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The protest was in response to House resolution 44:37, or “The Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Act.” The bill would redefine the way immigration is handled in the United States by making it illegal for law enforcement, healthcare workers,and even priests to help illegal immigrants. It would essentially make it more difficult to gain access to the United States and turn 11 million undocumented immigrants into felons.

The bill also includes 700 miles of border fence and mandatory worker verification. Supporters of the bill, like U.S. congressman Mike Rogers, Senate Represenative for Michigan’s 8th district, say these steps are necessary in the war against terrorism and in discouraging employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

“We’re not second-class citizens,” said protestor Rome Hanson, a Mexican American who was born in the U.S. “I want my money back and my taxes back if I’m illegal. There are Mexican Americans who are part of every level of society. We’re all from the same human race.” Hanson was accompanied by four generations of his family at the rally; some participated in traditional dancing of the Mixica (Aztec) tribe.

The current foreign-born population in Minnesota represents 6.1 percent of the total population. According to reports from local immigrant communities, Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, and the largest Hmong community in the world outside of Asia.

At the Capitol, a diverse group of speakers and immigrant leaders addressed the populous gathering to advocate for the importance of worker’s rights for all, family reunification, a path to legalization, equal educational opportunities for all, civic participation and civil liberties.

“The Hmong immigrants came to America at a time of war,” said speaker Nhia Lee, who came to the United States 25 years ago as a young child. “Many of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, and aunts lost their lives or were left behind. I’ve lived in Minnesota for 25 years; I am a Minnesotan. We are all Minnesotans. It is time to come together and tell our government; the people that are in office for us, know what we want and what is important to us. We want roots, we want healthy families, and we want family re-unification.”

The Minnesota March for Immigration with Dignity was organized by a coalition of faith, labor, and community groups known as the Alliance for Fair Federal Immigration Reform of Minnesota (AFFIRM) along with immigrant leaders, students and individuals who are working together to build the immigrant rights movement of Minnesota. Other demonstrations across the country drew similar-sized crowds.

The largest turn-out was in Dallas, Texas which had an estimated 500,000 participants.

“This will really push us forward,” said Kapsner. “You can’t rely on the faith of our senators. You have to have people pour out into the streets. This is a step forward in the right direction.”

The protest will be followed by a general strike on May 1. That event, which is titled “A Day Without Immigrants,” calls for no work, no school, no sales, and no buying. It will be accompanied by rallies around symbols of economic trade to protest the anti-immigrant bill. Organizers of the strike are saying, “Immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year. They earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion. They also contribute to the United States economy 25 billion times more than they receive in healthcare.

The mass protests, not only in Minnesota but across the nation, are a reminder of the strong-willed immigrants that are often left in the shadows.

It’s too soon to gauge what the impact of the demonstrations will have on the decision of lawmakers, but one thing is sure--the people have made their voices and stories ring through the streets. Si Se Puede.