Thousands of immigrants and immigrant-rights supporters boarded buses Monday in Baltimore at CASA of Maryland?s office in Upper Fell?s Point, Patterson High School in Highlandtown, and dozens of Catholic churches around the archdiocese ? to protest HB 4437, a measure that would impose felony penalties on anyone in the United States illegally and criminalize activities aiding undocumented workers.
“We have 10 buses, 500 people going,” said Edwin Martinez, a naturalized citizen from Guatemala and a first-time organizer with CASA, a Latino advocacy group.
“This is important. This law, by making felons of illegal immigrants and forcing them to leave this country, would tear families apart. Many children born here are U.S. citizens, and they would be separated from their parents. Children, too, could get in trouble if they helped in some way, a cousin, aunt or uncle here illegally.”
Students from Dundalk High School, the ACORN staff and other community activists organized carpools to get to the event, which organizers said well-surpassed the expected crowd of 200,000. Baltimore ACORN, which stands for Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now, promotes social justice issues.
Johns Hopkins, Towson and University of Maryland, College Park and Baltimore County students arrived in Silver Spring to take the Metro to the nation?s capital. Similar rallies were scheduled in 60 cities Monday.
“Immigrants just want to work and make money for their families,” said Eduardo Portella, a Patterson High senior and vice president of the school?s Latino club.
“Why does anybody want to treat them like criminals?”
Born in Peru, Portella wants to become a police officer. He has classmates from Central and South America, Africa and Asia, with families who will be affected by immigration legislation.
The Rev. Robert Wojtek of St. Michael?s and St. Patrick?s Churches in Baltimore described House Bill 4437 as “un-Christian” and said much of the social work his church does would become criminal under the proposal. He advocates laws that will reunify families and reward people who work here, and offer health care and Social Security.
“Many of these workers are paying taxes and putting into the system,” Wojtek said, “but they?re not getting anything in return.”
Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat, characterized the House bill, passed in December,”as punitive, vicious and un-American” and supports the compromise amendment presented by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., which is stalled while Congress is in recess until April 24.
