Organizers of immigrant rights rallies in Oregon say they see Monday’s results as a success to build on.
“People are energized,” said Ramon Ramirez, president of Oregon’s farmworkers and tree planters union. “They want more.”
Thousands of immigrants and their supporters marched at more than half a dozen rallies to speak against proposals for stern anti-immigrant measures, in particular a U.S. House proposal to make illegal immigration a felony.
Rally organizers say they will continue to keep the issue in the public eye until there is acceptable reform.
As part of the national campaign, some Oregon residents may head to Washington for a May 19 rally. Others may picket local politicians who have spoken out against immigrant rights. There are also plans for an advertising campaign to keep the issue in the public’s mind.
“You are going to see this continue until you see immigration reform,” Ramirez said.
Some employers said they will work with employees and legislators on immigration reforms.
“We support comprehensive immigration reform which is going to go a long way to resolving some of these issues,” said Jeff Stone, director of government relations for the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “We want to solve the problem.”
In Oregon, some businesses closed for the day to allow workers to attend. Other workers who could not go instead wore white shirts at work to call attention to immigration issues.
“Our intentions were to make a statement, and I think we accomplished that,” Ramirez said. “We didn’t expect to have mobilization that big.”
Representatives from the nursery, restaurant and dairy industries in Oregon said they did not see a major disruption to the work force or business.
“The workers and the employers have a good relationship,” said Bill Perry, director of government relations for the Oregon Restaurant Association. “They seem to be able to work it out.”
However, the leader of a group that advocates tough measures against illegal immigrants said the rallies have galvanized opposition, too.
Jim Ludwick, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, said membership has doubled from 400 to 800 in the past year, with most of the increase coming since the rallies have been under way.
“I’ve gotten so many calls from people who are so mad they can’t even speak,” Ludwick said. “It’s gotten a lot of people who were on the sidelines and not very involved in – I think it’s backfired on [immigration rights groups].”