Citizen Marchers and More Raids

The University of Illinois at Chicago study in this article from the Chicago Sun-Times undercuts the assumption that only the undocumented marched in pro-immigrants'-rights protests in the spring and therefore marched only in self-interest as invading foreign hordes.

The article reports:

"Most participants [in May's march] were male U.S. citizens of Mexican descent -- age 30 or younger -- who spoke English....Nearly 75 percent of those marchers were U.S. citizens, and 66 percent of those citizens said they vote, according to the survey by UIC's Immigrant Mobilization Project."

The study anticipates Wednesday's planned demonstration in Chicago in response to the "raids, immigration-related arrests, deportations and employer sanctions that have led to fear and a perceived backlash in immigrant communities."

Thousands have been at least detained since the marches in April and May, the sudden rush in sweeps perhaps due to a combination of the undocumented exposing themselves by marching and the heating up of the debate increasing pressure on ICE to crack down on the undocumented, in programs with names like "Operation Return to Sender". Authorities took 58 people into custody this morning at Fort Bragg, N.C. It remains to be seen whether these operations actually serve as the deterrent to new entrants that they purport to be.


Immigration