Immigration bill incites local protest

An estimated 2,000 people gathered on Independence Mall yesterday to protest a bill that, if passed, would increase the penalties faced by illegal immigrants.

The bill, which is in the Senate, would make working as an undocumented immigrant a felony. The offense is currently a civil violation, a less severe category.

The demonstration at Fifth and Market streets, conducted in both Spanish and English, featured addresses by members of various immigrant communities.

Wharton graduate student Cecilia Cardesa-Lusardi was among the speakers.

"The energy was amazing," Cardesa-Lusardi said. "You look at everybody, and there's hope in their eyes."

Demonstrators planned the protest to coincide with a work-stoppage campaign called "A Day Without an Immigrant," in which illegal immigrants throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey refused to go to work yesterday.

The walk-out aimed to involve employers of illegal immigrants -- specifically restaurants -- in the fight against the legislation. It took place on Valentine's Day, which is an especially busy day for many such businesses.

Bill Curry, owner of the Copabanana restaurant on South Street, said that he had employed one immigrant worker but he was able to get him citizenship.

"My people are on the books," Curry said, but he acknowledged that immigrant labor is always an issue in the restaurant community.

"The problem is, nobody wants to do these jobs," he said.

Ricardo Diaz, a spokesman for the "Day Without Immigrants" effort and a consultant for the Latino social service agency Congreso, said organizers promoted the campaign mainly by word of mouth and passing out flyers.

"We have no money, we have no budget, but still we got people to come out, and that's what's beautiful," Diaz said.

He added that politicians from the Republican, Democratic and Green parties offered support, but he chose not to accept it.

The bill is sponsored by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.).

"Our point of view is simply, 'Stop Sensenbrenner; [the bill] is an insult.'"

The House of Representatives passed the protested bill, called the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005," last month, 10 days after it was introduced.

Diaz said he was shocked by the amount of support the bill garnered.

"When a bill goes through the House in less than 10 business days -- there's power in that," he said.

Sociology professor Janice Madden, whose work focuses on regional economics and labor, was not aware of the bill, but said its chances of becoming law seem slim.

"So what if it passed the House? It's never going to pass the Senate," Madden said.

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