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2 May, 2010 06:24

Protestors demand US immigration reform

Tens of thousands of outraged protesters took to the streets of Washington DC on May Day demanding President Barack Obama step in over Arizona's immigration law.

Known worldwide as International Workers Day, the history of the holiday in the US originates in Chicago, Illinois. Today, May Day is defined by those living in America's shadow.

Undocumented immigrants who have built their lives in the US for decades are now facing deportation. As the Obama Administration allowed the immigration issue to fester, states like Arizona took measures of their own to deal with illegal immigrants, greatly threatening their rights and freedoms.

“We came here to work, to support our family,” said Maria Vesquez who is in the US on a work permit. She attended the DC rally because is worried that laws similar to the one passed in Arizona could reach her state of Maryland.

From the 1500-mile walk that we took we touched the soil that has seen us grow and develop into the young women and men that we are today,” said one of six students who traveled to Washington DC by foot.

My mother lived in this country undocumented for 16 years,” added another member of the group. “Of those 16 years she fought two battles: one dealing with cancer, the other dealing with the fact that she had an undocumented family.”

The students’ intention is to promote the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act – a piece of proposed legislation that could safeguard immigrant students – who have spent their entire lives in the US – from being deported.

We need to stop the deportation of students like ourselves,” said another student at the protest. “And Obama can do that with a single signature of his pen.”

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