In 2006–2007, millions of people participated in protests over a proposed change to U.S. immigration policy.[1] These large scale mobilizations are widely seen as a historic turn point in Latino politics, especially Latino immigrant civic participation and political influence,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_United_States_immigration_reform_protests In 2006–2007, millions of people participated in protests over a proposed change to U.S. immigration policy.[1] These large scale mobilizations are widely seen as a historic turn point in Latino politics, especially Latino immigrant civic participation and political influence, as noted in a range of scholarly publications in this field.[1] The protests began in response to proposed legislation known as H.R. 4437, which would raise penalties for illegal immigration and classify illegal individuals and anyone who helped them enter or remain in the US as felons. As part of the wider immigration debate, most of the protests not only sought a rejection of this bill, but also a comprehensive reform of the country's immigration laws that included a path to citizenship for all illegal immigrants. 2006 United States immigration reform protests Thousands gather in favor of immigrants' rights in Nashville, Tennessee on March 29, 2006 Date March - May The 2006 immigration protests were a series of demonstrations that began in Chicago and continued throughout major cities nationwide for a period of eight weeks. The first major demonstration in Chicago was held on March 10, 2006, and was estimated to have about 100,000 participants. It was the initial impetus for many of the other protests which followed throughout the country.[2] The largest single protest occurred on March 25, 2006, in downtown Los Angeles with an official estimate of more than 500,000 people marching in what organizers called "La Gran Marcha" ("The Great March") .[3] Organizers of La Gran Marcha, however, state that the actual revised number of participants is somewhere between 1.25 and 1.5 million estimated through later photographic analysis.[4] The largest nationwide day of protest occurred on April 10, 2006, in 102 cities across the country,[5][6] with 350,000–500,000 in Dallas. The overwhelming majority of the protests were peaceful and attracted modest media attention. Additional protests took place on May Day. May Day Illegal immigration Role of Spanish-language media and religious leaders Controversy and backlash over flag symbolism and protests Backlash Consequences of the 2006 immigration protests Social policy attitudes Latino political contributions and civic engagement Timeline Edit March Edit March 10: 100,000 marched from Union Park to Federal Plaza in Chicago but organizers say that about 250,000- 500,000 actually marched.[2] March 24: 20,000 marched to Senator Jon Kyl's office in Phoenix.[35] Tens of thousands of workers participate in a work stoppage in Georgia.[36] March 25: more than 500,000 (casual police estimate) march in downtown Los Angeles,[37]but organizers claim more than 1.25 million based on photographic analysis [38] March 26: 7,000 people rallied at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.[39] March 27: Hundreds of high school students walk out of class in protest in Northern Virginia.[40] March 29: 8,000–9,000 marched from The Coliseum to Legislative Plaza in Nashville.[41] March 30: Robert Pambello, the principal of Reagan High School in Houston, placed a Mexican flag below the American and Texan flags and was ordered to remove it. He later resigned from his position for apparently unrelated reasons.[42] In South West Houston, high school students from Robert E. Lee High, Bellaire High, Sam Houston High School(joining from Houston's Northside) and other middle schoolers joined in a march that was taken to city hall.[43] March 31: 3,000 high school and middle school students in Las Vegas walk out of class to protest. Some college and community college students join them on their protest.[44] April Edit April 1: 10,000 marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square in New York City.[45] April 6: Hundreds of Aurora, Illinois students left school to march downtown to protest. April 8: Several hundred people rally at Chicano Park in San Diego.[46][unreliable source?] April 9: Demonstrations in several cities across the United States, including: 50,000 marched in San Diego from Balboa Park, through downtown to the County Administration Building.[47] Students Of Jersey City's McNair Academic High School gather to protest the proposed H.R. 4437 at Liberty State Park after walking out of their school at 2:00 pm on April 10, 2006. 6,000 protested in Des Moines, Iowa at Nollen Plaza in support of comprehensive immigration reform.,[48] April 9 April 10: Demonstrations were staged in many cities and towns across the United States; Atlanta, Georgia, at least 50,000 people rallied both for and against amnesty. Boston, Massachusetts, approximately 2,000 demonstrators march from Boston Common to Copley Square.[49] Charleston, South Carolina, at least 4,000 people gathered and protested the inability of lawmakers to agree on legislation that would lead to citizenship.[50] Fort Myers, Florida, an estimated 75,000 people took part in "The Great March" which affected traffic in nearby areas of the march. The stream of protesters was at least a mile long at times. Las Vegas, a well-organized march of approximately 3,000 people was held. Protesters marched two miles from Jaycee Park to the Federal Courthouse during the first day of the Clark Country Spring Break, waving Mexican and American flags alike. They protested in favor of amnesty.[citation needed] New York City, between 70,000 and 125,000 people demonstrated in front of City Hall. Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer spoke at the rally. Neither called for amnesty, though many of the crowd's signs and chants did.[51] Oakland, California, an estimated 10,000 people took part in the demonstration.[52] Salt Lake City, Utah, a unity rally was held at the City-County Building; there were an estimated 15,000 protesters. San Jose, California, an estimated 25,000 demonstrators marched several miles from King and Story to city hall. Highway access to US 101 and I-680 was closed, causing significant traffic backups. Seattle, between 15,000 and 25,000 marched to a rally at the federal building where speakers in support of the demonstrators, such as Mayor Greg Nickels and County Executive Ron Simsspoke. Just five thousand were expected.[53] April 11: Several protests occurred in Nevada. In Las Vegas, a rally with an estimated minimum of 300+ was held at the Cashman Center; several important opposition figures showed up, such as Jim Gilchrist, the Nevada Secretary of State, local radio host Mark Edwards, and numerous state Minuteman Projectbranches to protest against amnesty. In Carson City, Nevada, an estimated 200 students walked out of class, rallying in front of the Governor's Mansion.[54] In Reno, Nevada, between 2,000 and 4,000 protesters marched through the downtown area, from the University of Nevada, Reno campus to the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Building, and continued to a designated spot near the Meadowood Mall. Traffic was held and diverted along South Virginia Street during the march.[citation needed] April 13: Students from several Woodburn, Oregon (a town with a large Hispaniccommunity) schools marched out of class.[55] April 19: Students from various Denver high schools and middle schools walked out of class and marched to the capitol. April 27: Approximately 200 volunteers and supporters built a 6 foot high, quarter mile section of barbed wire fencing along the Mexico and United States border to send a clear message to Americans and leaders in Washington regarding the lack of security at our borders.[56] April 28: Nuestro Himno, a Spanish language rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, is played simultaneously on about 500 Spanish language radio stations across the country. The controversy died in a few days, after it was revealed that Cuban immigrant Jon Secada had sung the anthem in Spanish at Bush inauguration ceremony [1], and that a Spanish version of the anthem had been commissioned by the Bureau of Education of the United States in 1919 [2]. May Edit A rally on May 1 in Chicago May 1: The "Great American Boycott" takes place across the United States and at a few locations abroad. An estimated 400,000 marched in Chicago, according to police, though organizers pegged the total at closer to 700,000; "Latinos were joined by immigrants of Polish, Irish, Asian and African descent."[57] An estimated 400,000 marched in Los Angeles, according to police[58] The boycott was said to have had "little economic impact" in Arizona[citation needed] Modesto, California saw close to 10,000 people marching in the streets, possibly the largest assembly of people in the city's history. Major city streets were shut down as a direct result.[59][unreliable source?] Over 15,000 protesters were reported in Santa Barbara, California. Some supporters have hailed this as "the most important boycott since the days of the civil rights movement".[60] Over 100,000 marched in the Bay Area of California.[61] At least 10,000 marched in Orange County[62] A minor disturbance in Vista, Californiawas disbursed by 200 police officers.[63] Local news estimates that 3,000+ people marched from Jaycee Park in Las Vegas, Nevada; some local businesses suffered but the majority of businesses felt no financial impact.[64] According to LA Observed, an altercation occurred between protestors and police at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.[65] Immigrant rights protest at the US–Mexico border in Tijuana Thousands of immigrants and their supporters did not go to work or school in Iowa[66] United for the Dignity and Safety of Immigrants (UDSI) (organizing group estimates)[citation needed] May 2: The Minuteman Project says that 400 new members joined in April in response to the protests.[67] May 3: In response to the pro-immigration reform boycott, the Minutemen started a two-vehicle caravan across the United States which reached Washington, D.C., on May 12.[68] May 25: The United States Senate passes S. 2611 which includes a path to citizenship for up to 8.5 million illegal individuals. The bill eventually failed and was never enacted.[69] Legislation Edit Main article: H.R. 4437 H.R. 4437 (The Border Protection, Anti terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005) was passed by the United States House of Representatives on December 16, 2005, by a vote of 239 to 182. It is also known as the "Sensenbrenner Bill", for its sponsor in the House of Representatives, Jim Sensenbrenner. H.R. 4437 was seen by many as the catalyst for the 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests.[70] The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986previously gave "amnesty" to 2.7 million undocumented immigrants. Proponents of the measure, including then-President Reagan, said the measure, paired with stricter employer rules and a better path for legal entry, would reduce illegal immigration. The companion bill passed by the United States Senate was S. 2611, which never passed conference committee. The House Republican leadership stated that it rejected S. 2611 wholly and would only pass legislation that addressed border security. The end of the 109th Congress marked the death of this bill. Kennedy ruling Sent from my iPhone