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Vol. 74/No. 31      August 16, 2010

 
Demonstration at Chicago jail
says no to anti-immigrant law
 
BY ILONA GERSH  
CHICAGO—A youthful crowd of more than 250 marched to the Cook County Jail here July 29. The action was part of a national day of protests against Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 1070.

Marchers also protested the deportations of immigrant workers in Chicago. Three Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are stationed at the jail every day to pick up immigrant workers being held at the facility.

Several organizations, including Immigrant Youth Justice League and a new group, the Coalition for Deportation Moratorium, sponsored the protest. Many marchers were at their first immigrant rights demonstration.

Among those participating were four immigrant workers from Ace Coffee Bar, which caters the cafeteria for county jail employees. “We are being fired July 30,” because of immigration status, said Juan Topete, who spoke at the rally. “We want you to support us in our fight.”

Another speaker was Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois. “Our campaign is here in solidarity with the fight for legalization for undocumented workers, and against SB1070,” Kennedy said.

“We’re in the middle of the worst economic crisis we’ve seen for decades,” she added. “There will be resistance like the outpourings of workers on May Day demanding legalization, the protests against SB1070, and the fight by the workers at Ace Coffee Bar against their firings. Any time working people put up a fight, the Socialist Workers campaign will be there.”
 
 
Related articles:
Unionists join action against Arizona anti-immigrant law
New York march condemns Arizona law  
 
 
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