The rally honoring Cesar Chavez becomes vehicle to express indignation over proposed immigration limits.By Todd Milbourn -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 26, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B1
Chants of "Sí, se puede" (Yes, we can) and "Aquí estamos y no nos vamos" (We're here and we're not leaving) reverberated through downtown Sacramento as thousands rallied Saturday for better wages and the right to organize and against efforts to toughen immigration laws.
The rally, held since 2000 to honor the late labor leader Cesar Chavez, usually draws several hundred people. This year, organizers said more than 5,000 took to the streets, voicing frustrations at recent federal proposals to curb illegal immigration.
Protesters blasted a bill the House of Representatives passed in December that would require employers to check the immigration status of all workers against a federal database. The legislation, scheduled for debate in the Senate this week, also would make it a felony to work in the United States without the proper paperwork.
"We're sending a message across this country that we are here to work, not to be criminalized," said Al Rojas, a former farmworker and labor organizer from Sacramento, to thunderous applause.
The rally, organized by the AFL-CIO-affiliated Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, coincided with protests in cities across the county that drew far more people than organizers anticipated. The Los Angeles rally drew an estimated 500,000 people, clogging the streets in front of City Hall.
In Sacramento, protesters from as far as Fresno and Fremont marched shoulder to shoulder across the Tower Bridge to Cesar Chavez Plaza, waving Mexican and United Farm Workers union flags and hoisting signs that read, "We are not criminals, we are human."
"Why are we fighting against immigration when immigration built this country?" asked Juan Llamas, a 20-year-old student at California State University, Sacramento.
Immigration has become a particularly heated issue as the 2006 midterm elections near, with both political parties trying to score points on the topic.
Rojas said the furor over immigration is a "smoke screen" designed to inflame the electorate by playing to prejudice.
"We have a Congress and a Senate that are being led by aspirations of staying in control," Rojas said. "They are using immigration to hype up non-people of color. So instead of bringing people together, they are dividing this country."
The protesters said immigrants are the backbone of the U.S. economy, often laboring in dirty, dangerous conditions doing jobs many U.S.-born residents won't. Trying to keep them out of the country would have disastrous social and economic consequences, they said.
"Drive to Salinas. You'll see these are the people who are putting our food on the table," said Zeke Perez, a 53-year-old construction worker from El Dorado Hills who arrived at the rally after a morning shift.
Protesters also focused on workers' rights and what they called the "Wal-Mart-ization" of the workplace - a proliferation of low-wage, nonunion jobs with few benefits. They used the ongoing union drive at Sacramento's Blue Diamond Growers as a rallying cry.
A federal judge cited Blue Diamond, an almond processor, March 17 for unfair labor practices and ordered the company to reinstate two workers fired during the organizing drive.
One of the Saturday event's lead organizers, Agustin Ramirez of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said focusing on immigration allows politicians to avoid dealing with issues like stagnant wages and job security.
"It's hard to understand why our legislatures go after undocumented workers when here are our own citizens who are being fired and there's nothing we can do about it," said Ramirez.
Guillermo Durgin, a labor organizer and member of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, addressed declining union membership.
"We have to be more militant and more aggressive in our organizing," he said. "And for those already in a union, we've got to be more aggressive in giving them a say."
After the rally, Rojas said he hoped the event would serve as a "wake-up call" for working people to get more involved in politics. He said he was especially glad to see so many undocumented workers show up.
"That's the most important message being sent," Rojas said. "These people are no longer hiding. Their voices are being heard."
About the writer:
The Bee's Todd Milbourn can be reached at (916) 321-1063 or
Email: tmilbourn@sacbee.com .
Pictures Sacramento Bee/Hector Amezcua@ Website: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14235219p-15056575c.html
Participants carry a painting of the late United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez during Saturday's rally.
Protesters marched shoulder to shoulder across the Tower Bridge.
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Related Story:
Senate panel set to take on immigration: 3-26-2006 AM
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14235219p-15056591c.html
By Susan Ferriss and Michael Doyle -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 26, 2006
Story appeared on Page A1 of The Bee
President Bush's long journey to immigration reform comes to a crucial test Monday.
When he entered the White House in January 2001, Bush declared his intention to forge a tighter relationship with the rest of the Americas. As Texas governor, he had already privately repudiated the anti-illegal-immigrant politics of fellow Republican Pete Wilson of California. He joined with his friend Mexican President Vicente Fox in promoting plans for providing visas to Mexican laborers.
And then the political world turned. Borders were for closing. Foreigners were a threat. Now, after many twists and with the clock ticking, the Senate is embarking on an immigration debate that will shape lives, borders and political careers.
"Everyone recognizes the seriousness of this issue," Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, said Friday. "The real question is, will we have enough time to do this?"
Monday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee reconvenes following a week's recess that hasn't included much rest. Behind the scenes, staffers, lobbyists and lawmakers have been furiously negotiating over programs that could legalize some of the 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and create a new guest-worker program.
Monday will be a test for the 19-member Judiciary Committee. If it can't finish its work, the Senate will take up a more limited bill focusing on border security.
Bush, too, faces a test - with his fellow Republicans. Congressional elections are looming and many Republicans have broken ranks with Bush over immigration. Their concerns about porous borders and foreign terrorists outweigh pleas by business associations for them to recognize a need for foreign workers.
Lungren, who helped write a big 1986 immigration bill, spoke for many when he cautioned that "we're not going to get an effective worker program unless and until we show the American people that we're serious about enforcement."
The House in December blended immigration reform and anti-terrorism measures and passed a bill that increases penalties against illegal immigration, making it a felony, as well as penalties against hiring and aiding illegal immigrants. The bill didn't provide any measure for legalizing undocumented workers or providing guest workers. It calls for all employers to start using a computerized system to check the validity of workers' ID documents with federal databases.
On Thursday, with Senate deliberations under way, Bush met with business representatives and gave a nod of approval to more comprehensive changes, which means going beyond enforcement by providing guest worker visas and an adjustment of status for some of the illegal immigrants already in the United States.
"I think now is the time for the United States Congress to act to get an immigration plan that is comprehensive and rational and achieves important objectives," Bush said.
More than 100 farm groups, joined together as the Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform, are rallying for a change that acknowledges a reliance on immigrant labor. The coalition's Fresno-born lobbyist, former Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Monte Lake, joined Bush at the White House on Thursday for the immigration discussion.
Dozens of organizations ranging from the California Landscape Contractors Association to hotel giant Marriott International are part of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, which also sent representatives to meet Bush.
The Mexican government, too, has continued attempts to persuade U.S. lawmakers to embrace a guest-worker solution as a partnership. Last Monday, the Mexican government took out full-page ads in the New York Times, Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times in an attempt to make its case.
Mexican government and corporate interests employ 11 lobbying firms, which were paid $3.3 million during the first six months of last year to work on issues ranging from trade to tourism, Justice Department records show. The costs are modest compared with some countries - Saudi Arabia spent more than $15.7 million last year - but the stakes are high for Fox, who made outreach to the United States a centerpiece of his government.
Against this backdrop, the Judiciary Committee faces extraordinary pressure.
The Dirksen Senate Office Building room where members meet is expected to be packed, standing room only, for what could be a very long day. If the committee falls short and fails to vote on a proposal, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has said he will push forward his own enforcement-centered bill as the starting point for a two-week Senate debate.
Only a week ago, before recessing, the judiciary panel appeared poised to approve two crucial compromises involving guest workers and illegal immigrants already in this country. But detailed negotiations hit a rough patch over the past week, lobbyists say.
Even if the Judiciary Committee approves a proposal that includes guest workers and adjustment of status of illegal immigrants, it would have to pass the full Senate. Then a proposal would go to a conference committee of House and Senate members to seek agreement before Bush could sign, or veto, a bill.
"I would not rule out the chances of getting something done before the November elections, although it's small," said Rep. Devin Nunes, a Tulare Republican who backs a comprehensive bill.
California is home to the majority of the nation's illegal immigrants, although undocumented workers are scattered in industries throughout the entire country. California's agricultural industry and other businesses, including hotels and hospitality, construction and landscaping, have publicly admitted they have a huge stake in what happens.
Vito Chiesa, a San Joaquin Valley peach and almond grower, testified at a March 2 House Committee on Agriculture hearing held in Stockton.
"We need some sort of legalization," Chiesa said. "I'm not talking about fast-track citizenship."
Chiesa said he didn't see any difference between the aspirations of his own father, who emigrated from Italy, and Mexican immigrants who come to work, except for a system of visas that doesn't allow in enough foreign workers to come in legally to perform jobs Americans don't want. He said he regards Mexican farmworkers as motivated and skilled workers, who can earn $14 an hour picking peaches.
"You or I would earn $7," he told committee members.
Currently, only 5,000 visas a year are available to U.S. employers who want to sponsor an unskilled foreign worker as a permanent resident.
Republican voter Cathy Gurney, owner of Sierra Landscape and Maintenance in Chico, said she's frustrated that some people think employers use day laborers they pay off the books.
"Well, we don't," she said. "That's the underground economy."
Gurney said she pays workers at least $7 an hour, and offers health insurance after some time on the job. She said she turned away a job applicant recently who showed her an ID card that was obviously false, but she said often employers are unable to tell what's legitimate.
Despite Bush's support for comprehensive reform, he has been largely passive over the years and left the detailed work up to Congress.
The closest the Senate Judiciary Committee has gotten to agreement in its recent deliberations is an unofficial endorsement of several potential compromises.
One is a guest-worker program serving up to 400,000 foreign workers annually. The immigrants could secure legal work for up to eight years, during which time they could apply for permanent legal status. In theory, they would have to return to their home countries at some point, but they could also be exempted from that requirement.
The committee's other apparent compromise involves what to do about illegal immigrants present in the United States. Amnesty is the red-letter word everyone loathes, though one person's amnesty is another person's adjustment of status.
"While our national security requires that we address the 12 million illegal aliens already here, we have to do so without granting them amnesty," said Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
To mollify enough conservatives, one proposal would grant illegal immigrants temporary legal status but make them wait for permanent residency behind 3 million applicants already in line for visas granted to people with family sponsors in the United States.
"I'm willing to work out a way to put them in line - at the end of the line," said Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the judiciary panel.
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IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROPOSALS
Three major immigration reform/border security bills are now in play. One was passed by the House of Representatives in December. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist introduced his own border security plan two weeks ago, while the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday will try to complete work on a more comprehensive bill.
FENCING
House bill (H.R. 4437): Double-layered, reinforced fencing would be constructed, intermittently, from near Tecate to near Brownsville, Texas. Construction would move most quickly between Calexico and Douglas, Ariz., and around Laredo, Texas.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (S. 2454): Double-layered and triple-layered fences would be constructed in the Yuma and Tucson areas of Arizona. A "comprehensive plan for the systematic surveillance" of U.S. borders would be completed. A "virtual fence" of unmanned aerial vehicles, cameras and other technologies necessary to achieve "operational control of the international borders of the United States" would be pursued.
Senate Judiciary Committee: A "virtual fence" similar to that proposed by Frist would be authorized. In addition, an amendment authorizes extending and improving fencing along the Arizona-Mexico border.
UNLAWFUL PRESENCE
House bill: Creates new felony of "unlawful presence," which covers anyone "present in the United States in violation of the immigration laws." Violators would be subject to a prison term of a year and a day.
Frist: Creates misdemeanor of "unlawful presence," with violators subject to jail sentence of up to six months.
Senate Judiciary Committee: Creates misdemeanor of "unlawful presence," with violators subject to jail sentence of up to six months. Democrats will attempt as early as Monday to eliminate this provision.
LEGALIZING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
House bill: No provision.
Frist: No provision
Senate Judiciary Committee: A work in progress, and possibly the most controversial single provision. The committee on Monday is to consider a proposal to permit the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now in the United States to attain legal status if they pay a $2,000 fine, undergo a background check, learn English and meet other criteria. They could apply for a green card, but they would first have to wait for the 3 million applicants already in line.
GUEST WORKERS
House bill: No provision.
Frist: No provision.
Senate Judiciary Committee: A work in progress. The committee on Monday is to consider a proposal to permit 400,000 foreign guest workers annually. The foreign workers, under one plan, could stay in the United States for up to eight years.
ASSISTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
House bill: Makes it a crime, subject to up to five years in prison, to assist, encourage, direct or induce a person to reside in or remain in the United States. There are no humanitarian exemptions.
Frist: Makes it a crime, subject to five years in prison, to "encourage or induce" an illegal immigrant to stay in the United States. The language is not as sweeping as the House bill, and churches and individuals providing "emergency humanitarian" assistance are exempted.
Senate Judiciary Committee: Same as Frist's bill. Democrats will attempt as early as Monday to eliminate or soften this provision, and some Republicans appear sympathetic to the effort.
DETENTION
House bill: Starting Oct. 1, 2006, all immigrants caught attempting to illegally enter the United States at a port of entry or along the border would be detained until removed to their home country. The mandatory detention requirement would not apply to Cubans. The federal government would "explore all possible options" to increase detention bed space, including leasing state, local and private beds.
Frist: Same.
Senate Judiciary Committee: Require the detention of all non-Mexican illegal immigrants until their court hearings. About 150,000 such illegal immigrants were caught last year, while the federal government currently has about 20,000 detention beds.
- Bee Washington Bureau
About the writer:
The Bee's Susan Ferriss can be reached at (916) 321-1267 or sferriss@sacbee.com .
Ferriss reported from Sacramento. Doyle reported and wrote from The Bee's Washington Bureau.
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