- CHICAGO: Immigrant rights activists hope Arizona's controversial immigration law will spark scores of people to protest in May 1 rallies nationwide and add urgency to pleas for federal immigration reform.
- Dozens of marches are planned for Saturday in cities across the country from Los Angeles to Dallas to New York.
"What happened in Arizona proves that racism and anti-immigrant hysteria across the country still exists. We need to continue to fight," said Lee Siu Hin, a coordinator with the Washington, DC-based National Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Activists believe opposition to Arizona's new law could be the catalyst needed to draw record-breaking crowds.
That's when more than a million across the country united to fight federal legislation considered anti-immigrant. Though the bill, which would have made being an illegal immigrant a felony, was unsuccessful, it triggered massive marches across the nation.
Since then, the May 1 movement has fractured and attendance has dropped sharply as attempts to reform federal immigration policy fizzled. In 2006, nearly half a million people took to Chicago's streets. Last year, fewer than 15,000 participated.
But after the Arizona law was signed into law last week, immigration reform advocates have seen a flurry of activity.
Relying on online social networking, churches and ethnic media to mobilize, activists have called for a boycott of Arizona businesses and protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games.