US immigrants stage boycott day
Immigrant workers in the United States are staging a day of nationwide action in a major protest against proposed

immigration reform.

Millions are expected to stay away from work and school, and avoid spending money, in an effort to show how much

immigrants matter to the economy.

Called A Day Without Immigrants, the protest comes as Congress wrestles with reform of immigration laws.

About 11.5m illegal immigrants live in the US, many entering via Mexico.

Impact unknown

Some commentators say the emerging immigrant movement - the force of which was evident at nationwide demonstrations last

month - can be compared with the civil rights protests of the 1960s and 70s.

If these people leave you will have a very difficult time finding willing US workers who are wanting to take these

positions
Gus Shihab, US immigration lawyer

"Everyone's an immigrant here. The only real American is the Indian," Puerto Rican-born Rene Ochart, a doorman in a

Manhattan hotel, said of the campaign.

Monday is a normal working day in the US. Yet Latino leaders are saying that the scale of what will happen is hard to

predict.

Some will work but buy nothing. Others will protest at lunch breaks, school walkouts or at rallies after work. There are

planned church services, candlelight vigils, picnics and human chains.

But there are fears the action may trigger a backlash and some are questioning how many people will actually participate in

the boycott.

International support

The protest has spread to Mexico, where people have been urged to boycott US products for the day.

Marina Serna, a deputy manager for Burger King in Mexico City, told AP that despite the fact that the restaurant where she

works is a Mexican-owned franchise, in the first 90 minutes of opening there was only one customer.

However, the stream of customers at a Wal-Mart in the city was reportedly undiminished.

In some of the protests:

* Supporters in New York formed human chains at 1216 (1616 GMT) to symbolise 16 December 2005 - the day

controversial immigration bill was passed in the House of Representatives - to be followed later by a rally in Union Square at

1600

* In Chicago up to half a million people are expected to attend a demonstration in Grant Park

* In California, which has more undocumented workers than any other state, mass rallies will be held, the largest

expected to be in Los Angeles

* Goya Foods will halt distribution for the day, while Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producer, will shut nine of its

15 plants

Divisive debate

In California the State Senate approved what lawmakers called "the great American boycott of 2006", describing it as an

attempt to educate Americans about "the tremendous contribution immigrants make on a daily basis to our society and

economy".



© BBC MMVI