Two million people are expected to attend rallies in more than 60 American cities today in protest against proposals to criminalise illegal immigrants and those who help them, writes Denis Staunton.
The demonstrations come three days after senators failed to agree on a Bill that would give most of the United States' estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, including tens of thousands of Irish citizens, a chance to remain in the country legally and eventually become US citizens.
Up to 200,000 protesters are expected to gather in Washington, close to the Capitol, to demonstrate against a tough anti-immigration Bill passed by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.
The Bill would make an illegal alien's presence in the US, which is currently a civil violation, a felony punishable by over a year in prison and would make giving humanitarian assistance to an illegal immigrant a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Employers who hire illegal immigrants could be fined up to $25,000 and a 700-mile long fence would be built on part of the US border with Mexico.
The National Capital Immigration Coalition, which is organising some of today's demonstrations, said illegal immigrants, most of whom are Hispanics, wanted to remind legislators of their power.
"Our goal is to stop anti-immigrant legislation from becoming law and to pass real comprehensive immigration reform that provides a clear path to citizenship, unites families and ensures workplace and civil rights protections for all," the group said in a statement.
Senate judiciary committee chairman Arlen Specter yesterday expressed confidence that senators would agree on immigration reform when they return from a two-week recess and that today's rallies would show the extent of popular disquiet over the proposal.
Republicans are divided over immigration reform, with President Bush among those who favour a combination of tougher border security and a temporary worker programme to allow most illegal immigrants to stay. Conservative Republicans reject what they call an amnesty for millions who have lived and worked in the US illegally, calling for better borders and a crackdown on businesses that employ illegal immigrants.
Texas Republican congressman Henry Bonilla said yesterday that Congress could introduce a guest worker programme at some time in the future, but the priority now should be to secure the border. "We have infiltrators coming in from the Middle East, from China, gang members from Central America that are moving into communities across the country. The drug cartels are confronting law enforcement along the border. We have an absolute crisis down there. A lot of us want to support a guest worker plan down the road, but first and foremost we have to secure the border."