Pro-illegal immigration rallies took place across the U.S. today, but turnouts were generally much lower than a year ago:
Immigration rallies held across the country Tuesday produced only a fraction of the million-plus protesters who turned out last year, as fear about raids and frustration that the marches haven’t pushed Congress to pass reform kept many at home.
We keep hearing that polls say most Americans want immigration “reform” rather than enforcement. But the contrary assumption underlies this observation:
Organizers said those who did march felt a sense of urgency to keep immigration reform from getting pushed to the back burner by the 2008 presidential elections.
If “reform” is so popular, why would it be pushed to the back burner as the 2008 election season heats up? This, too, strikes me as good news:
No rallies were planned in Atlanta, where 50,000 marched last year, because many immigrants were afraid of the raids and of a new state law set to take effect in July. The law requires verification that adults seeking non-emergency state-administered benefits are in the country legally, sanctions employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and requires police to check the immigration status of people they arrest.
I think the view of a great many Americans could be summed up as: Reform, maybe; let’s hear the details. Reconquest, forget about it. Demonstrators continue to hurt their cause with this kind of behavior:
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