Large Immigration Rally in D.C. March 21

The Washington Post

A broad coalition rallies for an overhaul of immigration laws

A photograph of President Ronald Reagan, who signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, is held aloft at the rally on the Mall. The act made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants and granted amnesty to certain illegal immigrants. For more photos of the immigration rally, visit washingtonpost.com/local.

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By N.C. Aizenman
Monday, Mar 22, 2010


Tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters from across the United States packed the Mall on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to spur Congress and the White House to overhaul the nation's immigration system and offer its 10.8 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship this year against increasingly long odds.

Warmed by occasional bursts of sunshine, the festive crowd beat drums and waved American flags and placards reading "Change takes Courage" and "Obama Don't Forget Your Promise!"

"We've been patient long enough. We've listened quietly. We've asked politely. We've turned the other cheek so many times our heads are spinning," Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who has led the push for immigration legislation within the House of Representatives, shouted, to roars of approval. "It's time to let immigrants come out of the shadows into the light and for America to embrace them and protect them." ...link to complete article