2006 United States immigration reform protests
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In 2006, several million illegal immigrants to the United States and their supporters staged protests for less restrictive immigration laws. The protests began in response to proposed legislation known as H.R. 4437, which would raise penalties for illegal immigration and classify illegal aliens and others as felons. As part of the wider immigration debate, most protests not only seek an overhaul of this bill, but also a path to legalization and fewer Immigration Services delays.
The largest protests occurred on April 10, 2006 in 94 cities, and were the largest demonstrations in years in cities like Dallas, Texas (estimated crowd 500,000) and Madison, Wisconsin (estimate 25,000).
Rallies and protests
Several immigrant and human rights groups have staged demonstrations across the United States to express opposition and bring attention to the bill. These gatherings have attracted several million people, and will likely increase in the coming weeks as Congress enters the final stages of debate over the bill. The majority of protests to date have occurred in Mexican- or Latino-based population centers.
The first major protest occured in Chicago on March 10, 2006, when approximately 100,000 protesters poured into Chicago's city streets over the issue.[1]
A massive demonstration occured in Los Angeles, California, two weeks later, where police estimated the crowd at over one half million, making it one of the largest demonstrations in Los Angeles' history.[2][3][4] The turnout was unexpected by those following the English language media, revealing the power of the Spanish language media.[5]
7,000 people rallied at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio for immigrants rights on March 26, 2006. The sponsoring coalition included the Immigrant Worker Project, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), UFCW Local 880, MIGUATE (of Dover, Ohio), and the Red network de Inmigrantes de Ohio.
Large protests also occured in other major cities around the same time, including Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Detroit, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee, and Jersey City, New Jersey.[6][7][8]
In addition to the street demonstrations, tens of thousands of students staged walk-outs across the country.[9] Students in the Los Angeles and Washington DC areas have been conducting walkouts since Friday, March 24, 2006.[10][11]
On March 30, 2006, students at five high schools in Central Texas walked out and protested at the Texas State Capitol. Schools in Houston, Texas, have threatened suspension and expulsion for any and all walkout students.
Demonstrations were held in dozens of cities on April 10, 2006, including Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. These rallies quickly became the top headlines on the New York Times[12], Washington Post[13], Los Angeles Times[14], Chicago Tribune[15], and USA Today.[16]
Timeline
February
- February 14: Day without and Immigrant at Philadelphia's Liberty Bell. El Paro Philadelphia.[17]
March
- March 10: 100,000 march from Union Park to Federal Plaza in Chicago.[18]
- March 23: 10,000-15,000 march to Zeidler Park in Milwaukee.[19]
- March 24: 20,000 march to Senator Jon Kyl's office in Phoenix.[20] Tens of thousands of workers participate in a work stoppage in Georgia.[21]
- March 25: 50,000 demonstrate in front of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.[22]
- March 26: 500,000 march to City Hall in Los Angeles.[2]
- March 27: 50,000 march to the McNamara Federal Building in Detroit.[7]
- March 29: 8000-9000 march from The Coliseum to Legislative Plaza in Nashville.[8]
- March 31: High school students in several cities protest.
- Approximatly 6,000 people got together at Chicano Park in San Diego and walked through Downtown to City College. People came from several middle and high schools which made most of the attendance.[citation needed]
April
- April 1: 10,000 march across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square in New York City.[24]
- April 6: Hundreds of Aurora, Illinois students leave school to march downtown to protest.[25]
- April 9: 350,000-500,000 march to City Hall in Dallas.[26] 30,000 march from the Cathedral of St. Paul to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.[27]
- April 10: Demonstrations were staged in 94 cities and towns across the United States, including Las Vegas, Nevada, Reno, Nevada, Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Phoenix, Arizona, New York, New York, Lexington, Kentucky, and Los Angeles, California.[28][12] [29]
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, a well organized march of approximately 3,000 people was held. Protesters marched two miles from Jaycee Park to the Federal Courthouse during the first day of the Clark Country Spring Break, waving Mexican and American flags alike. They protested in favor of amnesty. [30]
- In Atlanta, Georgia, at least 50,000 people rallied for both pro-amnesty and anti-amnesty.
Legislation
Notes
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b Teresa Watanabe and Hector Becerra, How DJs Put 500,000 Marchers in Motion, LA Times, March 28, 2006
- ^ Tara Bahrampour and Jamie Stockwell, Student Protests Grow, Spread to Md., Washington Post, March 31, 2006
- ^ [2]
- ^ LATIN LESSON, transcript, March 31, 2006
- ^ Bronwen Maddox, US immigration is new mass movement, The Times, March 28, 2006
- ^ a b Niraj Warikoo, LATINOS VOICE OPPOSITION: Thousands protest immigration proposal, Detroit Free Press, March 28, 2006
- ^ a b Ailene Torres and Kate Howard, Immigration march draws thousands, Tennessean, March 30, 2006
- ^ Police Make Arrests On 2nd Day Of Walkouts, NBC5i, March 28, 2006
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ a b Maria Newman, Immigration Advocates Rally Around U.S., The New York Times, April 10, 2006
- ^ Bill Brubaker, Thousands of Protesters Rally for Immigrant Rights, Washington Post, April 10, 2006
- ^ Michael Muskal and Jennifer Denison, Protests Draw Thousands for Immigrant Rights, LA Times, April 10, 2006
- ^ [5]
- ^ Immigration rallies span USA, USA Today, April 10, 2006
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ Mark Johnson and Linda Spice, Thousands march for immigrants, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 23, 2006
- ^ Yvonne Wingett and Daniel González, Immigrants protest in Valley, cities across U.S., The Arizona Republic, March 28, 2006
- ^ [8]
- ^ Kirk Mitchell and Annette Espinoza, Tens of thousands protest bill, Denver Post, March 25, 2006
- ^ [9]
- ^ Herbert Lowe, Rally in NYC, Newsday, April 2, 2006
- ^ [10]
- ^ Dallas Hosts Record-Setting Rally, NBC5i, April 9, 2006
- ^ Thousands of immigrants march for rights in St. Paul, KARE11, April 10, 2006
- ^ Karen Jacobs, Immigration rallies sweep through U.S. cities, Reuters, April 10, 2006
- ^ [11]
- ^ [12]
Further reading
- Los Angeles Times
- 'Today we march, tomorrow we vote': fearful US Latinos flex political muscle
- Student immigration law protests continue
- Student Walkouts Continue; Officials Vow Crackdown
- Hundreds Of Students Protest Immigration For Second Day
- Test of fire as immigration bill is placed before Senate
- Cincinnati Enquirer article