Over 200,000 March on America for Immigration Reform

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter – North America desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Sunday April 21, 2010 historically witnessed over 200,000 supporters pack the National Mall to demand Comprehensive Immigration Reform and passage of the DREAM Act.  The activists urged for legalization for undocumented immigration this year.

The main chat common in Spanish for activism, “Yes we can,” also the campaign slogan for President Obama, at times drowned out the speakers.

This rally marks the return of immigration advocacy after immigration reform was defeated in 2007.  The immigrant community has endures tough law enforcement, raids, and targeted violence, in addition to racial profiling and discrimination.

The advocates and marchers both called for Obama to step up and keep his promise to lead the way to immigration reform in 2010.  The massive marchers fell silent to hear the televised message by Obama addressing the rally and his commitment to move an immigration bill.  “I have always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today,” Mr. Obama said.  He also said he supported an immigration bill presented last week by Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

Afterwards, Representative Nydia M. Velázquez, a Democrat from New York who is the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus stated they expect immigration legislation sooner rather than later, because “every day without reform is a day when 12 million hard-working immigrants must live in the shadow of fear,” said.  She also reminded politicians and Obama not to “forget that in the last presidential election 10 million Hispanics came out to vote [and] that you will not forget which side of this debate they stood on.”  The advocated chant agreed and chanted “Now is the time.”

Multiple African-American civil right leaders also spoke at the event. Speakers included the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Benjamin T. Jealous, president of the N.A.A.C.P; Cornel West, a Princeton scholar, and Marc H. Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans and the president of the National Urban League to echo their community’s support for immigration reform

All agreed this is the new Civil Rights Movement of our time.

For more information, please see:

Huffington Post – 200,000 Is Just the Beginning – 22 March 2010

New York Times – At Rally, Call for Urgency on Immigration Reform – 22 March 2010

Washington Post – Broad coalition packs Mall to urge overhaul of immigration laws – 22 March 2010

Author: Impunity Watch Archive