Heat for King during recess

BY BRANDON BAIN | Newsday Staff Writer

April 10, 2006

With their eyes set on the prospect of legalizing millions of immigrants, more than 300 mostly Hispanic protesters waved flags from their native countries along with the American flag shouting, "Yes We Can," and "Take Out Peter King" in Spanish in front of Rep. Peter King's Massapequa Park office.

With placards that read "We are not criminals," the protest yesterday was a preview for dozens of larger pro-immigration protests scheduled for today, including one in Manhattan.

The group of mostly community, religious and union leaders oppose a House bill, co-sponsored by King and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) that would toughen the requirements for citizenship for more than 11 million undocumented workers currently in the U.S.

"We do not want to criminalize them; we want to support them and all of the endeavors that they contribute to our great nation," said Luis Valenzuela, executive director of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, who vowed to have members e-mail, call and write King and other lawmakers until a bill is passed in Congress.

With Washington lawmakers on recess, hundreds of immigrants and activists across the nation are seizing the opportunity to mobilize undocumented workers to voice disgust with legislation they say is inhumane.

Fueled by heavy debate in Congress, a new AP-Ipsos poll released yesterday showed that immigration is now as significant an issue with the American people as the economy. The poll follows the Senate's decision to hold off voting on a more liberal version of the immigration bill last week that would have granted citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants who have lived in the country for at least five years. Activists nationwide are looking to continue to push for similar legislation and are planning more rallies and walkouts in the next few weeks.

King, who did not appear at the rally, has been a strong opponent of the stalled Senate bill and supported another bill in House to toughen border security. During the protest yesterday, about a dozen pickets held a counter-protest across the street from King's office pushing for tougher immigration laws.

Most of the protestors said they were against measures to grant illegal immigrants temporary guest status and instead were looking at a bill that would lead to legalization and ultimately citizenship.

Legis. Ricardo Montano (D-Central Islip) said there were other troubling aspects of the House bill that would penalize those who help illegal workers.

"He's [King] also talking about criminalizing not only people that have been working here for many years, but criminalizing members of the church or people who lend aid to an undocumented worker," Montano said. "I don't think that's the message Americans want to hear."

Saul Linares, 27, of Hempstead, an undocumented worker from El Salvador, currently works at a warehouse and helps other immigrants learn English. Linares said he's pushing for the government to issue more work permits for immigrants. He added that when he first arrived in the United States two and a half years ago, many employers would not pay him regularly, but said immigrants do jobs many Americans would not and deserve protection.

"We are not criminals and we are not terrorists. ... We are the cheapest," said Linares.