimistic that the Senate will produce legislation allowing America's estimated 11 million undocumented aliens to stay and work in the U.S.
But instead of claiming victory, many say they're already looking ahead to the next major battle: Closed-door meetings in which lawmakers will have to merge a Senate bill that includes a guest worker provision with a House version that does not.
And some say that with midterm elections looming, the end result may be no bill at all.
"I'd bet a cup of Starbucks, but not much else, that the Senate will pass something bad and it will fall apart in conference committee," said Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
"Maybe the Senate's going to pass something. But I don't think the House and Senate are going to agree on a bill."
The debate has intensified even as President George W. Bush, who supports a guest-worker program, prepares to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox in Cancun on Thursday to discuss immigration reform.
Nearly a half million people opposed to legislation that would criminalize illegal immigration massed Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, clogging streets and chanting "Si se puede," or Yes we can. The massive rally, the city's largest ever, followed protests in other major U.S. cities.
At the moment the Senate is juggling several proposals, ranging from one by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that demands illegal immigrants return home before reapplying for a guest-worker visa to one by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., that would allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country after paying fees and fines.
Under a two-week deadline set by Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., the Senate Judiciary Committee is working furiously to hammer out differences by Monday.
If they don't reach an agreement, Frist has threatened to take a bill directly to the floor that sidesteps the issue of temporary-worker visas.
Democrats have threatened a filibuster if that happens. But even opponents of Frist's plan said it's more comprehensive than the measure the House passed.
"Even the Frist bill is better than the House bill," said Randy Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president of labor and immigration.
Hundreds of immigration advocates, including religious leaders, are planning a prayer service on the U.S. Capitol lawn today. Members of the clergy are expected to wear handcuffs to symbolize the potential criminalization of illegal immigrants in the House bill.
"I'm quite hopeful, frankly," said Angela Kelly, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, a pro-immigration group.
"I do think the Senate will take up a sensible solution," she said.
John Gay, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association, also maintains that a number of Republicans who voted last year in favor of the House measure, which makes the act of being an illegal immigrant a felony, now say privately they have "buyers remorse."
Others, he notes, openly explained at the time of their vote that they fully expect the Senate to return with a guest-worker plan.
"We're in better shape in the House now than we were back in December," Gay said.
Protesters fill Temple Street as they march from the Federal Building at Los Angeles and Temple to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels protesting H.R. 4437, legislation that would toughen immigration.
California State Senator Gilbert Cedillo marches with protesters from the Federal Building at Los Angeles and Temple to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels protesting H.R. 4437, legislation that would toughen immigration. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Note to Mr Gay:
My Family and I refuse to eat in any restaurant where there are illegal aliens working, we will get up and leave as we did over the weekend.
Typical biased crap in favor of the illegals.
So, when can we expect one of these mega-marches in DC? One has to be coming here.
LA City Council member Alex Padilla marches with protesters from the Federal Building at Los Angeles and Temple to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels protesting H.R. 4437, legislation that would toughen immigration. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
It takes time and money to organize impromptu protests.
Who paid for this rally?????
Heck, they're already voting 'rat. Just ask B-1 Bob Dornan how that works.
Taking on the unions used to be seen as `stepping on the third rail' until Reagan did it with PATCO.
And Grover Norquist recently said that he was worried about us (I believe by `us' he meant the GOP) treating Mexicans the way we treated past immigrants (keeping in mind they were legal, so his argument is unsound from the start) but in fact, Republican business owners want that cheap labor, and no need to pay FICA, etc., and they work like mules.
If President Bush doesn't enforce our immigration laws, well, he's taken his conservative base for granted for years but the result will make Miers and Dubai look like what they were: minor squabbles.
How did you verify they were illegal?
I think one is set for today.
Would you at least consider a specific exemption in HR 4437 for church workers?
If your computer can handle live feeds, you should also be able to see it through the internet by going to:
Would you consider a specific exemption in HR 4437 for church workers at least?
The school has locked the gates.
You must be so proud, today..clawrence.
sw
Are any of them U.S. citizens? Do they, at least, not have the right to protest under the Constitution?
Are you going to be ready for the real when it comes?
"We have an aging white America ... They are dying ...We have got to eliminate the gringo, and what I mean by that is if the worst comes to the worst, we have got to kill him."
Jose Angel Gutierrez, professor, University of Texas,
Arlington and founder of the La Raza Unida political party
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