Immigrants Rallying Today

Immigrants set for massive ralliesBy Thomas Ferraro, Washington (Reuters)

"The Great May 1 Boycott, a day without immigrants," is a follow-up to the demonstrations attended by hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their supporters across the nation on April 10. Those rallies protested a get-tough bill passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives that would reclassify illegal immigrants as felons, punish those who help them and build a fence along much of the U.S.-Mexican border.

A bipartisan bill stalled in the U.S. Senate would bolster border security, but also provide illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship and a guest-worker program long favored by Bush.

Today's nationwide boycott may result in millions of immigrants will stay away from work, school and stores and rally in support of an overhaul of America's immigration laws. It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this has on Iowa City.