One Year Later, Back to Square One

Carrying mostly American flags and wearing white, the marchers -- whose numbers ranged from more than half a million in Los Angeles to tens of thousands in Sacramento and Fresno, and thousands more in other San Joaquin Valley communities -- were peaceful yet forceful in criticizing HR 4437, a bill promoted by James Sensenbrenner, a Republican Congressman from Wisconsin, as a slap at the country's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.

The bill has died in Washington, D.C.'s, political mill, but the debate continues despite polls that show overwhelming national support for comprehensive immigration reform that will allow undocumented immigrants a chance to gain legal status.

Next week, organizers are pushing for similar marches that take a stance for or against the STRIVE Act, a non-partisan bill that has been criticized as too lax or too extreme. This comes on the heels of arrests and deportations of people who have been sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The agency admits some undocumented immigrants have become collateral victims.

Last year's marchers got the country's attention.

"It's very important for our Hispanic race (to be here) because we need people to know how to respect us, to know that we also have values," said Rafaela Madrigal, a Ceres resident who participated in last year's marches.

Today, it appears the United States seems unwilling to do much more than trade rhetoric barbs, point to polls that show the country is in the mood to ship out all undocumented residents and construct a 2,200-mile wall on the U.S.-Mexico border that could cost at least $2.2 billion. Or else the country wants to show its paternalistic side and help them become legal residents.

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