Immigrant rights activists meet to plan next steps

More than 150 immigrant rights activists met in Washington, D.C., on July 28-30, for an intense weekend of discussions about the next steps in the struggle. The multinational gathering drew acti vists from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Louisiana, California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Michigan, Texas, New Jersey, New Mexico and Arizona.

This National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference was convened at Amer ican University by the National Immi gration Solidarity Network to address issues confronting undocumented immigrants and their supporters, and to make plans for action.

The conference was unanimous in its rejection of proposed anti-immigrant legislation—both Sensenbrenner-King (HR 4437) and Hagel-Martinez (S-2611).

The conference agreed to support a variety of activities in the next few months, including another National Conference called for Aug. 12-13 in Chicago. The March 25th Coalition in Los Angeles and the May 1 Coalition in New York City both plan to send significant delegations.

The conference voted to institutionalize the May 1 boycott—a work stoppage on that date this year which was called “A Day without Immigrants”—and to hold Labor Day actions on Sept. 2-7 around the country with the message that “Immigrant rights are workers’ rights.”

The conference endorsed “Camp Demo cracy” in Washington, D.C. The week-long encampment linking anti-war issues to domestic injustices in the U.S. was initiated by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. Sept. 7 at Camp Democracy will be dedicated to immigrant rights.

Jesse Díaz, of the March 25th Coalition, proposed actions to protest incarceration, deportation and U.S. militarization at the Mexican border be held in conjunction with the planned European Social Forum on Oct. 7—an international day of action and mobilization for migrants rights. Díaz discussed the increase of ICE/Dept. of Homeland Security raids, and the harassment of Latin@s and immigrants by police and ICE agents.

The Student and Youth Organizing work shop addressed the struggle of undocumented youth denied access to universities and schooling.

Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Caucus explained the crisis of LGBT families who do not have the protection of marriage. This not only denies the right to health insurance. Not being able to marry a partner who is a citizen—a right afforded to heterosexuals—threatens the undocumented partner with deportation.

The Women’s Caucus focused on the special concerns of immigrant women who face intimidation from international sex traffickers, as well as U.S. border guards. Families in countries kept technologically underdeveloped by imperialism face economic devastation from “free trade” agreements. When their farms and livelihoods are gone, they either have to migrate to cities—where unemployment runs very high—or risk their lives crossing the borders with their children.

Participants discussed the disastrous effects of “free trade” in nearly every workshop. The numbers of undocumented workers from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the newly-impoverished capitalist Eastern Europe have increased exponentially during this period of aggressive imperialist “globalization.”

The March 25th Coalition, which spearheaded the May 1 boycott known as “A Day without Immigrants,” showed videos of their actions at the Mexican border against the Minutemen vigilantes. Jesse Díaz outlined plans for marches next April—from Brownsville, Texas, and San Diego, Calif.—converging at El Paso to protest the Minutemen vigilantes and the militarization of the U.S. border policy.

Immigrants perish in the desert every year trying to cross into the U.S. For example, the Tucson-based organization “No More Deaths” estimates that 279 people died crossing the Arizona border between October 2004 and October 2005.

Immigrant rights groups in the South west are planning to organize a series of “Border Tours” to take activists to areas where the Minutemen vigilantes and U.S. Border Patrol are terrorizing immigrants, predominately Latin@s.

A highlight of the conference was the report of a Latin@ organizer from New Orleans who showed a video of May 1 in New Orleans, demonstrating solidarity between the Black community and Latin@ immigrants.