Immigration rallies held over weekend

It may not have been the tens of thousands who rallied at the National Mall last month yet advocates for immigration reform still made their voices heard over the weekend.

On Saturday crowds gathered in several U.S. cities in order to voice their demands for changes to federal immigration policy. In Seattle a teen explained how despite spending most of his life in the U.S. he’s worried that “immigration could come one day to pick me up.” Several Democratic congressmen appeared at a Chicago rally though other speakers blasted President Obama for delaying immigration reform. “There are no excuses. This is something America needs,” proclaimed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in support of reform at a Las Vegas event.

The drive for reform is a difficult one a both Democrats and Republicans waffle on the issue. for instance, some Democrats concede that reform may need to be delayed even more. Yet as the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein noted now may be the most politically expedient time for some politicos to push for reform:

The fear in 2010, however, is that Hispanics won't show up to vote. If Democrats actually pursue immigration reform, their participation becomes likelier. And if Republicans -- or tea partyers, or conservative talk radio -- overreact to the prospect of immigration reform, their participation becomes virtually assured…

But grass-roots conservatives tend to be very, very opposed to immigration reform. Remember that it was conservatives -- led by talk radio -- who killed the immigration reform effort. So what do Republican politicians do when their base goes into anti-immigration overdrive but their consultants beg them to tread carefully? It looks like Harry Reid, for one, would like to find out.

One immigrant’s rights coalition has called for Congress to have a reform bill passed by the end of the summer. Whether politicians take up the cause or continue with their heads in the sand remains to be seen.

Image- Las Vegas Sun (“Activists gather outside the Lloyd George Federal Building in a protest for immigration reform Saturday, April 10, 2010.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, MWCN, Chicago Tribune, Las Vegas Sun, New York Daily News, Washington Post, Seattle Times