A day without an immigrant

"Proclamation for responsible immigration reform
Whereas the first Americans declared that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
And
Whereas we are not sojourners but active participants in the economy and share in building the American Dream.
And
Whereas our contributions far outweigh the emergency support we are
sometimes force to ask for
And
Whereas some people feel threatened by our presence even though we are people drawn to the light of freedom...

More that twelve hundred undocumented and documented immigrants and their allies stayed home from work and took to the streets in Philadelphia today, to voice the importance of immigrant workers to the local economy and the need for comprehensive immigration reform. This "Day without an Immigrant" also calls attention to the Sensenbrenner - King Bill, which threatens to erode due process and criminalize not only undocumented immigrant status, but organizations that assist undocumented immigrants. With rumors of raids by immigration officials running rampant through the city a couple weeks ago, the huge turnout for the demonstration was significant and impressive.

In preparation for the demo, participants handed letters to their employers which explained why they were staying home from work and asked them to advocate for reform. The goal was to demonstrate what the city and its ecomony would be like without its immigrant communities and workers.

The counter protesters were out in force. All five of them. But the Minutemen put out a press release calling for the investigation and prosecution of employers that hire undocumented immigrants.

Amy Laura in Philly