Organizers of last spring’s immigration rally on the National Mall say they hope Thursday’s protest in the nation’s capital will be larger.
Movement leaders claim they’ve been building alliances, registering voters and recruiting marchers during what they’ve called “Democracy Summer,” but always with an eye on the midterm elections in November. They believe Congress members will be more responsive with their jobs on the line. They hope to have more than a half-million people rallying Thursday in front of the U.S. Capitol.
“We just want to welcome Congress back,” said Jamie Contreras, chairman of the National Capital Immigration Coalition. “People understand that the immigration system is broken, and we need to show Congress that we are still interested in the debate.”
Organizers also are working more closely with the Asian American, African American and Muslim communities, Contreras said. They’ve been heavily promoting the rally on Spanish-language radio and distributing leaflets at soccer fields, churches and construction sites.
In April, the rallies around the country seemed to spring up naturally. Passions ran high after the U.S. House passed a bill that would criminalize the 12 million illegal immigrants.
Since then, the Senate has approved a guest worker program and a possible path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. The House and Senate have yet to work out the differences.
Thursday’s rally will take place at 4 p.m. on the Mall at 3rd Street NW between Constitution and Independence avenues and will end with a march around the Capitol. The Washington rally is one of a series of Labor Day week events across the country, including in Los Angeles, Chicago and Phoenix.
