According to the organizers, the actions took place in at least 18 states, as well as in Washington on Capitol Hill. Many participants in the demonstrations were from Latin American countries. They came with signs written in Spanish. In particular, one of them had the slogan from President Barack Obama's previous election campaign 'Yes, we can' translated into Spanish: 'Si, se puede'. Some came with flags of Brazil, El Salvador, and Mexico, writes The Washington Post.
Senators promise to finish drafting the migration reform bill by the end of the current week, after which its discussion in society will begin. The document should spell out measures to ensure security of the US border, conditions for admitting tens of thousands of foreign workers, as well as guarantees of eventually granting citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants. Representatives of both parties are working on the bill: both Democrats and Republicans.
Opponents of these changes believe that legalization of illegal immigrants could provoke a new economic downturn, and also lead to an even greater influx of illegals, notes Lenta.ru.
President Barack Obama, who received 71% of the votes of the country's Latino population in the last election, supports the reform. If senators cannot agree on a plan of action within a month, he promised to present his own draft document.
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