350,000 to 500,000 people undertake the rally in Dallas. More expected tomorrow

[end_the_wait]

350,000 to 500,000 people rallied in Dalls protesting the immigration reform - http://www.nbc5i.com/news/8575955/detail.html

Tomorrow more such rallies are planned throughout the US and they are even planning a nation wide strike next month. I don't think the Senators and the House Reps will be able to ignore Comprehensive Immigration Reform. If the republicans ignore the bill now, they risk loosing the Hispanic vote forever just like how they lost the African American vote.

 

[atl_fp]

It's strange that such a great crowd didn't get enough media coverage. It seems that no major news media reported it.

350,000 to 500,000 people rallied in Dalls protesting the immigration reform - http://www.nbc5i.com/news/8575955/detail.html

Tomorrow more such rallies are planned throughout the US and they are even planning a nation wide strike next month. I don't think the Senators and the House Reps will be able to ignore Comprehensive Immigration Reform. If the republicans ignore the bill now, they risk loosing the Hispanic vote forever just like how they lost the African American vote.

 

[kamrans]

I think you are wrong. I am watching all CNN Fox etc and they all are reporting it. Even discussions are going on.

It's strange that such a great crowd didn't get enough media coverage. It seems that no major news media reported it.

 

[atl_fp]

Sorry I wasn't paying attention to the TV!

I think you are wrong. I am watching all CNN Fox etc and they all are reporting it. Even discussions are going on.

 

[posmd]

Tomorrow

Tomorrow should be even bigger. They are planning for protests in 50 locations in pretty much every state. A large one in DC is expecting 100K atleast.

Todays march in Dallas was expected to bring 50K people and they got by many estimates 350-500K. Tomorrow night news should be interesting. Interestingly many of those protesting are not necessarily the illegals themselves, we are seeing somewhat broader support than the conservatives would have us believe. They are keeping this thing in the news and I suspect will not let it die until the recess is over.

Republicans are realising they have a problem here, isolate the conservative hardliners or the latino voters, they are weighing these strategies. Doing nothing is increasingly appearing like a cowardly approach and will not sit well with latino voters anyway.

 

[junger]

why is this thread here ? Are you all supporting illegal immigration ? Or trying to benefit from the frenzy ? I think it is a mockery to see illegals demanding stuff after breaking the laws. It is an insult to every immigrant who has patiently waited in the queue for years and years.

It just boggles the mind that people would be angry about not being able to become legal when they were the ones who became illegal in the first place.

 

[atl_fp]

I think it's just the reality that they are running the show. We are out numbered and forgotten. The fact is we are all screwed up by them because of 245i, but it's also the fact that our problem isn't big enough to get enough attention from the public or lawmakers.

So the hope is, if they get through, we might benefit some. It's sad, but God says he created all lives equally, or you can just admit life isn't fair anyway.

why is this thread here ? Are you all supporting illegal immigration ? Or trying to benefit from the frenzy ? I think it is a mockery to see illegals demanding stuff after breaking the laws. It is an insult to every immigrant who has patiently waited in the queue for years and years.

It just boggles the mind that people would be angry about not being able to become legal when they were the ones who became illegal in the first place.

 

[saras76]

There is logic and then there is reality ...

why is this thread here ? Are you all supporting illegal immigration ? Or trying to benefit from the frenzy ? I think it is a mockery to see illegals demanding stuff after breaking the laws. It is an insult to every immigrant who has patiently waited in the queue for years and years.

It just boggles the mind that people would be angry about not being able to become legal when they were the ones who became illegal in the first place.

junger,

There is no disputing what you have said. It is obvious that we legal immigrants are suffering because of illegal immigration but there is no room for logic or fairness in this immigration system. We would be happy if legal immigration was treated separately from illegal immigration but necessary provisions to protect legal immigrants have been thrown in with this bill. So what should we do? When Congress and the general public refuse to differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants then how do you expect the "small" legal immigrant community to act independently. The naked truth is that legal immigrants are at the bottom of this immigration ladder. Illegal immigrants have more clout, more influence and their numbers are astounding. We legal immigrants are just looking for hand me downs at this point. As ashamed as I am at admitting this ... it is the truth ..

regards,

saras76

 

[posmd]

I for one am not ashamed of jack except this immigration system that the most advanced and wealthiest country in the world has devised to satisfy its need for labour but could not reconcile with its conscience and values.
My services are 100% needed here and I make no excuses in making my agreement with this country to migrate here, it was to both of our benefits. It is a crying shame that we are caught in this shambles of a system that cannot seem to make up its mind.

Let me make a few points.

Fact. America is the wealthiest nation overall in this world.
Therefore since capital requires labour to make it work/grow etc etc. America as owner of vast capital NEEDS labour. Whether that labour is in the US (Immigrant labour) or in other countries (Outsourced labour) is a matter of choice. Joe public and populists like Lou Dobbs, NumbersUSA, FAIR etc. seem to have a problem with both. You cannot hold capital hostage to your desires and hope to build a system out of that. It will collapse eventually.
Fact. The average age of america is increasing.
Old people own more capital and need more services and workers, since america is graying they cannot avoid this point.
Fact. Americans have moved into service sectors since the pay is better. In addition they have shunned the hard physical sciences and research areas where the rewards are less and opted for areas like sales, real estate, finance, law etc etc, basically shuffling paper..........needed clearly but in a sense not productive enterprise as far as economic enterprise is concerned. Those that are not skilled enough are stuck in the trappings of a capitalist world and perhaps need to push for socialism ala France if they dare rather than whine on all sorts of forums just because they can't compete with the rest of the worlds energy, youth and dynamism for capital flows.

In the end because this is the greatist country in the world and since I believe that flame is some way from being extinguished, I think that america will listen to all these protectionist rants and in the end pass a pro immigrant legislation, and might I add get it right.

 

[Rose101]

It is Chaotic now

There are processions all over now. They show how desperate are the illegal immigrants and how strong they are by number. Since illegal immigration in this country is allowed so widely to make legal immigration a joke and since this affects the whole system, as legal immigrants we are particularly concerned. Who let millions of illegal immigrants to come into this land? Employers and government needed cheap labor always and they will achieve it in any possible way. It is a fault of the system which is not having a proper way and easy immigration across the borders. Due to this failure over a period, employers who are US citizens are not caring law to curb this practice and the system went soft on them. Then how can it be expected that illegal immigrants will care. They came here not break law and they are in search of better work life and opportunity or to get out of their own problems. That is a human aspect of this whole story. And now everybody is blaming illegality and breaking law. Certainly the mockery is done by the system itself. It is a shame on law makers to fail repeatedly on making proper law and for over periods.

I believe USA needs a separate immigration body for borders. The word illegal is making senators and media worry much so it can be called with a different body (say "Friendly border immigration system wanted by US employers and government"). Then only this mockery and cheat by the system ends and all legal immigrants will be delivered righteously from this evil practice of merging illegal immigration into legal business now and then without naming 'Amnesty' (another word that cause panic in the system and I guess this word should be banned). Instead of taking permanent measures to this problem, governments and people in successive periods are either ignoring or taking temporary standings.

As a legal immigrant, I can not express how I am concerned and worried about government plans to tackle these issues. The amnesty methods and short plans of merging them to spoil legal immigration are worrying me as all legal immigrants are suffering due to flood of applications into legal immigration system. Instead of overburdening the legal immigration system, there should be a separate body for these millions of illegal immigrants. USCIS is one Org with poorly used resources and loosing directions frequently with its mysterious and unpredictable ways. It delays and clogs the legal immigration system to inflict more suffering on legal skilled employment based workers.

 

[ufo2002]

We all agree that the immigration system here needs massive reform and rework. IMHO, compared to other First World nations, the USA has one of the most complicated (if not #1) immigration systems... with so many categories, legal definitions, quota caps / transfers, etc....

Regarding the street marches, I hardly see them as immigration rights marches but more of "latino-power" movement... considering the huge and obvious presence of Hispanics (I got nothing against them). We also know that the reason why illegal immigration is being so hotly debated in the Senate is due to the upcoming elections in November, and the assumption that the Hispanic demographic would tip the balance in favor of any politicians supporting legalization (just watch the news on TV). It would not surprise me one bit if by 2007, this issue drops out of sight for awhile until the Presidential elections of 2008.

As legal migrants, we certainly do not want to see a bill that legalizes the illegals as that would overburden an already messed-up USCIS/DOS system. It does us no good even if we can slip an amendment favorable to us into that bill.