Protesters from the "All In for Registry" march – a 40-mile walk that started in Petaluma on Saturday, and ended in San Francisco City Hall on Monday.
Pro-immigration advocates are demanding Congressional action that would give citizenship to eight million of the approximately 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. — more than half of the country’s undocumented population.
“They're perceived as a vulnerable exploitable, source of cheap labor…”
Says Renee Salcedo, a coordinator of the group, Alma Libres – a group of immigrant and indigenous women. Protesters, like Salcedo, are advocating on behalf of the millions of migrants, who are stuck in a legal limbo nationwide.
They’re also demanding respect for human rights at the U.S.-Mexican border amid a recent crackdown on immigrants crossing the border, which has resulted in at least two deaths in the past week.
Again, Renee Salcedo:
“I would describe it as a people's movement. As a message to elected officials and to the community at large that the undocumented community is still organizing and fighting for a fair immigration policy. And right now, they are focusing on HR 1511.”
The legislation proposes to update a 1929 federal law allowing undocumented individuals to apply legal permanent residency so long as they have lived in the country for at least seven years.
The 40-plus mile distance stands for the nearly 40 years of what march organizers describe as "congressional inaction" on immigration reform.
Organizers say last weekend's 40-mile walk is the first in a series of demonstrations running through September in support of a immigration reform.
