US News
300,000 in Chicago rally for immigration reform
By DPA
May 1, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - Hundreds of thousands of immigrants rallied across the US Monday to force Congress to pass legislation that would allow those that entered the country illegally to be allowed to stay here.

While the protests in major East Coast cities were smaller than organizers had hoped, police estimated that 300,000 people rallied in Chicago, according to local media reports.

Rallies on the West Coast, where many immigrants live, were expected to also draw large numbers later in the day.

The demonstrations were coupled with a national boycott in support of immigrants. Organizers had said \'millions\' of immigrants, both legal and illegal, and those supporting them would heed the call to stay home from work and not buy or sell anything. They also said the protests would shut down major US cities.

\'The president is not a fan of boycotts,\' White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters Monday when asked about the protests. But he added that the people \'have the right to peacefully express their views.\'

Some employers have given their workers the day off, including large meat-packing plants that have a high number of Hispanic workers, according to media reports. But life on the East Coast was normal and without major protests Monday morning. It was business as usual in Washington, where the boycott showed little if any impact.

An internal division over the usefulness of the boycott was expected to dampen turnout throughout the country. Many groups fear a backlash from protests that have the potential of alienating the public, and believe that a boycott is too desperate a measure that comes too early in the fight for immigration reform.

An informal internet poll on the MSNBC television showed that 67 per cent of those surveyed wanted illegal immigrants at the rallies to be arrested.

\'My concern is that these demonstrations are going to be a distraction from what the real issue is, and that\'s the need for comprehensive immigration reform,\' Bill Richardson, the Hispanic governor of New Mexico, told the CBS television network. \'I would rather have those demonstrators go to each of the congressional offices - the House and Senate offices - and explain to their representatives how important this issue is.\'

Stringent immigration reform legislation passed in the US House of Representatives sparked protests throughout the country, and provoked a united front among Hispanics, who are usually not a political force in the US.

That bill would make illegal immigration a felony and would also punish those helping illegal immigrants.

The Senate bill currently under consideration takes a less harsh approach. It would allow most of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants to remain in the country after paying fines, back taxes, learning English and passing a criminal background check.

Critics of the boycott fear it could hurt the pro-immigration movement\'s position in the Senate.

But groups have already adjusted after criticism that there were too many Mexican flags and too few American banners at earlier rallies. Now, organizers urge protesters to only bring American flags and to not chant in Spanish, according to media reports.

The release of a Spanish version of the US national anthem, \'The Star Spangled Banner,\' brought a rebuke last week from Bush.