Thousands march as US immigration reform stalls

Washington, Apr 10: Up to half a million Hispanics and their supporters poured onto US streets in the latest huge rally for immigrant rights as Democrats and Republicans remained divided over plans to overhaul immigration laws.

Up to 500,000 people marched through Dallas yesterday, many wearing white to symbolize peace, waving American flags and voicing anger at Congress' failure to pass reforms that would help many of the estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants become legal.

The rally came a day ahead of protests planned for today in 60 U S cities as immigrants vent their anger at a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would make illegal immigrants felons and build a 698-mile wall along parts of the Mexican border but contains no provision for guest workers.

''My mom was born in Mexico, she's been here ever since she was 16 and I'm here for her because I don't believe (in) the bill on immigration,'' said Dallas protester Ambrosio Garcia, 25.

''Immigrants should not be criticized or considered illegal felons.'' Television pictures from above showed an enormous crowd snaking through the Texas city's street. Police and organizers had only expected 50,000 to 100,000 people to attend.

Thousands of protesters also marched in other cities yesterday, including Salt Lake City and Detroit.

House Majority Leader John Boehner said on television he supported the House bill and did not want a guest worker program, a measure supported by President George W. Bush.

''You can't begin to talk about a guest worker bill until you secure the borders,'' he said on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Otherwise, he said, ''We're going to have an endless parade of illegal immigrants here in our country.''

SENATE IMPASSSE

A bipartisan compromise on guest workers that would have put millions of illegal immigrants on the road to citizenship broke down in the Senate on Friday amid bickering between Democrats and Republicans over possible amendments. The collapse of the plan raised doubts over whether Congress can pass the comprehensive immigration reform that Bush has called for before November mid-term elections.

If senators pass a bill, lawmakers from both sides of Congress would have to work out their differences for a final bill. Boehner said that was possible.

He stopped short of saying congressional efforts to reform immigration had failed, calling on the Senate to pass a bill when lawmakers return from recess in two weeks.

Still, he said, allowing illegal immigrants to stay and work ''sounds too much like amnesty for most Americans.'' The issue has divided conservatives, some of whom are anxious to court the Hispanic vote and support Bush. Others worry that allowing in undocumented immigrants could harm their election efforts.

''Everybody agrees there's an enormous problem, everybody agrees with the border security lines and there's general agreement that we have to craft a compromise,'' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, told ''Fox News Sunday'' with Chris Wallace.

Illinois Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez, chairman of the Democratic Caucus Immigration Task Force, said any bill must deal with the illegal immigrants already here because too many do tough agricultural and other essential work.

''The only sane, sensible, compassionate thing to do is to integrate them fully into the fabric of our society,'' he told NBC's ''Meet the Press.'' Rep. Henry Bonilla, a Texas Republican, said most conservatives would eventually accept integration. ''A lot of us want to support a guest-worker plan down the road, but first and foremost, we have to secure the border,'' he told NBC.

REUTERS