FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS

February 23, 2006

Rally cry: Immigrants not criminals
About 1,000 at Lee courthouse protest bill that targets all in U.S. who are undocumented

By Joan D. Laguardia & David Plazas

Undocumented workers and their supporters rallied in downtown Fort Myers on Wednesday to demand legal status, encourage a one-week work stoppage and protest proposed legislation that would make them criminals in the same category as terrorists.

"Do we care about national security?" shouted Wendy Vasquez, vice-president of the United Latino Immigrants of Florida, which organized the protest.

Yes," the crowd roared back, raising signs that stated, "We are not terrorists," "Legalization is the solution," and "We pay taxes."

The Hispanic agricultural and construction workers and their supporters — about 1,000 people — gathered under the banyan tree at the historic Lee County Courthouse from 9 a.m. to noon.

After passionate speeches from workers, clergy and rally organizers, all the protesters walked to the offices of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Melbourne, and Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers. Neither were present.

Staffers for each one, however, listened to arguments against the proposed Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, or HR4437. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in December, but it still awaits Senate scrutiny.

The proposal would build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and criminalize the presence of an undocumented person in this country, now a misdemeanor.

Critics also say the bill would make law-breakers out of any family member, church, employer or neighbor who assists an illegal resident.

"Churches should be outraged by this," said James G. Martin, an immigration attorney from Sarasota.

Two Roman Catholic priests, the Revs. Victor Caviedes of Fort Myers and Hilario Rivera of Wauchula, said most migrant workers want only the opportunity to cross the border legally and get driver's licenses in order to work here and be productive.

"I know the reality," said Caviedes of Jesus the Worker church.

Daniel Benitez, 33, of Fort Myers is a construction worker who came from Mexico illegally seven years ago. He brought his daughter Carla, 2, with him to the rally.

"I want to have a driver's license and a worker's permit — that's it," he said. "This is important to me."

The bill, Martin said, is a reaction to "Middle America's" concerns about the rising Hispanic population in the United States and growing worry about terrorism.

He said "unapologetic and unscrupulous" politicians are taking advantage of both issues to make it more difficult for immigrants to become U.S. citizens.

HR4437 was sponsored by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin.

Mack voted for the bill.

To call attention to the proposed legislation, United Latinos, based in Arcadia, and other rally organizers want to plan a week when undocumented workers will stay off their jobs.

They hope this will demonstrate the value of immigrant workers.

Shouts of "Una semana, una semana," — "one week"— could be heard for about two blocks around the gathering.

Fort Myers police officers and Lee County sheriff's deputies stood by to ensure that protesters did not block roads or become unruly.

"It was peaceful and well-managed. We didn't have any problems," said Shelly Flynn, spokeswoman for the Fort Myers Police Department.

The protest attracted people from Tampa to Naples, and from farms in DeSoto, Manatee and Hardee counties. Workers took a day off work — some with the consent of their bosses — to participate.

A group of three dozen construction workers and their bosses wearing hard hats brought a wooden sign saying "We are not criminals, we are workers and humans."

One of the bosses, Ricardo Ramirez-Campos, a contractor and owner of B&R Construction in Bradenton, said he heard about the protest early Wednesday.

"They work for us; we need to look out for our workers," he said. "It shouldn't be only the employees who participate in these protests, but the bosses, too."

Other organizations such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Florida Farmworkers and ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, supported the protest.

"This was valuable," said Lucas Benitez, of the coalition. "It's good to make people aware of what's going on."

He supported the idea of a week-long work stoppage, but acknowledged it would be difficult to do.

"But we support them 100 percent," he said.

Similar protests are being staged throughout Florida and in other states to demand legal status for undocumented workers to separate immigration issues from national security issues.

Spanish-language media supported the orderly event. Tavi Sarmiento, a television personality on the Telemundo variety show "Que Pasa," and Robert Bonni, a camera operator, set up the entrance of a group of about 30 protesters waving Mexican flags.

The protesters chanted and marched past the camera in response to hand gestures and direction by Sarmiento and Bonni.

At the end of the rally, Vasquez urged them to cry one more slogan: "We want to be legal, we are not criminals."

WHAT HAPPENED?
• In spite of persistent rumors, there is no evidence that high numbers of undocumented migrant workers are being rounded up by immigration officials.

• Lucas Benitez, spokesman for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, said he is not aware of an increase in arrests by U.S. Immigration officials.

• "It's a big rumor and people are afraid," he said.

• He added that the immigrant community is buzzing with talk of increased patrols and arrests by immigration officers.

• On Tuesday, reports were circulating that immigration officials picked up hundreds of undocumented workers in Immokalee and that the corner of S.R. 951 and U.S. 41 in east Naples was also being targeted for raids.

• The arrests in Immokalee did not happen.

• "I haven't heard word one about this," said Julie Hamilton, director of Guadalupe Social Services in Immokalee.


BILL HIGHLIGHTS
The proposed Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act would direct the secretary of Homeland Security to:

• Develop a national border strategy

• Make illegal presence in the United States a crime

• Increase penalties for improper U.S. entry and for marriage and immigration-related entrepreneurship fraud

• Provide mandatory minimum sentences for aliens convicted of re-entry after removal