On March 10, 500,000 immigrants and their supporters came out in a massive show of force in Chicago. Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans and many other communities marched on Chicago’s Federal Plaza to defeat the anti-immigrant House Resolution 4437, the so-called “Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act.”
 Photo: Reuters /Stephen J. Carrera |
The demonstration virtually shut down the center of the city from 12 noon to 5 pm on a busy weekday. Loud chants of “S?, se puede” (Yes, it can be done) and “El pueblo unido, jam?s ser? vencido!” (The people united will never be defeated) rang out throughout the day.
The demonstration was organized by the Mexican Homeland Federation and a number of other immigrant rights organizations. It received support from hundreds of community, anti-war and progressive organizations. For the demonstration, organizers were expecting a turnout in the tens of thousands. Instead, a sea of people descended on Federal Plaza.
HR 4437 is part of a deepening campaign of attacks on immigrants. The House of Representatives passed the bill in December 2005. It is scheduled to come before the Senate for a vote in March. Among other things, HR 4437 will make undocumented workers subject to felony charges for a new federal crime of “unlawful presence” in the United States, and turn minor crimes committed by undocumented workers and legal residents into “aggravated felonies,” to be applied retroactively. It would also make it illegal to offer assistance or service to immigrants, build 700 additional miles of fences and walls along the U.S./Mexico border, greatly increase the U.S. militarization of the border, and much more. The passage of this bill along with the increase in attacks on immigrant communities would mean that immigrants will face even harsher forms of discrimination and brutality. The changes called for by HR 4437 will likely mean a great increase in the number of people who die crossing the border each year.
Days earlier, on March 7, 50,000 people came out in Washington D.C. to protest HR 4437. The Washington D.C. demonstration, organized by the National Capitol Immigrant Coalition, rallied in front of the Capitol Building. Protestors came from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and beyond.
More demonstrations were planned in March, including Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.
The huge and militant outpourings of resistance to the deepening attacks against immigrants are a positive sign for all workers. Defeating the racist legislation would be the first step in turning back the divide-and-conquer anti-immigrant wave that is threatening the whole working class.
Articles may be reprinted with credit to Socialism and Liberation magazine.
