100,000 Rally for Immigrants Rights in NY

Posted on October 7, 2003

100,000 Rally for Immigrants Rights in NY

Sat Oct 4, 2003

By DONNA DE LA CRUZ, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Tens of thousands of immigrants and labor activists staged a rally Saturday for better treatment of the nation's immigrants, topping off a two-week-long bus odyssey around the country.

Cardinal Edward Egan told the largely Hispanic crowd that the millions of undocumented workers in the United States "are all sons and daughters of one Father in heaven."

"We cannot go on simply ignoring or tolerating the plight of these brothers and sisters of ours," Egan said.

The demonstrators seek the legalization of undocumented workers, better working conditions and the reunification of families.

Organizers estimated Saturday's crowd at 100,000 people; police estimates were not immediately available.

The rally was the final stop of the Immigration Workers Freedom Ride, an 18-bus caravan that carried hundreds of immigrants and their supporters to more than 100 U.S. cities and towns. The campaign was inspired by the freedom riders of the 1960s who boarded buses to protest segregation.

Among the riders was Jesus Morales, a farm worker who is in the United States illegally and has lived in Portland, Ore., for 22 years.

"We want more labor protection so we don't have to be afraid to speak out when we see something bad happening at our workplace," said Morales, originally from Jalisco, Mexico.

The immigration riders arrived in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and spent two days meeting with members of Congress.

Two bills before Congress would bring legal status to many undocumented workers. One proposal involves bringing in workers for temporary farm work and would give undocumented farm workers in the United States a chance to become permanent residents.

The other bill would allow children of illegal immigrants to become legal residents if they entered the United States before the age of 16 and have been here for five years. It also would allow them access to higher education.