National leaders of the immigration movement say they have formed an alliance to lobby Congress and register 1 million new voters and citizens between now and Election Day 2006.
Immigration reform bills before Congress have triggered large street demonstrations and produced divisions in political parties. The House of Representatives passed a bill to make illegal immigrants felons and impose criminal penalties on those who help them. Immigration advocates want to give the 11 million undocumented workers here a shot at becoming U.S. citizens.
National leaders have said they would like to unite the myriad voices that have sprung up in the movement. Calling themselves the We Are America Alliance, organizers of April?s marches hope to speak with a united voice. They plan million-person Labor Day rallies in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, and regional voter registration drives in time for November?smidterm elections, according to a statement released Tuesday.
But the list of organizations in the alliance suggests that a divide persists between immigration leaders who advocated a May 1 boycott and those who didn?t. Most of the groups in the We Are America Alliance didn?t support a boycott and instead held small rallies around the country.
However, leaders from both camps are in discussions, said spokeswoman Eliza Leighton, of Casa de Maryland, a member of the We Are America Alliance.
“More groups are joining as we speak,” Leighton said.
The first activity is scheduled for May 17, with the Senate expected to take up immigration reform that week. Immigration advocates will descend on Washington to lobby lawmakers and attend a rally that organizers expect to draw 10,000 participants. Those who cannot make it to Washington will visit lawmakers in their home states and districts.
