Undocumented US immigrants plan more protests

Protesters rally in downtown Los Angeles, California for immigrant rights as part of a national "Day of Action" on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities across the US, calling for dignity and rights for millions of illegal immigrants living and working in the US. PHOTO: AFP

Immigrants' rights advocates, elated by the resounding success of Monday's "National Day of Action," which drew as many as one million protesters across the United States, now are planning a national boycott which they hope will have an even greater resonance.

Organisers are planning the May 1 "Great American Boycott," urging illegal immigrants -- who cannot vote and who have only limited political power -- to flex their economic muscle.

Protesters are being urged to refrain from shopping, and to stay away from school and work.

"We are expecting that with this national boycott we will be able to further gain some respect, dignity, and improve the lot of the immigrant community," said Javier Rodriguez, a Los Angeles-based activist who is the boycott's spokesman.

"The undocumented community (are) the people that take care of their children, the people that care of the elderly, and the sick, who serve their food, who pick their fruit and their vegetables. We are rebuilding New Orleans. ... We are everywhere," he said in a recent interview with Fox News.

The kickoff day for the strike is May 1, international "Labour Day."

"On May 1 ... those people that don't have documents and their families and their allies will show America once again that they are human beings and they are orderly."

Political observers said the recent protests of mark the coming-of-age in particular for US Hispanics -- now the largest US ethnic minority -- and will make it harder for politicians to ignore the Latino vote.

As Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition, told the at a protest in Washington on Monday: "I have a message for all of the politicians in Congress and ... our president. Today we march, tomorrow we vote!"

The historic protests were meant to apply pressure on US lawmakers who are considering election-year reforms in immigration laws.

The proposed legislation runs the gamut from granting millions of undocumented immigrants the chance to become US citizens; to making illegal entry to this country a felony; to booting out illegal immigrants and erecting a fence on the southern US border, making it harder for people to enter illegally in the future.

Organisers said the newly-invigorated immigrants' rights movement also is giving a shot in the arm to tired progressive movements across the country, particularly organised labour, which has seen shrinking membership and a number of political setbacks in recent years.

"This is an issue that all working people and progressive organisations must embrace," said the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labour union in a statement.