Tens of thousands of Americans are in the streets today in Chicago to rally against H.R. 4437. They are marching from Chicago's Union Park to the Federal Plaza, where Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Luis Gutierrez, and Governor Blagojevich will speak. Estimated head counts for the rally range from 40,000 to 100,000.
H.R. 4437, "The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005," is a Sensenbrenner bill that creats a new federal crime of "unlawful presence" which would apply to undocumented immigrants. It's also sponsored by Peter King of New York. The bill's scope is so broad, even technical or minor violations in immigration status would be a federal crime. Additionally, the bill expands the definition "alien smuggling" to include any organization or person that knows an individual is in the United States unlawfully. This would include churches, non-profits, and other organizations that help undocumented individuals to get the care and services they need. Giving aid or providing health care to an illegal immigrant would be a felony. For more on the Sensenbrenner bill, click here. It's clear that this bill has the potential to destroy families across the nation.
It is against that fate that tens of thousands of people took to the streets today in Chicago. Latino, Irish, and Polish immigrants joined with thousands of other Chicagoans to voice their outrage. I have yet to see major coverage of this massive protest in the national media, but the local media is covering the situation. As the cameras sweep over the mass of humanity flooding the streets, I see American flags waved by faces pleading for a chance at the American dream. I see signs, so many signs, reading "I AM NOT A CRIMINAL". I see children marching alongside their parents, holding their mommy's hand tightly as if they know that she can be taken away from them at any moment. I see old immigrants who have sweat and bled on American soil for decades, now branded "criminals" by Sensenbrenner's bill. I see priests and other religious leaders marching, declaring that they're willing to go to jail to help another human in need.
For an aerial video of the tens of thousands of protesters at Union Park, click here. More videos of the protest can be seen here and here.