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BBC MUNDO RADIO
(May 1) -- In 70 cities across the United States, organizers are planning for big crowds at protests today decrying Arizona's strict new immigration law.
Since 2006, supporters of immigration reform have adopted May 1 as the day to gather in support of amending American policy. For the past three years, crowds have been more modest in the wake of the Bush administration's aborted attempt to pass comprehensive reform. But Arizona's newly passed law appears to have energized the movement.
"We have to demonstrate that we care as a group. People have to realize it's time to protest before they start doing the same thing in California," Rosalio Plata, president of the community civics group Club Mihoacan, told The Desert Sun newspaper.
Arizona's law, which would require police officers to ask for proof of resident status of any person they reasonably suspect of being an illegal immigrant, has polarized much of the country. Oklahoma is considering enacting a similar measure, even as cities in California are poised to launch economic boycotts against Arizona.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed a measure revising the law to beef up restrictions against using race or ethnicity as a basis for police questioning people. The revised law also said police inquiries about a person's immigration status should occur when the person had been stopped during the enforcement of another law.
"These new statements make it crystal clear and undeniable that racial profiling is illegal, and will not be tolerated in Arizona," she said in a statement. But it was unclear whether the changes would be enough to reassure opponents of the original measure.
While the majority of Democrats in Congress seem to be against the law, Republican leadership has been divided over it.
In downtown Los Angeles, Saturday's protest could draw as many as 100,000 people, with buses bringing in residents of surrounding towns.
"I encourage all Southern Californians to join the May Day activities in Los Angeles," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is of Mexican descent, said at a news conference this week. "I encourage you to voice your support in unity and solidarity."
Protesters in Phoenix -- whose mayor, Phil Gordon, is a staunch opponent of the new law -- plan to gather at the state capitol at 3 p.m.
"People from across Arizona, immigrants and non-immigrants, are standing up against the passage of the racist SB 1070," Salvador Reza, a member of the civil rights group Puente, told Phoenix's ABC15 news. "We aren't just calling for overturning SB 1070; we want to change immigration policy completely, so that it reflects our economic reality instead of xenophobia and racism."
Demonstrators have already been gathering at Wrigley Filed in Chicago, where the Cubs are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. At 3 p.m. Saturday, the focus of the protests will shift to Daley Plaza, where a rally is expected to draw thousands.
The Service Employees International Union has organized 16 rallies in places like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Seattle, Houston, New York City and Washington.
"Immigrant and native-born workers are coming together to say this is not an immigrant issue, this is an American issue," SEIU spokeswoman Ali Jost told The Washington Post. "And until we see a really smart fix, we're going to continue to see agony and economic suffering in our communities."
Not all the protesters Saturday will be demonstrating against Arizona's law and for immigration reform. Chris Krok, a Texas radio show host, will be there, too, voicing his view that Arizona got it right.
"No se puede!" Krok told WFAA news. "No you can't! You are an illegal. You need to follow the laws."
Krok, like many Americans, believes that the United States needs to secure its borders before determining what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants currently living in the country.
Since 2006, supporters of immigration reform have adopted May 1 as the day to gather in support of amending American policy. For the past three years, crowds have been more modest in the wake of the Bush administration's aborted attempt to pass comprehensive reform. But Arizona's newly passed law appears to have energized the movement.
Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Protesters rally against Arizona's new immigration law Friday in Oakland, Calif. Organizers are planning protests in dozens of cities Saturday.
Arizona's law, which would require police officers to ask for proof of resident status of any person they reasonably suspect of being an illegal immigrant, has polarized much of the country. Oklahoma is considering enacting a similar measure, even as cities in California are poised to launch economic boycotts against Arizona.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed a measure revising the law to beef up restrictions against using race or ethnicity as a basis for police questioning people. The revised law also said police inquiries about a person's immigration status should occur when the person had been stopped during the enforcement of another law.
"These new statements make it crystal clear and undeniable that racial profiling is illegal, and will not be tolerated in Arizona," she said in a statement. But it was unclear whether the changes would be enough to reassure opponents of the original measure.
While the majority of Democrats in Congress seem to be against the law, Republican leadership has been divided over it.
In downtown Los Angeles, Saturday's protest could draw as many as 100,000 people, with buses bringing in residents of surrounding towns.
"I encourage all Southern Californians to join the May Day activities in Los Angeles," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is of Mexican descent, said at a news conference this week. "I encourage you to voice your support in unity and solidarity."
Protesters in Phoenix -- whose mayor, Phil Gordon, is a staunch opponent of the new law -- plan to gather at the state capitol at 3 p.m.
"People from across Arizona, immigrants and non-immigrants, are standing up against the passage of the racist SB 1070," Salvador Reza, a member of the civil rights group Puente, told Phoenix's ABC15 news. "We aren't just calling for overturning SB 1070; we want to change immigration policy completely, so that it reflects our economic reality instead of xenophobia and racism."
Demonstrators have already been gathering at Wrigley Filed in Chicago, where the Cubs are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. At 3 p.m. Saturday, the focus of the protests will shift to Daley Plaza, where a rally is expected to draw thousands.
The Service Employees International Union has organized 16 rallies in places like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Seattle, Houston, New York City and Washington.
"Immigrant and native-born workers are coming together to say this is not an immigrant issue, this is an American issue," SEIU spokeswoman Ali Jost told The Washington Post. "And until we see a really smart fix, we're going to continue to see agony and economic suffering in our communities."
Not all the protesters Saturday will be demonstrating against Arizona's law and for immigration reform. Chris Krok, a Texas radio show host, will be there, too, voicing his view that Arizona got it right.
"No se puede!" Krok told WFAA news. "No you can't! You are an illegal. You need to follow the laws."
Krok, like many Americans, believes that the United States needs to secure its borders before determining what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants currently living in the country.
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