Spring Break
Thousands marched and the debate goes on
HR 4437 - The immigration debate
Ryan Sholin
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: News
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Thousands of people took to the streets in more than 100 cities and towns across the country on Monday in what organizers called a "National Day of Action." In San Jose, police estimated that 25,000 people marched through downtown on their way to City Hall.
Click here for a slideshow of the "National DAy of Action" in San Jose.
Jose Tejeda, a junior majoring in business management, said he was at Monday's march in San Jose.
"I came from an immigrant family," Tejeda said.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tejeda said he moved to the U.S. with his family when he was three years old.
"I think this country is composed of immigrants," Tejeda said. "I don't think it takes an economist to figure out that without Latinos, this country wouldn't be anything."
The recent set of protests began in January, but started to garner national media attention when an estimated 500,000 marchers in Los Angeles - including many high school students - set out on March 25 to voice their opposition to HR 4437, a bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Dec. 16 of last year.
The legislation would make being an illegal immigrant a felony.
Last week, the U.S. Senate reached a compromise on their own version of the legislation that would have established a guest worker program and a framework to help illegal immigrants become citizens. The agreement broke down on Friday when some senators argued for further revisions to the bill, and the legislators left for a two-week recess without passing the legislation.
The bill passed by the House of Representatives would subject anyone who "harbors, conceals, or shields from detection" an illegal immigrant to a minimum of three years in prison.
Tejeda said he appreciates all the privileges he's been given as a U.S. citizen, but he could not stomach the idea of going to jail for housing illegal immigrants.
Click here for a slideshow of the "National DAy of Action" in San Jose.
Jose Tejeda, a junior majoring in business management, said he was at Monday's march in San Jose.
"I came from an immigrant family," Tejeda said.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tejeda said he moved to the U.S. with his family when he was three years old.
"I think this country is composed of immigrants," Tejeda said. "I don't think it takes an economist to figure out that without Latinos, this country wouldn't be anything."
The recent set of protests began in January, but started to garner national media attention when an estimated 500,000 marchers in Los Angeles - including many high school students - set out on March 25 to voice their opposition to HR 4437, a bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Dec. 16 of last year.
The legislation would make being an illegal immigrant a felony.
Last week, the U.S. Senate reached a compromise on their own version of the legislation that would have established a guest worker program and a framework to help illegal immigrants become citizens. The agreement broke down on Friday when some senators argued for further revisions to the bill, and the legislators left for a two-week recess without passing the legislation.
The bill passed by the House of Representatives would subject anyone who "harbors, conceals, or shields from detection" an illegal immigrant to a minimum of three years in prison.
Tejeda said he appreciates all the privileges he's been given as a U.S. citizen, but he could not stomach the idea of going to jail for housing illegal immigrants.
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