NEW YORK, April 10: Millions of Hispanics and their supporters marched in 100 US cities on Monday to press US lawmakers to pass an immigration reform bill that would legalise an estimated 11 million undocumented workers.
The capital saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets in support of the proposal.
The demonstrations, which are being coordinated by an umbrella organisation known as the National Capital Immigration Coalition, began on Sunday in 20 cities, including Dallas, where police estimated that 300,000 to 350,000 people gathered.
On Monday huge demonstrations took place in New York, Phoenix, Chicago, Seattle, Topeka and 20 cities in California.
Up to 500,000 people marched through Dallas on Sunday, waving US flags and shouting ‘Si se puede’ - Spanish for ‘Yes, we can!”
They included families pushing strollers with their children and ice cream vendors who placed American flags on their carts. Many wore white clothing to symbolise peace.
Many groups had been preparing to rally since December, when the House of Representatives passed a bill to build more walls along the US-Mexico border; make criminals of people who helped undocumented immigrants; and make it a criminal offence, rather than a civil infraction, to be in the country illegally.
But the top Republican in the House said on Sunday that he remained opposed to a guest worker programme for illegal immigrants and supported the December bill.
“You can’t begin to talk about a guest worker bill until you secure the borders,” said John Boehner on ABC television.
Otherwise, he said, “We’re going to have an endless parade of illegal immigrants here in our country.”
A bipartisan compromise that would have put millions of illegal immigrants on the road to citizenship broke down in the Senate on Friday amid bickering between Democrats and Republicans over possible amendments.
The collapse of the bill raised doubts over whether Congress can pass the comprehensive immigration reform that George Bush, the president, has called for before November mid-term elections.
The House bill is tougher than the proposed Senate version as it defines the illegal immigrants as felons, or serious criminals.
If senators pass a bill, legislators from both sides of Congress would have to work out their differences for a final bill. Boehner said that was possible.
Mr Boehner stopped short of saying congressional efforts to reform immigration had failed, calling on the Senate to pass a bill when lawmakers return from recess in two weeks.
Still, he said, allowing illegal immigrants to stay and work “sounds too much like amnesty for most Americans.”
The issue has divided conservatives, some of whom are eager to court the Hispanic vote and support Bush.
Others worry that allowing in undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico, could harm their election efforts.
Otherwise, he said, “We’re going to have an endless parade of illegal immigrants here in our country.”
A bipartisan compromise that would have put millions of illegal immigrants on the road to citizenship broke down in the Senate on Friday amid bickering between Democrats and Republicans over possible amendments.
WASHINGTON: Organisers in Washington said Monday’s rallies were the largest since the 1960s when huge demonstrations were held in the US capital to demand rights for African-Americans.
The crowd gathering at the National Mall — although overwhelmingly Mexican — included hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis as well who also hope to benefit from the legalization of undocumented immigrants.
“We have been living here for years, paying taxes, making our contribution to the US economy. We also deserve to be accepted in the mainstream,” said Omesh Roy, a 22-year old from New Delhi who works at a restaurant in Washington.