100,000 Expected To Attend May Day Immigration Rally

100,000 people are expected to take to the streets of Downtown Los Angeles and Westwood Saturday in a May Day rally for immigration rights. The LA Times reports:

LAPD officials are preparing for a surge in the number of participants in the wake of an outcry over a controversial new Arizona law that requires police to check the legal status of people they suspect of being illegal immigrants.

Deputy Chief Jose Perez Jr. said that police initially estimated no more than 60,000 people would participate in the May Day march to Los Angeles City Hall. But Perez said those numbers were revised after organized labor and immigrant rights groups informed authorities they expect far more people.

LAist has information on street closures and transportation for the events.

Earlier today, LAist reported that Senators Boxer and Feinstein have sent a joint letter to Attorney General Eric Holder calling for a review of Arizona's new law:

April 29, 2010

The Honorable Eric Holder
United States Attorney General
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530, Room 4400

Dear Attorney General Holder:

We write to support your thorough review of the recent immigration law enacted in Arizona - a law which is troubling on many levels.

We believe that questioning a person's immigration status based on "reasonable suspicion" - as the law states - raises serious constitutional questions, and could lead to the unintended consequences of unreported crimes, higher crime rates, and overburdened police departments.

As Senators from a border state, we understand that many Americans are frustrated with our broken immigration system, and that is why we must pass comprehensive immigration reform. This state law, however, is already proving to be polarizing and hurtful.

We look forward to a report on your analysis of this law as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer, United States Senator
Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator

Comments

[raleigh1997]

04:08 PM on 05/01/2010

Just returned from marching here in the DC area. I made took my 120 lb Dobie, Raleigh Jr, and he didn't like the courd much.

To LLLT, as result one of my earlier posts: legal status, do I pay taxes, and am I able to speak english.

I am an US Citizen.

I'm in Software Developement, I design software used by the IRS. Last year I paid, Federal tax=33,423 and State=9,579.

I speak, read, write three languages: English, Spanish, French.





Brothers
Bachelors of Architecture - owns his own multi-million dollar business
Architect - Professor

Father
PhD - Yale - worked at World Bank

Mother
Bachelors, Master - retired Professor

Here's what this Hispanic family has offered this country.”

[raleigh1997]

04:32 PM on 05/01/2010

I miss Preview:


Just returned from marching here in the DC area. I took my 120 lb Dobie, Raleigh Jr, and he didn't like the croud much.

I speak, read, write three languages, but I still need spellcheck! Ha, Ha

[1murillo]

06:10 AM on 05/03/2010

I miss preview because I would do my own spellcheck, but not having either with all this gadgetry, it's a Huffington "C-" grade.
Thank you for participating.

[highfructsecornsquezzins]

04:05 PM on 05/01/2010

Why is the rally in La. shouldn't it be in Phoenix ? If you have a problem with Az. do your protesting in Az. This will cost La. millions of dollars, which they cant afford.

[belyeu]

07:49 PM on 05/01/2010

Since when do illegal aliens or their apologists care about costs?

[RedondoBeach]

11:49 AM on 05/01/2010

I've read a lot of news articles, along with their comments section, regarding this Arizona law. It seems that American citizens overwhelmingly support it, while politicians and Latinos overwhelmingly condemn it. How's that for a disconnect?

Much media attention will be focused on the issue of illegal immigration as challenges to the AZ law wind their way through the courts. My hope is that the pressure generated by all this will finally impel the feds to act to secure the border and deal realistically with the millions that are already here.

But the feds will just kick the can down the road, as they always do. Oh, it's an election year, so we cannot possibly act now. Since every other year is an election year in the House, that means that there will never be any meaningful action at the federal level.

[RedondoBeach]

11:50 AM on 05/01/2010

Republicans won't act because their Corporate masters want the cheap labor. Democrats won't act because they want the Latino votes. And once again the American people suffer as wages are driven even further down and the middle class - what is left of it - continues its relentless slide into poverty and despair.

A huge powder keg is forming. As Admiral Yamamoto said of the US after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, " I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." He was right.

Americans have a lot of patience, but as we become more and more aware that the social contract which served the whole country so well for so long has been broken and that the cards have been stacked against us by ruthless corporations and a complicit federal government, we will become angrier and angrier and that powder keg will one day explode.

The American people are armed to the teeth. The Tea Party movement is but a gentle harbinger of what is to come. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

[LLLT]

01:59 PM on 05/01/2010

Here Here!! I couldn't agree more!!!

[OhgReaTone]

11:03 AM on 05/01/2010

The Arizona Sheriff Deputies will be out in force at these rallies. People of Hispanic heritage are encouraged to wear disguises - something that will make them look like "Regular Americans." ........

http://thefiresidepost.com/2010/05/01/legalmexican-disguises-to-avoid-arrest/

[raleigh1997]

11:24 AM on 05/01/2010

I'm on my way to the march here in the DC area today. I hope I look like a "Regular American!"

[OhgReaTone]

12:28 PM on 05/01/2010

me too!

[LLLT]

01:51 PM on 05/01/2010

Just a quick question as you venture out.. are you legal to be in this country, do you pay taxes and do you speak English?

[belyeu]

07:51 PM on 05/01/2010

"something that will make them look like "Regular Americans."

They should keep their welfare card and fake social security number in a well concealed place.

[lastep]

09:26 AM on 05/01/2010

anyone who does not realize that the powers to be didn't cause this mess intentionally is foolish

[lastep]

09:21 AM on 05/01/2010

I am just asking but wasn't May day a communist holiday?

[AlwaysCivil]

06:11 AM on 05/01/2010

So two US senators think that immigration law should not be enforced because it could be "polarizing and hurtful"? Hopefully the voters will elect representatives who believe in the rule of law, the core American value.

[mustardhead98]

10:33 AM on 05/01/2010

I think the whole country is already hurting and more polarized than I've ever seen it in my lifetime. Thank you obama.

[LLLT]

02:02 PM on 05/01/2010

It's not just Obama.. it's every president that's been in office since Reagan.. they've found it 'easier' to avoid it.. they understood the backlash it would cause. I need someone to stand up!!

[frixx]

03:39 AM on 05/01/2010

I don't know how many of you watch the Spanish language channels. Please do.

Here in SoCal, I was astounded at the coverage.

Unbelievable. You would have thought they were covering an illegal Rose Parade.
Complete encouragement of tomorrow's demonstration masquerading as 'news coverage.'

As spanish version of every 'talking point' you've seen on these blogs, including holding up little children, born here, US citizens, as the 'future.'

The only thing that was missing, was a version of 'the future belongs to me.'

Amazing.

I have often wondered why a translation into english of every tv station broadcast in a foreign language in the US is not required? I remember prior to 9/11, there was a tv cable channel broadcast late at night on weekends, in Farsi, no translation, with military parades with Iranian tanks rolling around. WTF?

The coverage tonight was not news, it crossed over into incitement.

Nothing to do with rights. It is taking over the country. Right in front of your eyes.

You cannot blame people for wanting to take over your country, if you provide them with every opportunity to do. They just think you are weak and stupid for letting them, so why not?

Unfortunately, like a person who has not idea how to maintain a luxury car, they have no idea what it took to get here, nor a clue on how to maintain it. So what if they wreck it?

It was free anyway.

[peter v]

04:04 AM on 05/01/2010

Do they have an option to have English scrolled on the bottom of TVs like SAP? I am in L.A. but do not speak Spanish. This should be a requirement, especially with news topics. Thanks for the FYI

[Imokyrok]

06:22 AM on 05/01/2010

"The coverage tonight was not news, it crossed over incitement."

I guess they took plenty of notes watching Fox News coverage of Tea Party rallies then.

[peter v]

03:06 AM on 05/01/2010

Thanks for reading my rant...

[lastep]

09:23 AM on 05/01/2010

the only thing I saw I agree with 500% is favoring the fair tax

[peter v]

03:05 AM on 05/01/2010

The anger and blame of immigrants overpopulating the schools at a cost of $130,000 for a K-12 education will not take place, because they will be paying their fair share. The anger and blame of immigrants with going to the emergency room and not paying the cost will no longer be there, because states will have the money to reimburse the hospitals for this, and hospitals will not have to charge those with health insurance as much. The criminal justice system will actually get money from the illegal/underground people like criminals and drug dealer who currently pay no taxes. Now they will and it will help police hunt them down. Roads can actually get fixed without Obama’s $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollar) stimulus bill.

Other benefits for the Fair Tax system is that US citizens and legal residents/tax payers get to keep their tax withholdings and get their freedom back to choose what items they want to purchase, get a real idea at how much government costs. This includes all people including the “well off” because they will still pay more based on their spending habits while the poor get “prebates” to cover the cost of the extra tax on necessities. Did I mention the IRS will no longer be needed?

[peter v]

03:02 AM on 05/01/2010

There are many posts here so please read them in order and feel free to post on any one. Thanks...

[peter v]

03:02 AM on 05/01/2010

My solution is the Fair Tax. Think about it, the Fair Tax will not be “pointing its finger” at any particular race, everyone would have to follow it, including undocumented immigrants, US citizens and legal residents. Right now, people are looking at immigrations as a scapegoat, the reason why our educational systems, criminal justice system, roads/infrastructure, health care, entitlements/welfare systems are all crumbling. Who is paying for these systems? Taxpayers, US Citizens, law abiding people. The same people who are against undocumented immigrants. This sect of people feel that they are doing the right/legal thing and getting penalized for doing it while undocumented immigrants do the wrong/illegal things and get rewarded. This practice has to stop and the Fair Tax is the solution. By having the Fair Tax instituted, every person including undocumented immigrants will have to pay their fair share for living under the same umbrella.

[peter v]

03:01 AM on 05/01/2010

I thought about this hard, and the only real solution will be one that does not single out a group of people, but be broad enough to include the undocumented immigrants with the legal population that is not overtly controversial. One that will actually let those here either visiting like tourists, or those who have overstayed their visa, to those who just had no respect for our jurisdiction and “hopped the fence”. There is no way to kick out 10-20 million people without looking ugly or being called a "Nazi". Therefore we need to find sensitive way to make undocumented immigrants work with us and contribute to our economy.

[frixx]

12:49 AM on 05/01/2010

From Associated Press, Illegal immigrants plan to leave over Ariz. law:

PHOENIX (AP) – Many of the cars that once stopped in the Home Depot parking lot to pick up day laborers to hang drywall or do landscaping now just drive on by. Arizona’s sweeping immigration bill allows police to arrest illegal immigrant day laborers seeking work on the street or anyone trying to hire them.

It won’t take effect until summer but it is already having an effect on the state’s underground economy. “Nobody wants to pick us up,” Julio Loyola Diaz says in Spanish as he and dozens of other men wait under the shade of palo verde trees and lean against a low brick wall outside the east Phoenix home improvement store.

Many day laborers like Diaz say they will leave Arizona because of the law, which also makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally and directs police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants.
--------------------------

Seems the law is working.

[Azsin]

01:03 AM on 05/01/2010

cept for the ones who get a fake SS card and get real job along side me and you like 80% of the illigals in the US
not just hispanic ones!

[jsanti7]

01:46 AM on 05/01/2010

and the ones that hire um

[LLLT]

01:55 PM on 05/01/2010

I don't give a flip who you are, or what your nationality is.. all I care about is whether you are legal, and pay taxes.. good grief and not stealing SSN's. Probably stold it from a honest American who died.

[086mann]

12:09 AM on 05/01/2010

Good luck supporting illegals tomorrow.

Um, you may want to see this breaking news...

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/obama_cheating_scandal_vera_baker_video_/celebrity/68589

Ouch!