Feature Archives

On Monday March 27th, word spread fast around high schools in California and across the nation that students would be walking out of their classes in protest of the anti-immigrant legislation known as HR 4437. House bill HR 4437 would make being an undocumented immigrant a felony and criminalize anyone who offered non-emergency assistance to undocumented workers and their families. The demonstrations continued Tuesday and grew in number. Locally, Northern California walkouts have included thousands of students in Fresno, Aptos, Watsonville, Hollister and Salinas. Police have dealt harshly with many of the students while other authority figures have both offered support for the student's cause and simultaneously urged students to remain in school. School districts, working with local police, have now begun to implement lockdowns to prevent students from leaving campuses. Nevertheless, the actions continued Wednesday and more are planned for the near future.

March 27 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 · Audio: 1 | 2
March 28 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 · Audio: 1
March 29 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3
March 30 Report
March 31 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 · Audio: 1

Southern California Walkout Updates: LA IMC | San Diego IMC

Read more on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Central Valley Page.

On March 25th, over 2,500 latino immigrants joined Gold Star Families for Peace member Fernando Suarez del Solar, and Iraq War resister Pablo Paredes for the 5 mile Watsonville leg of their 241 mile march for peace from Tijuana to the Mission District in San Francisco. Along with chants for peace, many on the march were also moved to take a stand against the draconian anti-immigrant bill HR4437.

photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
audio: Short Interviews

After the march, the Watsonville Police Department targeted one organizer (a Brown Beret) and wrote him a citation with 8-10 counts against him, including criminal charges. Read more

Shortly after the march in Watsonville, a thousand latino immigrants joined Fernando Suarez del Solar and Pablo Paredes for the 5 mile Salinas leg of their 241 mile trek. People took to the streets in opposition to war in Iraq and the anti-immigrant bill HR4437. Read more and view photos

Organizers say, "Latinos represent nearly 15% of the US population and 11% of the US military, with many serving in combat or hazardous duty occupations. In addition, an estimated 20% of the fallen service members in the early months of the invasion were Latino. With the continued growth of the Latino population and its vital importance to the future of this country, it is time the Latino community become an active and vocal part of the 60%+ of US citizens that oppose this War."

Read more about the march for peace from Tijuana to San Francisco on Indybay's Anti-War Page

Over 50 hunger strikers and organizations held a seven-day protest in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco from March 21st through March 27th to protest against anti-immigrant laws. The protesters spoke out against Senator Arlen Specter’s bill (HR4437) that designates all undocumented immigrants as aggravated felons, allows for the indefinite detention of non-citizens, and criminalizes day-labor centers, churches, health clinics and all others who serve, help or work with undocumented immigrants. There were candlelight vigils at the Federal Building every day and a march on Monday March 27th.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Audio: 1 | Video: 1 | 2

March 25th was a National Day of Solidarity, with a press event at the Federal Building connecting the Bay Area to events that have been happening across the country. Over one million people filled the streets of Los Angeles demanding civil rights for immigrants, in what may be the largest demonstration in California history. Photos

On March 27th there were student walkouts state wide. Photos From Fresno

San Francisco Declares Opposition to Anti-Immigrant Bill | We Didn't Cross the Border, the Border Crossed Us | Fear -- the Core of Current Immigration Debate | Old Civil Rights Groups Missing-in-Action As Immigrants Hit the Streets | Hispanic Media at the Forefront of Immigration March | Si Se Puede! Illegal Immigrants Speak Up - And America Should Listen | Up to 2 Million Take to the Streets of L.A. | Immigrant Rights Protests Spread -- New Chapter in Civil Rights Movement | More than a million march in Los Angeles, other US cities in defense of immigrant rights | UFPJ: Emergency Action for Immigrant Rights

Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition

On Wednesday March 15th, over one hundred activists congregated at Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey to voice their opinion on the new HR4437 bill that had just passed in the House of Representatives and is now on its way to the Senate. The activists included students, community members, Brown Berets, veterans, and children. After a rally at the park, the demonstrators marched to Downtown Monterey (Alvarado Street) to tell the general public how they felt. As the protest moved towards downtown the number of demonstrators increased as they found more supporters to their cause. At one point the demonstration blocked one lane of the road as the demonstrators took to the street. Read more

More than five hundred people joined rallies and marches against HR 4437 in Santa Cruz on March 17th. The rally started at the Santa Cruz County Building and then marched to Beach Flats Park, with the community running out of their homes and into the streets throughout the night. People then left the Beach Flats, headed up Pacific Avenue, and back to the County Building for a final rally of the night.

HR 4437 would make it a felony offense to be in the U.S. without proper documentation. This would push undocumented immigrants further underground, and increase the potential for exploitation by employers. This bill would also criminalize nurses, teachers, clergy, social workers, and anyone else who aids, assists, or otherwise has regular contact with undocumented immigrants. (protest announcement).

reportbacks: Por que somos emigrantes, Por que somos ilegales, si señor. || Report from Friday's Marches and Rallies in Santa Cruz
photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
audio: Speakers from Santa Cruz Rally Against HR 4437
observations: Sentinel has no online coverage of Friday's March for Immigrant Rights in Santa Cruz || undercover cops at immigrant rights march?

On Friday, March 10, 2006 Chicago’s downtown was paralyzed by an immigrant rights march estimated at more than 100,000 people. The march, organized by a citywide coalition of community, labor and immigrant rights groups, was called to protest the punitive enforcement provisions of the anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner Bill.

Protesters carried hand-lettered signs saying "No Human Being is Illegal", "We are America," "My Mexican immigrant son died in Iraq," "Don't deport my parents,""I'm a dishwasher - not a criminal," and "Si, se puede!" - "Yes We Can!" The crowd stretched two and half miles, from Union Park on the West Side to their rally destination in Federal Plaza.

The march was one of the largest street protests Chicago has ever seen — exceeding the historic May 1, 1886 march down Michigan Ave. by 80,000 largely immigrant workers demanding an eight-hour workday. Read more | Democracy Now! coverage

Indymedia reports: [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] Photos: [ 1 ]
Other resources: Pueblo Sin Fronteras | Centro Romero | Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

On Tuesday Feb 14th immigrants across Philadelphia and regionally staged a walkout to protest bill HR 4437 as part of A Day Without An Immigrant. The bill threatens to criminalize those assisting undocumented immigrants as "alien smugglers" and to turn undocumented status from a civil violation to a federal aggravated felony.o

For more information on pending immigration legislation, see The National Immigration Law Forum | American Immgration Lawyers Association | American Immigration Law Foundation | National Immigration Project |Immigrant Legal Resource Center

For information on border activism in general, see deletetheborder.org| No Border Network | O.R.G.A.N.I.C. Collective | No More Deaths | Immigrant Solidarity Network

Law enforcement in Santa Cruz, CA this week, launched a 24-hour, spanish language hotline for day laborers to anonymously report abusive employers. FSRN reporter Vinny Lombardo has more. To leave an anonymous report about abusive employers in Santa Cruz, call (831) 420-5997.

La Policia de Santa Cruz, CA. esta semana, empienza a funcionar una linea telefonica, para denunciar los abusos laborales. Esta linea funciona las 24 horas, es en español, y la llamada es anonima. Tu puedes llamar al (831) 420-5597. FSRN reportero Vinny Lombardo tiene mas informacion.

Audio: Download the mp3