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Demonstration Today to Protest Tougher Immigration Laws

UPDATE: WZZM TV-13 reports that estimates of the mostly Hispanic crowd range from 7,000 to 10,000 people.

WMMT reports that thousands are expected to rally at 1 PM in Garfield Park in Grand Rapids to protest a measure before the US Senate that would make it a felony for an immigrant to be in the United States illegally. U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra said "Basically, today we're not enforcing immigration law ... I don't think what you can do is provide them amnesty. You cannot give people who have broken the law, one of the most valuable pieces of paper in the world, a United States citizenship."

Immigrant Carlos Alfaro believes the proposal could cripple West Michigan's economy and countered "Most of the Hispanics do take on jobs that are very low-waged, take on jobs that nobody else wants, so this country will suffer." Hoekstra says Congress is looking into options like a guest worker program (interesting that this is not figured out BEFORE working on a law that could cripple the agricultural industry).

Read Immigration debate takes to the streets today from WMMT

Posted/updated Mar 27, 2006
by Andrew McFarlane (Absolute Michigan)