Immigration News Briefs
Vol. 9, No. 17 - May 7, 2006

Special May Day Issue

1. May 1: "Day Without an Immigrant"
2. Boycott's Economic Impact
3. Northeast: New Hampshire to Virginia
4. Southeast: Florida to Louisiana
5. Midwest: Ohio to Oklahoma
6. Southwest: Texas to California
7. Northwest: Montana to Alaska

Immigration News Briefs is a weekly supplement to Weekly News
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*1. MAY 1: "DAY WITHOUT AN IMMIGRANT"

May 1, International Workers' Day--a holiday in most of the
world, but not in the US--was celebrated by immigrants and their
supporters around the US this year with rallies, marches and a
nationwide boycott urging "no school, no work and no shopping."
The latest protests came three weeks after a nationwide day of
action on Apr. 10 [see INB 4/16/06], part of a growing movement
demanding legalization and full rights for all immigrants, and an
end to deportation, raids and stepped-up enforcement. Most
organizations backed the May 1 day of action, but were divided on
whether or not to support the call for a strike and boycott.

"I don't think there are two camps," said Pablo Alvarado,
director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which
backed the strike. "What I see is one big camp with different
tactics. The goal is the same: legalization for the
undocumented."

Some groups are backing a Senate compromise bill which would
include some limited form of legalization, along with increased
enforcement measures. Others would rather slow down the
legislative process and hold out for something better. "There's a
big gap between what advocates in DC are negotiating and what
[immigrant] communities are really demanding,' said Arnoldo
Garcia of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
(NNIRR). [Wall Street Journal 5/2/06]

As for next steps, the International May 1 Coalition announced on
May 1 that it will begin planning a May 19 "March on Washington,"
which will bring immigrant advocacy groups from across the nation
together at the White House Ellipse. [Washington Times 5/3/06]

*2. BOYCOTT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT

Swift & Co. shut down its 2,300-employee pork-processing plant in
Worthington, southwestern Minnesota, as well as five other meat-
processing plants nationally. [St. Paul Pioneer Press 5/2/06]
Perdue Farms Inc., based in Salisbury, Maryland, closed eight
poultry processing plants in seven states, according to AP. Tyson
Foods Inc. of Springdale, Arkansas, closed six of its nine beef
processing plants and four of its six pork processing plants.
Pilgrim's Pride Corp., the country's second-largest poultry
processor, decided to halt operations at some of its 34 plants,
although most remained up and running, said spokesperson Ray
Atkinson. [WSJ 5/2/06; AP 5/2/06] Cargill Meat Solutions, the
nation's second-largest beef processor, gave more than 15,000
workers the day off and closed plants in six states. Goya Foods,
which bills itself as the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food
chain, suspended delivery everywhere except Florida in what the
company called a gesture of solidarity. [AP 5/2/06]

In a statement, McDonald's Corp. spokesperson William Whitman
said that at some locations the restaurant chain shut outlets
except for their drive-throughs, reduced operating hours and
employed fewer crew members to accommodate workers participating
in rallies. [WSJ 5/2/06] The Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill
Inc., a chain owned by McDonald's since 1997, said 29 of its more
than 500 eateries--including 16 out of a total 36 in Minnesota--
were closed on May 1 because employees didn't show up. [Reuters
5/1/06; SPPP 5/2/06]

In the landscaping industry, nine out of 10 workers took the day
off, especially in warehouse and distribution centers, according
to the American Nursery and Landscape Association. Construction
suffered some disruptions. "Most of our members are giving
workers flex-time, but the majority seem to be working," said
Paul Lopez at the National Association of Homebuilders. [WSJ
5/2/06] The construction industry was harder hit in Florida's
Miami-Dade County, where more than half the workers at
construction sites did not show up, according to Bill Spann,
executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of
Greater Florida. [AP 5/2/06] Truckers who move 70% of the goods
in ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach did not work. [New York
Times 5/2/06] Truck traffic at the twin ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach was off 90% on May 1, said Theresa Adams Lopez, a
spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles. [AP 5/2/06]

Agriculture was especially affected in Florida and California.
Lettuce fields in California's Salinas Valley were without
workers to harvest the produce, and several lettuce packers in
the area closed their plants. [WSJ 5/2/06] The United Farm
Workers union said the boycott shut down grape, strawberry and
citrus harvests throughout California for the day. [AP 5/2/06]
Ray Gilmer, spokesperson for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable
Association, said about 50% of workers, pickers and packinghouse
employees did not show up for work on May 1. [South Florida Sun
Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale) 5/3/06]

Bay Area 2nd Mom Inc., a caregiver referral service in Palo Alto,
California, saw a sharp increase in calls on Apr. 30 and May 1
from parents who needed a last-minute nanny or baby sitter, said
Chief Executive Shalini Azariah. [AP 5/2/06]

The casino industry in Las Vegas, Nevada, reported few
disruptions, partly because many casino owners announced their
support for workers at a news conference the week before May 1,
and more than 40 casinos agreed to set up tables in employee
lunchrooms for workers to sign petitions calling on Congress to
pass a comprehensive immigration reform package. Leaders of Local
226 of the Culinary Workers Union, which represents 50,000
hospitality workers, urged members to go to work. [NYT 5/2/06]
Local 226 officials said more than 40,000 casino employees signed
the petitions on May 1, and the petitions were to remain in the
casinos throughout the week in an effort to collect another
10,000 to 20,000 signatures. [Las Vegas Review-Journal 5/3/06]

Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles Economic
Development Corp., said the economic fallout of the one-day
boycott could be as high as $200 million in Los Angeles County.
The estimate, a fraction of the $1.2 billion in economic activity
the county generates daily, consisted of business lost on Monday
and took into consideration commerce that would be made up later
in the week. [AP 5/2/06]

Law firms have been advising their clients that the immigrant
labor boycott is protected by the National Labor Relations Act,
even though it isn't specifically a union action. Morgan, Lewis &
Bockius, a Philadelphia-based law firm, on Apr. 27 issued a
client alert that recommended employers not impose restrictions
or penalties on workers' absence for the rallies--which employers
don't impose on other types of absences. [WSJ 5/2/06]

In addition to the boycott and strike, marches and rallies were
held in numerous locations around the country.

*3. NORTHEAST: NEW HAMPSHIRE TO VIRGINIA

New Hampshire: More than 200 people rallied at City Hall in
Nashua, and over 100 rallied at City Hall in Manchester. [AP
5/1/06]

Massachusetts: In Boston, hundreds rallied outside the Statehouse
on the Boston Common. Several hundred marched through East Boston
to Chelsea City Hall. [Boston Globe 5/2/06; AP 5/1/06] Another
150 people gathered outside City Hall in Lowell, a few hundred
rallied in New Bedford and about 1,000 gathered in Worcester. [AP
5/1/06] About 60 people, mainly Brazilians, rallied in Martha's
Vineyard. [Vineyard Gazette 5/5/06] Ali Noorani, executive
president of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy
Coalition, said there were events in 30 communities around the
state. [AP 5/1/06]

Rhode Island: Police estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people marched in
Providence. Some 40% of Providence's 24,800 students skipped
school. [Providence Journal 5/2/06, 5/3/06]

Connecticut: Organizers estimated about 5,000 people marched
through downtown New Haven and rallied on the New Haven Green.
[Yale Daily News 5/1/06] Several hundred marched in Hartford, and
several hundred more rallied in Stamford. A large march was held
Apr. 30 along Main Street in Danbury. [WFSB.com 5/2/06 from AP]

New York: In the afternoon, a crowd estimated by Immigration News
Briefs volunteers to be likely more than 100,000 marched down
Broadway from Union Square. Earlier, at 12:16pm--symbolizing the
Dec. 16 date when the House of Representatives passed anti-
immigrant bill HR 4437--more than 20,000 people took part in
"human chain" actions at sites in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and
the Bronx, according to the event organizers. [New York Civic
Participation Project (NYCPP) 5/2/06] New York City education
officials said school attendance was down about 6%. [NYT 5/2/06]

In Westchester County, 2,000 people marched to a rally in front
of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Port Chester, more than 60
marched down Route 9 in Ossining, and as many as 500 students and
others marched in White Plains. [Journal News 5/2/06]

In Albany, the state capital, about 24 Democratic members of the
Assembly boycotted the legislative session on May 1 by walking
out and holding a news conference in what they called a show of
support for immigrant rights. The Assembly adjourned several
minutes later. Peter Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, said it
was important for state lawmakers to exert influence on the
debate in Washington. [NYT 5/2/06]

About 200 college students rallied at the University at Buffalo's
South Campus before marching to Shoshone Park. Police arrested
two rally organizers who stepped into the street during the
march. [Buffalo News 5/2/06]

New Jersey: Several hundred people gathered in Trenton, the state
capital. [NPR.org 5/1/06]

Pennsylvania: About 7,000 people rallied in Philadelphia. [AP
5/3/06]

Maryland: Immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland said about
4,500 people rallied in Hyattsville, 300 in Gaithersburg and
1,000 in Baltimore. [Washington Times 5/3/06]

DC: About 3,000 people rallied in DC, according to CASA of
Maryland. [WT 5/3/06] Jaime Contreras, president of the National
Capital Immigration Coalition, which discouraged the boycott,
said about 25,000 people attended seven coalition-sponsored
events, most of them after attending work or school. Contreras
said about 5,000 people attended a rally in DC's Meridian Hill
Park. [Washington Post 5/3/06]

Virginia: About 1,000 people marched in Alexandria, said Jon
Liss, director of Alexandria-based Tenants and Workers United.
About 600 marched in the Culmore neighborhood of Fairfax County,
and about 600 more rallied in Herndon, he said. [WP 5/3/06]

*4. SOUTHEAST: FLORIDA TO LOUISIANA

Florida: A downtown rally in Orlando, billed as a statewide
event, drew about 20,000 people. More than 5,000 people rallied
in the rural city of Homestead, south of Miami, while another
5,000-plus--mainly Central Americans--rallied in the Orange Bowl
stadium in Miami and 2,000 more rallied at Jose Marti park in
Little Havana, now populated by an increasing number of Central
Americans. There was also a rally in Fort Lauderdale. [Miami
Herald 5/2/06] About 7,000 gathered on Dale Mabry Highway near
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. [Tampa Tribune 5/3/06]

Georgia: Some 4,500 people rallied in Atlanta, and 1,500 marched
in Athens. [AP 5/2/06]

North Carolina: Police estimated about 5,000 people marched to
City Hall in Lumberton. About 3,000 people circled the Statehouse
in Raleigh, and rallies were also held in Charlotte, Wilmington,
Greensboro, Hickory and Asheville. [Robesonian Online 5/3/06; Sun
News (Myrtle Beach, SC) 5/2/06 from AP, Knight Ridder]

Alabama: Several hundred people marched in the center of
Huntsville; about 200 held a silent march through the Tuscaloosa
campus of the University of Alabama; and in Dothan, immigrants
and supporters marched from a church to the county government
building. The strike closed poultry processing plants in Decatur,
Albertville and Dothan. [El Barlovento (Mexico) 5/1/06]

Louisiana: In New Orleans, thousands rallied in two New Orleans
parks and marched through the city. [El Barlovento 5/1/06;
Shreveport Times 5/2/06; The Advocate 5/2/06] Police estimated
turnout at close to 2,000. [NPR.org 5/1/06]

*5. MIDWEST: OHIO TO OKLAHOMA

Ohio: Hundreds marched in Cincinnati, around 500 in Cleveland and
550 in Dayton; demonstrations were also held in Columbus and
Tiffin. [Cincinnati Post 5/2/06]

Michigan: In southwest Detroit, a 10am rally at Ste. Anne de
Detroit Catholic Church drew about 500 people, who then marched
to a noon rally at Clark Park attended by 700. [AP 5/1/06;
Detroit News 5/1/06, 5/2/06, some from AP]

Illinois: In Chicago, hundreds of thousands of people took part
in a rally in Union Park where US senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
spoke, then marched to an afternoon rally at Grant Park. Chicago
police estimated the total turnout at about 400,000, but event
organizers said it was more like 700,000. [Chicago Tribune
5/1/06; AP 5/2/06] Officials from the Chicago Public Schools
estimated that as many as one-third of the city's 435,000
students didn't show up for class. [Baltimore Sun 5/2/06] At
Benito Juarez High School in the predominantly Latino
neighborhood of Pilsen, 83% of the students skipped class. [NYT
5/2/06] In cities near Chicago, 9,000 people marched in Aurora,
1,000 marched and rallied in Elgin, 600 rallied in Joliet, 500
marched at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and 200
demonstrated in the Chicago suburb of Cicero. [Chicago Tribune
5/1/06, 5/2/06] Demonstrations were also held in Rockford,
northwest of Chicago; in the central Illinois towns of Champaign,
Bloomington (where more than 400 people rallied) and Peoria
(where about 200 people marched through downtown); and in
Carbondale, in the far south of the state. About 1,000 had
marched in Bloomington on Apr. 10. [AP 5/2/06; Peoria Journal
Star 5/2/06]

Wisconsin: Police declined to give an estimate of the crowd in
Milwaukee, though organizers Voces de la Frontera estimated some
70,000 people took part. In Madison, police estimated 3,000
people rallied at the state capitol. [AP 5/1/06]

Minnesota: Police estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people marched in
Minneapolis, despite rainy weather, and another 75 to 100 people
rallied in St. Paul. [St. Paul Pioneer Press 5/2/06]

Iowa: Some 200-300 people marched in Muscatine. [Muscatine
Journal 5/2/06]

Nebraska: hundreds marched in Grand Island and about 100 held a
candlelight vigil in Lincoln. [Lincoln Journal Star 5/2/06 from
AP]

Kansas: Organizers said more than 1,500 people gathered at the
Lyon County Fairgrounds in Emporia, within sight of the Tyson
meatpacking plant. About 100 people held a candelight vigil in
Lawrence. [Lawrence Journal-World 5/2/06] In southwest Kansas,
rallies drew workers from Cargill Meat Solutions and National
Beef, both of which shut down production for the day. [Kansas
City Star 5/2/06]

Missouri: Thousands rallied outside the Liberty Memorial in
Kansas City. [KCS 5/2/06]

Oklahoma: Rallies were held in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. [Norman
Transcript 5/2/06 from CNHI News Service]

*6. SOUTHWEST: TEXAS TO CALIFORNIA

Texas: As many as 30,000 rallied in Houston. [AP 5/2/06]
Organizers said at least 5,000 people rallied on Monday at
Houston's Memorial Park. Police said the crowd size was larger
than that of an April 10 protest when at least 10,000 people
turned out. Another 4,000 to 5,000 attended an event at Bayland
Park in southwest Houston, police said. [Houston Chronicle
5/2/06] About 200 demonstrators marched in North Dallas outside
the office of US Sen. John Cornyn, who has opposed legalization
for immigrants. [NPR.org 5/1/06]

In El Paso, a march from the Chamizal National Memorial to San
Jacinto Plaza at the US-Mexico border drew 2,000 to 3,000 people.
[El Paso Times 5/3/06] Demonstrators blocked traffic across the
international bridge for about half an hour. No one was arrested.
[El Barlovento 5/1/06]

New Mexico: In Albuquerque, organizers estimated the crowd that
marched from Tiguex park at 5,000; police said there were 1,500.
[Albuquerque Tribune 5/2/06; Rocky Mountain Media Grok 5/2/06]
Thousands also gathered in Franklin Park in Santa Fe. [RMMG
5/2/06] The New Mexican reported the Santa Fe crowd as "several
hundred." [NM 5/2/06]

Arizona: In Phoenix, about 3,000 people turned out for protests
at various locations. [Washington Times 5/2/06] More than 20
people protested outside the closed Phoenix branch of the IFCO
Systems pallet company, which was hit by nationwide immigration
raids on Apr. 19 [see INB 4/22/06]. [Baltimore Sun 5/2/06] In
Tucson, organizers said 3,000 or more people took part in a "Day
of Action" at Armory Park which included a student teach-in, a
community-services fair and a voter-registration drive. [Arizona
Daily Star (Tucson) 5/2/06] Demonstrations were also held in Yuma
and Bullhead City. [ADS 5/3/06 from AP]

Colorado: In Denver, an estimated 75,000 people--more than one-
sixth of the city's population--marched through downtown.
[Baltimore Sun 5/2/06] Several Denver area school districts
reported absentee rates at some schools as high as 74%. [Rocky
Mountain News (Denver) 5/3/06] Nearly 100 people marched in
Telluride. [Telluride Daily Planet 5/2/06] Hundreds gathered at
the Boulder Band Shell at noon. [New West Network 5/1/06] A small
rally was held in Durango. [RMMG 5/2/06]

Utah: In Wendover, by the Nevada border, more than 500 people
marched 2 miles carrying placards and US flags, chanting "USA,
USA, USA" and "Utah, Utah, Utah." [Salt Lake Tribune 5/2/06]

California: An estimated 250,000 took part in a morning downtown
Los Angeles rally and another 400,000 attended a second,
afternoon rally. [ADS 5/2/06 from Knight Ridder] In the Los
Angeles Unified School District, about 72,000 middle and high
school students were absent--roughly one in every four. Some
50,000 people demonstrated in San Jose. [AP 5/2/06] More than 200
people participated in a rally on the Stanford University campus
in Palo Alto. [Stanford Report 5/3/06] Some 3,000 people marched
in Chico, according to organizer Rocio Guido-Ferns, a Chico State
senior. [The Orion 5/3/06] A rally in Stockton drew about 10,000
people. [AP 5/4/06] Over 10,000 people took to the streets of
Modesto. [Message from Xiuhcoatl posted on SF Bay Area Indymedia
5/5/06] Even law enforcement officials estimated the Modesto
march crowd at up to 10,000. Another 2,000 people marched a few
miles away in Ceres. [Modesto Bee 5/3/06] Some 55,000 people
mobilized in San Francisco. [CNN 5/1/06] About 10,000 people
marched in Santa Ana. [Los Angeles Times 5/3/06] Later in Santa
Ana some people hurled rocks and plastic bottles at police, and
several people were arrested. [AP 5/2/06]

In San Diego, some 3,000 people marched toward the border
crossing at San Ysidro, where they were turned back by police.
[El Barlovento 5/1/06] In North San Diego County, more than 2,000
people rallied in Grape Day Park in Escondido, 2,500 rallied in
Vista, 125 people marched in Fallbrook, 300 marched in Oceanside,
and 150 students and professors rallied on the Cal State campus
in San Marcos. [North County Times 5/2/06]

In Palm Springs in Riverside County, 2,000 people marched nearly
a mile to the office of Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA), co-sponsor of the
anti-immigrant bill HR 4437. Bono, whose Coachella Valley
district is 42% Latino, now says she supports a guest worker
program that may be added to the bill in revision. Nearly 10,500
of the 16,400 students in the Coachella Valley Unified school
district skipped class on May 1. [Desert Sun 5/3/06]

*7. NORTHWEST: MONTANA TO ALASKA

Montana: Small demonstrations took place in Missoula and
Billings. [RMMG 5/2/06]

Idaho: A small demonstration was held in Boise. [RMMG 5/2/06]

Oregon: An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people marched in Salem.
[Statesman Journal 5/3/06]

Washington: As many as 65,000 people marched and rallied in
Seattle. [Seattle Times 5/2/06] A car struck a group of marchers;
injuries were minor and the driver was arrested. There were six
other arrests. [AP 5/2/06] More than 3,000 people marched in
Othello--a town with a population of about 6,000 in the central
eastern part of the state. Some of the demonstrators traveled to
Othello from nearby towns like Warden, Royal City, Moses Lake and
Wenatchee. [Columbia Basin Herald 5/2/06]

Alaska: Organizers said 1,000 people rallied in Anchorage.
[Anchorage Daily News 5/2/06] About 180 marched in Kodiak. There
were also large gatherings in Fairbanks and Juneau. [Kodiak Daily
Mirror 5/2/06]

***

NOTE: Demonstration reports were compiled from available press
sources. Immigration News Briefs welcomes corrections and
additional information.

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