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Catholic Archbishop Joins Immigrant Rights Rally NewsMax.com Wires SAN FRANCISCO -- A coalition of religious leaders including San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer led some 10,000 protesters Sunday in demanding Congress enact more immigrant-friendly policies.
Protesters marching from Dolores Park to the Federal Building carried signs reading "Free people not free trade" and "Deport racism," and flags from nearly every Latin American country flew alongside those from the Philippines, Koreas and United States. It was the city's largest such demonstration so far.
Reading a joint statement supported by Buddhist, Jewish, Christian leaders, Niederauer said immigration reforms should give undocumented workers "a just path to lawful permanent residence and citizenship" and allow "families torn apart by immigration to reunite." Story Continues Below
The Roman Catholic archbishop criticized proposals in Congress to criminal penalties for illegal immigrants and build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border as "very shortsighted and even mean-spirited."
"A country has a right to protect its borders, but if that's the only concern, then your country will turn into a fortress," Niederauer told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The march was the latest in a string of rallies that have drawn tens of thousands of demonstrators across the country as Congress considers an overhaul of immigration policies.
Lawmakers returning to Washington on Monday remained divided over whether to crack down on illegal immigrants or embrace them as vital contributors to the U.S. economy. President Bush was headed to Irvine, south of Los Angeles, on Monday to promote a bill that would allow more foreigners to work legally in the U.S.
© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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