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Immigrants show their legislative power at "Noche de Acción"

BY STEVE SMITSON

Bilingual speeches, a disco ball, dancing, and salsa music blaring on Lawyer's Mall may not seem like a typical Annapolis gathering of lobbyists. But that may quickly change as more lawmakers become aware of the organizing power of the Latino community.

Everyone agreed that this year's Noche de Acción Latina was a night to remember and raised the bar for all lobbyists in Maryland.

On February 23, Maryland's most powerful Democrat in the house, the state's two Latino delegates, and the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee joined hundreds of energetic high-school students, day laborers, community leaders, advocates, and friends who came together to show their support for immigrant communities and their legislative agenda.

More than 800 Marylanders rally in Annapolis

More than 800 Marylanders converged on Annapolis for the 5th Annual Noche de Acción Latina and to send a clear message to lawmakers. Many waved banners that read "we are a nation of immigrants" and chanted out loud "si, se puede."

While it was their first political event in the United States for some in attendance, for others it was another step in a state-wide movement that has unified religious, labor, student, and community leaders and which promises to change Annapolis forever.

Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez (D—Dist. 18) summed up the evening when she told the crowd, first in Spanish and then in English, "you have really done something tonight. Never again will Annapolis be the exclusive domain of paid lobbyists and representatives who don't represent your interests."

At times Gutierrez interrupted her own speech to lead the crowd in chants of "si, se puede–yes, we can."

"We say no to divisive politics"

For Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA of Maryland and the founding president of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice, the night was significant.

"During each of the past four years, Noche de Acción was a huge success. This year was different," Torres said. "Tonight it went from being an event to being an effective political institution. We now have an organizing mandate to say no to hate, no to divisive politics, and yes to unity and respect for all humans in Maryland."

Keynote speaker Michael E. Busch (D—Dist. 30), who just completed his first year as speaker of the House of Delegates, encouraged the crowd to keep their voices together. He spoke of his immigrant grandparents struggling to learn English and to find a better life for their family in the United States. He also acknowledged the struggles that many families in the audience are facing.

"Today, immigrants are seeking the same dream, though with significantly more obstacles in the way," Busch told the crowd.

Delegate Victor Ramirez (D—Dist. 47) echoed Busch's theme by reminding listeners that voices are important, but education and action are essential. He urged the crowd to work hard to get an education and to always work for candidates and issues that will help the audience members to realize their dreams.

"If you are a U.S. citizen, remember to vote for your candidates," urged Ramirez.

Students stand up for education

The loudest applause during the evening came when a group of high-school students took the stage to speak about their dreams of attending college.

One of the bills being considered by lawmakers this year would allow Maryland high-school graduates to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities, regardless of their immigration status.

"We are the future of this country," said Rosalia Rojas, a junior from Baltimore, "and we are the present."

The students recognized their parents' sacrifices and vowed to carry on their dreams.

Earlier in the evening, groups of community members held nine separate town hall meetings with their elected representatives from across the state. Each meeting had between 10 and 30 participants, including members of the respective legislative districts, according to the organizers.

At the town meetings, high-school students confronted their district representatives who have not supported the in-state tuition bill with straightforward questions, such as "why can't I go to college?"

For at least one Delegate, Rosetta Parker (D—Dist. 47), her comfort level quickly diminished with the students' questions about her lack of support for the bill, according to one participant.

Like many students participating in the night's activities, Dario Muralles had a personal stake in the legislation. For Muralles, a student leader at Kensington's Albert Einstein High School, being able to pay in-state tuition will determine whether or not he is able to attend college and study law after graduating this May.

"This legislation is not only important for students, but for all of Maryland, because an educated society is more productive and better able to contribute to our great state," Muralles said.

Anti-immigrant bills fall down after hearings

Ricardo Flores, president of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice, reminded the crowd that there was plenty to celebrate. The week before the rally, four anti-immigrant bills died in committee. These bills would have directed local police to enforce the nation's immigration laws, called for the police to confiscate any vehicle driven by an undocumented person, outlawed the consular identification cards currently accepted by Montgomery County and Baltimore City Governments, as well as prohibited the MVA from issuing a driver's license to anyone who cannot prove legal residence in the U.S.

Two other bills called for a state-funded study of the costs of undocumented residents to the state and to the healthcare system. A recent study published this past January by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization, estimated that Maryland is home to between 120,000 and 150,000 undocumented individuals.

Leaders call anti-immigrant bills un-American

At a press conference on February 18, prior to the hearings before the House Judiciary Committee, County Executive Doug Duncan gave an emotional speech denouncing the anti-immigrant platform as being "un-American because they strike a blow to the very heart of our democracy and our way of life."

Duncan also recalled that his father was an immigrant to the U.S. who arrived in Maryland as a teenager and was unable to speak English. After serving in the U.S. armed forces, Duncan's father went on to teach English to other immigrants in Montgomery County Public Schools.

"Like so many other immigrants, he gave back to the community, helping other newcomers to make a better life for themselves and their families, and in turn, making Maryland a better place for everyone," Duncan said.

Duncan also spoke about the practical considerations that underlie making a diverse community successful. "The bottom line is immigration policy is a federal matter, and the intent of these harmful bills has no place in today's Maryland," he stated.

Using consular identification cards as an example, Duncan highlighted how sound local policies affecting immigrants make communities safer by "making it easier for immigrants to open a bank accounts, access government and community services, and decrease the risk of becoming robbery victims."

Montgomery County began accepting the identification cards last May as a formal identification for residents applying for county services and enrolling their children in school.

"These bills are mean-spirited, and will drive a wedge between people," Duncan said as he promised to work to defeat them.

Duncan was joined by Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson, State's Attorney Glenn Ivey, Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Perez, and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley in denouncing the anti-immigrant platform. O'Malley is widely considered to be a contender against Duncan in the next governor's race.

To be sure that the anti-immigrant bills were on the minds of rally organizers and participants, one only had to look at the decorations. Before the rally, organizers hung large caricatures of the three chief authors of the anti-immigrant bills to one of the statutes overseeing the immigrants' celebrations.

The face of Anne Arundel County's Herbert H. McMillan (R-Dist 30), Baltimore County's Patrick McDonough (R-Dist. 7), and Harford County's Richard K. Impallaria (R-Dist. 7), hung together under big letters that asked, "Why are these three against us?"

As the bills' authors appeared to listen in, Delegate Joseph F. Vallario, Jr., (D—Dist. 27A), told the cheering crowd that "nothing that harms immigrants is going to come out of Annapolis this year." Vallario, the son of immigrants, is one of the chief sponsors of the bill that would grant driver's licenses to undocumented residents of Maryland.

During the rally, the entire House of Delegates gave a rousing standing ovation to Edgar Ramirez, 23, of Langley Park, who attended Noche de Acción after serving with the U.S. military in Iraq for nearly four months. Ramirez is a legal permanent resident from Guatemala, has become an active member of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice, according to organizers.

Community members get involved

In addition to heroes, many workers and community residents attended the rally. According to Darwin Bonilla, an event organizer, what sets this crowd apart was the high level of understanding among participants of the subject matters being debated by the leaders.

"This year, immigrants have a very high level of understanding because we trained over 100 persons about the substantive issues on this year's radar screen. We trained folks from the Eastern Shore, Baltimore City, and Prince George's and Montgomery Counties," Bonilla said.

In addition to Latino immigrants, many African immigrants also participated in the training sessions and town meetings,

"Africans are immigrants also, and are directly affected by these very issues," said Natali Fani of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice.

One worker from CASA of Maryland who attended the rally commented that he and his friend went because they don't want to see local police performing the function of immigration officers.

"We won't feel safe," he said.

According to Fani, the coalition is truly a grassroots effort. Community members plan the training curriculum, conduct outreach for recruiting more participants, elect their own leadership from the coalition, and prepare their presentations to the elected officials,.

"We even had captains picked from among their peers who were responsible for organizing each of the nine meetings," said Fani.

Pro-immigrant platform gains support

Organizers agreed that the key to more success will be to keep the participants' energy level up. According to Darwin Bonilla, who helped organize the grassroots lobbying and leadership trainings, people want to stay involved and have been calling him to find out when they can return to Annapolis. For Bonilla, educating participants is one of the group's chief goals.

"We recognize that a grassroots movement needs to be well informed. The better we understand the issues and the arguments against us, the better we can respond," said Bonilla. "We came to have fun, for sure, but also to show our representatives that we are watching and listening, and we are working hard for what we believe is right."

Delegate Victor Ramirez (D—Dist. 47), also told the crowd that it is important to support those candidates that support immigrants' rights.

According to Fani, the coalition will continue to mobilize community leaders to testify at hearings and to visit their representatives.

"Their level of involvement with the political process has only just begun," she said.

Fani expects that over the next couple of weeks, rally participants will continue to meet in Annapolis to work for pro-immigrant legislation.

Their bills include Healthcare for All, which would require employers to carry their appropriate level of responsibility, rather than forcing workers to pay for their coverage. Another initiative, called Smoke Free Maryland, would protect restaurant and bar employees by outlawing smoking in all workplaces, according to organizers.

"We defeated four bad bills, but our work now is really tough," Fani said. "We still need people to testify at hearings. We want to capture the participants' high energy and keep our momentum going."