Tens of thousands turn out for Dallas immigration march

[High Plains]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/14303999.htm

DALLAS - Tens of thousands banged drums, waived U.S. flags and shouted "Si Se Puede!", Spanish for "Yes, we can!", in a protest urging federal lawmakers to pass immigration reform that would legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented workers. Many of those who crammed into the streets of downtown Dallas wore white clothing to symbolize peace. Marchers included families pushing strollers with their children.

Among the marchers was Marina Resendiz, a 25-year-old premed student at the University of Texas at Arlington who illegally came to Dallas from Mexico with her family as a teenager and went on to attend public schools in Dallas. "It's hard to study if you don't have a green card. I graduated third in my class but I couldn't get any scholarships," she said as bells from the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe tolled in the background. "We don't want to be separated from our families."

Some protesters wore shirts that said "No HR 4437," referring to the House bill passed in December that would build more walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, make criminals of people who helped undocumented immigrants and make it a felony, rather than a civil infraction, to be in the country illegally.

One protester hoisted a sign that read "We love the USA, we work, we study, we contribute to the economy of the nation."

<snip>

[High Plains]

1. Fox News is reporting as many as 150,000

Seas of white t-shirts and American flags.

Look for more rallies across the country tomorrow.

[Deja Q]

2. What a load of caca.

Given the cost of living, it's kinda hard to study anything if you have to work numerous jobs just to make ends meet...

[High Plains]

3. Article doesn't say how many jobs the young woman has.

[argyl]

4. You know nothing of this woman's circumstances.The story here is the

number of demonstrators regardless.

[EFerrari]

6. I did it for two years and took care of two young kids.

You have to really want it. And to be good at sleepwalking.

[rainbow4321]

5. DMN: Thousands reach City Hall

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/040906dnmetprotest.1b36165d.html


At a police security briefing that ended about 3:15 p.m., Dallas police Chief David Kunkle reported that no one had been arrested and no noteworthy offenses had been committed amid the crowd that was widely estimated at 100,000. Speculation put the crowd at up to 500,000, although police had no comment on that number.

Chief Kunkle reiterated his estimate that 550 police and 200 sheriff’s officers were on duty. Although no additional backups were called Sunday, supervisors were asking early shift officers to stay a few hours later, and calling the evening shift workers to arrive early.

By 12:20 p.m., organizers were unfurling a huge American flag, estimated at 25 feet long, that was to be carried through the streets. They estimated that up to 30,000 people would be present as the march got under way about 1 p.m. Thousands more were waiting at City Hall and many more were still reportedly at bus stations trying to catch trains downtown

<snip>

Wearing white shirts to symbolize peace and waving small American flags, the participants were flowing in from remote parking lots and taking their places in line. Some were carrying large U.S. flags; another group had a 5-foot banner reading ““LEGALIZACION. IT’S OUR AMERICAN DREAM TOO” stretched out between two poles

[saddemocrat]

7. Not reported by the national media

were the interviews of many young highschool and college kids who didn't even understand what they were marching for. Scarey....many people were out there thinking that the US govt. was planning on deporting all Mexicans.

What surprised me is that there is so much wage deflation in the DFW area in certain industries because of the illegal workers. My brother will have to shut down his lawn care business because he can't compete with the 'pennies to the dollar' prices of some of the illegals...Yet...my brother is an american WILLING to do that job...just not for so little income that he can't pay for his apartment.

[High Plains]

8. Legalize and unionize those workers!

If we're gonna have here to work, give 'em the rights of workers.

Oh, those silly high school kids! The government doesn't want to deport all Mexicans, only about 6 million of them.

[saddemocrat]

9. well

We did that once before in our history and hoped that we could 'tighten the borders' and keep more illegals out...instead, we have an even larger influx all hoping to become legal...again.

Why not send them home and then...crack down on corporations (with some serious...put-you-out-of-business fines) for hiring illegals and then let these companies have to raise wages and hire american workers? If people weren't hiring the illegals then they wouldn't come here...and quite frankly, the illegals are being abused by the system..they are paid shit for wages, and are forced to work under some rather unpleasant conditions.

Why not force the president of Mexico to take some responsibility for the poor conditions in his country?

My husband entered this country as an immigrant legally...it was time-consuming..but he followed the laws and was eventually granted citizenship. Why should these people who have snuck in and not followed the law be granted the same worker status as he is? I don't get that.

I'm full of sympathy for the Mexicans, but I'm also full of sympathy for the American worker earning a crappy minimum wage, or having their jobs outsourced to Mexico or India etc. I feel for the American worker with no health insurance that goes bankrupt over medical bills when the illegal immigrants come in and go to the ER and don't pay their bills. Do you think that legalizing them/uniionizing them is realistic? I don't...A legal/unionized mexican worker will demand more pay...and...as a result will become unemployed as the next group of illegals makes it's way into the country!

[wookie294]

10. Illegal immigration is another bogus issue

Free trade agreements (NAFTA) have forced Mexican farmers into Mexican cities where no jobs exist. So, they come to the USA in desperation. It is the free trade fundamentalists who have created this "problem" of illegal immigration. The war on illegal immigration will fail, just like the war on drugs and the war on terror. Big waste of taxpayer dollars. I live in Los Angles. Mexicans are great people! I say legalize all of them. There is NO WAY you will stop them from crossing our border. NO WAY AT ALL. Any attempt to stop illegal immigration will fail. Stop the fantasy belief that you can stop them from coming here. Gonna build a wall??? LMFAO!!! Halliburton will get that contract, no doubt.

[saddemocrat]

11. Well

I agree with a couple of things that you have said:

NAFTA is a big problem and we can't build a wall...but I don't support the idea of just legalizing all of the mexicans who come here illegally. I don't see it as a bogus issue, but I don't see it as the most pressing issue either.

How would I stop it? I'd fine the shit out of every corporation who hires illegals...as in "going out of business fines" not slaps on the wrist. This would force the corporations who need workers to reasses their wage scales and hire americans at a living wage. Of course, it may mean we pay more for our goods....

Of course many of the mexicans that come here are great people. There are great people from all countries that want to come here. Many of our middle class jobs are also going to "great people" in India and Pakistan. At what point, though, do we start supporting great american people and their rights?

[Blaq Dem]

12. But they will VOTE...

I don't think the children and grandchildren of illegals will want to be treated like a bunch of slaves. Just like the 25 year old premed who wants to become a doctor, they will have dreams. Republicans are standing in the way of their dreams since corporations don't want any illegals to become legalized citizens. Not to mention, if legalized, they will VOTE.