Calling itself the last defense against the tide of illegal immigration, the Minuteman Caravan is pulling into the nation’s capital today to rally Congress to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the country.
“Amnesty for illegal aliens is coming if the politicians have their way,” Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist said in statement. “The president and Congress are being put on notice: We will not stand idly by while our laws are violated, our borders are breached and our sovereignty is threatened.”
With 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, Congress is struggling to reform the immigration system. Senate leaders reached a deal Thursday to revive a bill that could give millions of illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens; the House of Representatives passed a bill that would make felons of the illegal immigrants and those that aid them.
President Bush’s eroding support among conservatives has been partly attributed to his promotion of guest-worker programs.
The Minuteman rally starts at 11 a.m. at Upper Senate Park on Constitution Avenue between Delaware and New Jersey avenues.
The 13-city tour began in Los Angeles, winding through the Southwest to the president’s home in Crawford, Texas, into the South before finally winding up in the District. In California, the group tried to convince blacks that illegal immigrants were taking their jobs. In Atlanta, the group exchanged angry obscenities with a pro-immigration group. Shouted Gilchrist: “You will not conquer the United States of America. You, you invaders — you illegals.”
Wednesday’s protest in Greensboro, N.C., was peaceful, but police had to push back counterprotesters when they surged at Minuteman supporters getting into their cars at the end of the rally.
The project
» The Minuteman Project claims to have 1,000 armed volunteers to patrol the U.S. border.
» An estimated 150,000 pro-immigration demonstrators marched on Washington last month.
» The Minuteman Caravan started May 3 in Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
