Immigrant rallies today

The Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles police expect the largest of the demonstrations to occur this afternoon on Wilshire Boulevard. Authorities are preparing for hundreds of thousands to march down one of L.A.'s most storied streets, following a route between MacArthur Park and the Miracle Mile that's a microcosm of the city's ethnic and economic diversity.

The Washington Post:

The disagreement over the boycott played out last week in a series of news conferences. Many leaders of the April 10 immigration rally on the Mall cautioned against participation in the boycott, and some activists from the Washington region and elsewhere encouraged immigrants to stay away from work, schools and stores.

"What we don't want is for people to go around and confuse the community around the country. And that is exactly what has happened," Contreras said. "Sadly, there are those who claim that they own the movement. The folks that came here . . . would say that they were the people who held the gran marcha , the [March 25 rally] in L.A., when in reality that was not the truth."

The Houston Chronicle:

The immigration issue has roiled the nation, heating up as the threat of terrorism raised new concerns about border security. At the ends of the political spectrum, proposals range from making illegal immigration a felony to offering immigrants amnesty.

Powerful philosophical, cultural and economic pressures are driving the debate, and it's unclear whether immigrant advocates will be able to keep their momentum and forge a lasting political force.

''A march doesn't succeed if there isn't a follow-up vote," said María Jiménez, a longtime immigrant advocate in Houston.